XENIA — Eddie Montgomery has some sound advice for anyone attending the Stronger Together concert at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

“May wanna call in sick now,” Montgomery — one half of the the famed country duo Montgomery Gentry — said during a recent phone interview with Greene County News. He and his brother, John Michael Montgomery, will headline the May 31 event, which will support programs and services provided by United Way of the Greater Dayton Area.

“Anything can happen and it usually does,” Montgomery said. “We can’t give everything away, we’ll have to wait and see on that. (But) you can tell them the party’s on the way.”

Still touring as Montgomery Gentry to fulfill a promise he made with the late Troy Gentry and an undisclosed amount of Jim Beam, the stop in Xenia is the 10th of a summer full of “anything” from Texas to Washington. The two agreed that if something were to happen to the other, they wanted to “keep Montgomery Gentry going.”

Gentry died in a helicopter crash in 2017.

Keeping it going really wasn’t a difficult task for Montgomery, a Kentucky native who grew up in a honkytonk family. When he was 13, Montgomery played drums in his parents’ band, Harold Montgomery and the Kentucky River Express. It was an every-night gig.

“The bartenders were our babysitters,” Montgomery said. “It’s in my blood. My dad always said music is the worst drug in the world because there’s no cure for it.”

In 1990, the siblings and Gentry started the band Early Tymz, which morphed into Young Country with John Michael as the lead vocalist. When John Michael’s solo career took off with hits such as “Life’s a Dance,” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident),” Eddie and T-Roy as he was affectionately known as, formed Deuce before signing with Columbia Records as Montgomery Gentry.

With a southern rock influence reminiscent of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Marshall Tucker Band, their popularity soared with energetic stage shows and attire. That continues whether Montgomery is out as Montgomery Gentry or just doing it solo style.

It’s a must-see show.

“Anybody that likes to have a good time, that’s what were all about,” Montgomery said. “Our (tour) bus door is always open. Having fun, that’s what it’s all about. Life’s very short and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

He wants his friends (he doesn’t call them fans) to do the same and they rarely disappoint.

“It’s unreal,” Montgomery said. “When you get up there and you start singing, and once everybody’s singing back and they’re louder than you are, you just love it. When you go out and do meet and greets … they were like man, I was having a hell of a time and your song got me through it.”

Montgomery is touring in support of the recently released “Outskirts,” a seven-song EP, but friends can be assured they’ll hear all the classics, including the surprise hit “Hell Yeah,” that references the “Haggard” and “Me” generations. Montgomery never thought radio stations would play it due to its edginess.

“It just kind of got a life of its own,” he said.

Much like their concerts.

Special guest appearances will be made by emerging artists Alexis Gomez, Jackson Snelling, and Karen Waldrup, all who have ties to the Miami Valley.

The Stronger Together Concert will start at 5 p.m. Tickets starting at $25 are available for purchase at https://dayton-unitedway.org/strongertogether/.

Reach Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.