145-557: Rascal Flatts is an American country music band founded in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee . The group consists of Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background vocals). DeMarcus is LeVox's second cousin, a brother-in-law of country music singer James Otto , and was previously a member of the contemporary Christian music duo East to West . LeVox and DeMarcus are both natives of Columbus, Ohio . From 2000 to 2010,
290-508: A 21-date tour entitled the "Life Is A Highway Tour." The tour is scheduled to commence in February 2025. Rascal Flatts' music is defined primarily by country pop influences as well as their distinct vocal harmonies . Though the band is a vocal group, DeMarcus and Rooney have played bass and lead guitar on the majority of the band's studio albums. While the band's contemporaries, namely Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney , originally incorporated
435-429: A Christian single entitled "The Distance" on March 19, 2021. In an interview for Billboard , LeVox revealed that Rascal Flatts would not tour at any point in 2021. On April 27, 2021, DeMarcus stated in an interview with Taste of Country that the pandemic may have altered the band's plans for a farewell tour, and that they may stay together and perform 10-15 concerts annually. In July 2021, DeMarcus and Rooney attended
580-518: A Highway Tour" to celebrate their twentieth anniversary. They also promised new music. On February 25, Gary LeVox posted on Instagram that the band was working on a new album. On May 1, the band released a cover of "Through the Years" as a tribute to the late Kenny Rogers . On May 19, the group announced on social media that their farewell tour had been indefinitely postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic in
725-603: A Highway" was not released to country radio, many country stations began playing the song, causing it to chart within the top 20 of Hot Country Songs. Me and My Gang had the highest US debut of 2006, with 722,000 units in April. The album spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and was the second-best selling album of 2006 (behind High School Musical ), with sales totaling to about 3.5 million by year's end. The album's success led
870-586: A Rainy Night " by Eddie Rabbitt (these two back-to-back at the top in early 1981); and " Islands in the Stream ", a duet by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers in 1983, a pop-country crossover hit written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees . Newton's "Queen of Hearts" almost reached No. 1, but was kept out of the spot by the pop ballad juggernaut " Endless Love " by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie . The move of country music toward neotraditional styles led to
1015-678: A Top 5 hit on the Country Airplay chart in 2014. Rewind produced three more singles with " Payback ", which peaked at 21, " Riot ", which reached 20, and " I Like the Sound of That ", which was released to country radio on September 14, 2015. The latter song, co-written by Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay and pop musician Meghan Trainor , reached number 1 on the Country Airplay chart in April 2016. That year, Rascal Flatts were selected as one of 30 artists to perform on " Forever Country ",
1160-452: A collection of musicians that came to be known as the outlaw movement revolutionized the genre of country music in the early 1970s. "After I left Nashville (the early 70s), I wanted to relax and play the music that I wanted to play, and just stay around Texas, maybe Oklahoma. Waylon and I had that outlaw image going, and when it caught on at colleges and we started selling records, we were O.K. The whole outlaw thing, it had nothing to do with
1305-530: A commercially fallow period. This subgenre was notable for borrowing from 1950s pop stylings: a prominent and smooth vocal, backed by a string section (violins and other orchestral strings) and vocal chorus. Instrumental soloing was de-emphasized in favor of trademark "licks". Leading artists in this genre included Jim Reeves , Skeeter Davis , Connie Smith , the Browns , Patsy Cline , and Eddy Arnold . The "slip note" piano style of session musician Floyd Cramer
1450-413: A consistent basis. There are just so many steps that would have to take place in order for us to get back to even talking about it. It’s not too late, I just...I think the further we get away from it the harder it is to put it back together. For us, the thing that happened is we burnt the candle at both ends for so long. It was a never-ending cycle and it did work, but it's hard to put the machine down or put
1595-427: A cultural fad had died down after the late 1970s (with Jennings noting in 1978 that it had gotten out of hand and led to real-life legal scrutiny), many western and outlaw country music artists maintained their popularity during the 1980s by forming supergroups , such as The Highwaymen , Texas Tornados , and Bandido . Country pop or soft pop, with roots in the countrypolitan sound, folk music, and soft rock ,
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#17327877027601740-607: A guitar player… people like Eric Clapton. I love Jeff Beck’s playing and Chet Atkins and Vince Gill, those styles. I love technical players like Steve Vai and Larry Carlton . [I am a] huge Brent Mason fan. Dann Huff is one of my heroes, too. He always has been. He can do it all, the rock stuff, he can blues it up, too, and he can do some country chicken pickin’, which I think is incredible." DeMarcus said: "Some of my biggest commercial musical influences would be people like Merle Haggard, George Jones, of course, Johnny Cash. People that wrote and sang their own stuff, I really admired. I
