Monti Rock III obit

Las Vegas bon vivant Monti Rock III dies at 86

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A beloved actor from the 1977 film classic Saturday Night Fever has died, leaving behind a performance that helped define one of the decade’s most iconic films.

The groundbreaking drama, which starred John Travolta as Tony Manero, became a cultural phenomenon, capturing the pulse of 1970s Brooklyn nightlife and launching a disco-era soundtrack that topped charts worldwide. The film not only cemented Travolta’s status as a Hollywood leading man but also helped define an entire generation’s style and music.

While Travolta’s star-making turn remains central to the film’s legacy, fans also remember the supporting characters who gave the story its emotional weight and authenticity. One of these actors was Monti Rock III, who played the beloved DJ Monti at the disco the characters visited, The 2001 Odyssey.

Rock is best remembered from a scene where he calls out to Travolta and his fellow dancers. He says, “Hello, again! This is beautiful Monti, your delicious DJ!”

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Rock died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. The site confirmed Rock’s death via a longtime friend, Lucille Thaler. She added that he had been diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in the years before his death.

Thaler also stated that in December 2024, Rock suffered a broken hip, for which he received surgery.

The Las Vegas Review featured a retrospective of Rock’s career via YouTube, posted in 2020. In the series of video clips, the entertainer’s Saturday Night Fever scene, as well as his numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, are visible.

In an undated interview with the website Ultimate Classic Bands, Rock discussed his career, including his work with Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, a disco group that had two hit singles, “Get Dancin'” (1974) and “I Wanna Dance Wit’ Choo (Doo Dat Dance)” (1975), per AllMusic. The group later earned a lyrical nod from the Pet Shop Boys on their 1996 album Bilingual, with the song “Electricity” referencing them in the line, “It’s the greatest show with the best effects, since Disco Tex & the Sex-O-Lettes.”

To Ultimate Classic Rock, the entertainer claimed the group had sold “seven million records” and released three albums before Saturday Night Fever producer Robert Stigwood recruited him to appear in the now-classic film. Of his role in Saturday Night Fever, Rock said, “It made me legit in many ways. Robert Stigwood liked me basically.”

He added, “It changed my life, actually. I had three years of premieres and talk shows, and I made a lot of money. I did a few other bad films.”

Rock offered candid words of wisdom about his long career to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reflecting that “the talent of surviving is a talent. Life has a way of, you either sink or swim. And I’ve been able to sink more times than swim. I’m the world’s most successful failure.”

Monti Rock III died on February 23, 2026. He was 86.

 

Actor

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in Miami Vice (1984)

Miami Vice

7.6

TV Series

Manager

1986

1 episode

 

The Comeback Trail (1982)

The Comeback Trail

5.9

Monti Rock

1982

 

Robert Vaughn and Stuart Whitman in Cuba Crossing (1980)

Cuba Crossing

4.0

Man at Bar (as Monti Rock the III)

1980

 

Racquet (1979)

Racquet

3.5

Scotty

1979

 

Barry Gibb, Peter Frampton, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, and The Bee Gees in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

4.3

Our Guests at Heartland (as Monte Rock III)

1978

 

John Travolta and Karen Lynn Gorney in Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Saturday Night Fever

6.8

The Deejay

1977

 

2000 Years Later (1969)

2000 Years Later

6.4

Tomorrow's Leader

1969

 

Soundtrack

Tales of Television Centre (2012)

Tales of Television Centre

8.5

TV Movie

performer: "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo" (as Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes)

2012

 

Uutishuone (2009)

Uutishuone

7.6

TV Series

performer: "Get Dancing" (as Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes)

2009

1 episode

 

Michael Winsor in The Basil Brush Show (2002)

The Basil Brush Show

6.5

TV Series

performer: "I Wanna Dance Wit' Choo" (as Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes)

2003

1 episode

 

Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)

The Simpsons

8.6

TV Series

performer: "Get Dancin'" (as Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, uncredited)

1990–2001

2 episodes

 

Olivia d'Abo and David Cassidy in The Spirit of '76 (1990)

The Spirit of '76

5.8

performer: "Get Dancin'" (as Sir Monti Rock III, "Get Dancin'", as Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes)

1990

 

Barry Gibb, Peter Frampton, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, and The Bee Gees in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

4.3

performer: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Finale)

1978

 

American Bandstand (1952)

American Bandstand

7.5

TV Series

performer: "I Wanna Dance Wit'Choo" (as Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes)

1975

1 episode

 

Changes

7.0

performer: "Getting Off" (opening song)writer: "Getting Off" (opening song) (as Monti Rock, as Monti Rock)

1970