Montgomery Gentry photo courtesy of Sony Nashville.

The current Montgomery Gentry single “Long Line Of Losers” celebrates a colorful family tree that’s “half outlaw, half boozers.” And if it sounds like they mean it, that might be because Eddie Montgomery in particular can relate to the song firsthand.

“I really was raised with a shot glass in my hand,” Eddie says. “I ain’t gonna lie about it. You know, everybody’s like, ‘Well, I don’t know if I’d talk about it,’ or what. Hell, it does not bother me at all. You know, it never has. [Although] now I do know as an adult why none of the other parents would ever let kids come over to our house.”

Musical partner Troy Gentry says the Montgomery home, in which John Michael Montgomery was also raised, was essentially “party central.” It provided a sort of playground for some of the adults in the neighborhood.

“We had all music equipment in the livin’ room,” Eddie recalls. “When Mom and Dad wasn’t playin’ in a nightclub, hell, they were playin’ at home. And hell, everybody was over at our house. So, you know, that’s why, I was like… ‘I wonder how come no kids are allowed to come to our house.’”

Eddie might have felt like an outsider as a kid, but he and Troy are certainly insiders in contemporary country circles. “Long Line Of Losers” is one of the Top 25 singles on the Country Aircheck chart, Montgomery Gentry joined the Grand Ole Opry this year, and the pair is nominated for the Country Music Association’s Vocal Duo of the Year award for the 11th year in a row. Their competitors in the Nov. 11 ceremony include Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Joey+Rory and Sugarland.  Check out complete coverage of this year’s 43rd Annual CMA Awards Show at GACTV.com.