Rob Quist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rob Quist
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Quist in 2017
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| Born |
Robert Ernest Quist
January 5, 1948 Cut Bank, Montana, U.S.
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| Education | University of Montana (BA) |
| Occupation | Singer–songwriter, politician |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Bonni Willows
(m. 1979) |
| Children | 2 |
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Robert "Rob" Ernest Quist (born January 5, 1948) is an American musician and politician from Montana. He is known for his bluegrass and country music. Quist was a founding member of the popular Mission Mountain Wood Band. He sings and plays the guitar and banjo.
Many famous artists, like Michael Martin Murphey and Loretta Lynn, have recorded songs written by Quist. He is seen as a musical and cultural representative for Montana. Because of this, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed him to the Montana Arts Council. In 2017, he ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress as a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Education
Rob Quist was born in Cut Bank, Montana. He started singing when he was young and learned to play many instruments. In high school, he was a talented basketball player. He led his team, the Cut Bank Wolves, to a state championship in 1966.
Quist later attended the University of Montana. He continued to play basketball and also joined a singing group called the Jubileers. In this group, he met Steve Riddle. Together, they decided to start a band, which later became the Mission Mountain Wood Band.
Music Career
The Mission Mountain Wood Band
The Mission Mountain Wood Band was a bluegrass and country rock group. Their first big show was in 1971, opening for the band Rare Earth. The band became very popular and toured across the country. They opened for famous musicians and were also popular headliners in Montana.
The group appeared on national TV shows like Hee Haw. After the band split up in 1982, Quist and two other members formed a new group called the Montana Band. This band also toured and won a music contest hosted by Willie Nelson.
Solo Music Career
As a solo artist, Quist created a backup band called Great Northern. He still sometimes gets together with the living members of the Mission Mountain Wood Band for special concerts.
Quist has performed his original music with many symphonies. These include the Glacier Orchestra and the symphonies of Billings, Butte, and Missoula. He has also written music for TV and radio ads for famous brands like Levi's 501 Jeans and Coors.
While in Nashville, Quist became good friends with musician Michael Martin Murphey. They wrote the song "Close to the Land" together. This song became the theme for the TV show "America's Heartland" and won an award. Quist has released 15 CDs of his music, which often tell stories about the people and history of Montana.
Throughout his career, Quist has performed with many famous acts. These include Heart, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jimmy Buffett, Dolly Parton, and Jay Leno.
Political Career
2017 Congressional Election
In January 2017, Quist announced he would run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. The seat was open because the person holding it, Ryan Zinke, was chosen to be the Secretary of the Interior.
Quist was chosen by the Democratic Party to be their candidate. He said that respected people asked him to run. His first thought was, "Wait a minute, I'm not a politician." They replied, "exactly." He felt his experience traveling Montana and growing up in a ranching family made him a good choice. Senator Bernie Sanders supported Quist and campaigned with him.
The special election was held on May 25, 2017. The race received a lot of attention from across the country. Quist lost the election to his opponent, Greg Gianforte. Quist received 44% of the vote, while Gianforte received 50%. This was still the best result for a Democrat in a Montana House race in several years.
What are Rob Quist's Political Views?
Quist's political ideas focus on fairness for working people. He wanted to focus his campaign on how new laws would affect regular families in Montana.
Healthcare and Economy
Quist believes the country should work towards a single-payer healthcare system, where the government provides health insurance. He was against getting rid of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare). He said this would make healthcare more expensive for Montanans.
He has also spoken about the importance of fairness in the economy. He supports tax cuts for the working class.
Other Issues
- Public Lands: Quist has promised to protect public lands and keep them open for everyone to use.
- Environment: He accepts the science of climate change and supports using clean energy sources like wind and solar power.
- Campaigns: He supports a change to the Constitution to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. This would help reduce the influence of money in politics.
- Social Issues: Quist supports equal rights for all people, including same-sex marriage. He also supports a woman's right to make her own healthcare choices.