1885-475: A little bit of that, a little bit of black and a little bit of white ... just loud enough to keep you from thinking too much and to go right on ordering the whiskey." East Texan Al Dexter had a hit with "Honky Tonk Blues", and seven years later " Pistol Packin' Mama ". These "honky tonk" songs were associated with barrooms, and was performed by the likes of Ernest Tubb , Kitty Wells (the first major female country solo singer), Ted Daffan , Floyd Tillman ,
2030-578: A marked decline in country/pop crossovers in the late 1980s, and only one song in that period— Roy Orbison 's " You Got It ", from 1989—made the top 10 of both the Billboard Hot Country Singles " and Hot 100 charts, due largely to a revival of interest in Orbison after his sudden death. The only song with substantial country airplay to reach number one on the pop charts in the late 1980s was " At This Moment " by Billy Vera and
2175-603: A mash-up track of " Take Me Home, Country Roads ", " On the Road Again " and " I Will Always Love You " which celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards . The band released a Christmas album entitled The Greatest Gift of All in October 2016. Rascal Flatts' next single, " Yours If You Want It ", was released to country radio in early 2017. The track served as the lead single from their tenth studio album Back to Us , which
2320-571: A more neotraditional country approach to their sound, Rascal Flatts employed a crossover-friendly country pop sound as early as their debut album. This led to them often being derided as a country boy band , the genre's response to the wave of success seen by acts such as NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys . Brian Mansfield of USA Today explained: "Rascal Flatts—with clean-cut looks, showy vocals and pop-influenced arrangements—quickly found fans, as well as detractors willing to lump them with
2465-456: A new rendition of Rascal Flatts' song "All Night to Get There," with DeMarcus on lead vocals. LeVox released a new single titled "Get Down Like That" on August 19, 2022. In a June 2023 appearance on Savannah Chrisley 's podcast Unlocked with Savannah , DeMarcus further elaborated on the band's breakup and the possibility of a reunion: "I would want to say never say never. But we're in such different places right now and don't really communicate on
2610-469: A number-one country hit for the band in September and served as the first single from the album Still Feels Good . It was followed by " Winner at a Losing Game ", which was the first single the band had written themselves. The single and its followup " Every Day " both peaked at No. 2 on the country charts in 2008. The fourth single from the album, " Bob That Head ", became the band's first single to miss
2755-607: A one-night-only debut in movie theaters across the country in conjunction with the album release earlier that year, with the band celebrating with fans at the AMC Theater in New York City 's Times Square . On November 20, the band made a guest appearance on NBC 's The Voice to promote their new DVD. They performed "Changed" with Cody Belew and Cassadee Pope , contestants from the show. In December 2012, Rascal Flatts and Nashville actress Hayden Panettiere hosted
2900-515: A part of the Outlaw country movement. Originating in the bars, fiestas, and honky-tonks of Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas, their music supplemented outlaw country's singer-songwriter tradition as well as 21st-century rock -inspired alternative country and hip hop -inspired country rap artists. Outlaw country was derived from the traditional western, including Red Dirt , New Mexico , Texas country , Tejano , and honky-tonk musical styles of
3045-511: A poll of more than 2,000 children and Rascal Flatts ranked as the sixth-most-popular act among ages 10–12. Rascal Flatts has enjoyed financial success as a touring act. Nielsen reported that the band was the top selling artist in 2006: "Rascal Flatts was the biggest selling artist, with nearly 5 million physical album sales and nearly 4 million digital track sales." They had their first headlining tour beginning in Fall 2002, and by 2005 they were among
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#17327877027603190-482: A result of traditionalist backlash within separate genres. In the aftermath of the British Invasion , many desired a return to the "old values" of rock n' roll. At the same time there was a lack of enthusiasm in the country sector for Nashville-produced music. What resulted was a crossbred genre known as country rock . Early innovators in this new style of music in the 1960s and 1970s included Bob Dylan , who
3335-529: A role in the larger country music, with western wear , cowboy boots , and cowboy hats continues to be in fashion for country artists. West of the Mississippi River , many of these western genres continue to flourish, including the Red Dirt of Oklahoma , New Mexico music of New Mexico , and both Texas country music and Tejano music of Texas . During the 1950s until the early 1970s,
3480-428: A series of hugely successful songs blending country and folk-rock musical styles. By the mid-1970s, Texas country and Tejano music gained popularity with performers like Freddie Fender . During the early 1980s country artists continued to see their records perform well on the pop charts. In 1980 a style of "neocountry disco music" was popularized. During the mid-1980s a group of new artists began to emerge who rejected
3625-543: A significant shift in sound from earlier country music. The song was written by actual truckers and contained numerous references to the trucker culture of the time like "ICC" for Interstate Commerce Commission and "little white pills" as a reference to amphetamines . Starday Records in Nashville followed up on Dudley's initial success with the release of Give Me 40 Acres by the Willis Brothers . Rockabilly
3770-495: A style of "neocountry disco music" was popularized by the film Urban Cowboy . It was during this time that a glut of pop-country crossover artists began appearing on the country charts: former pop stars Bill Medley (of the Righteous Brothers ), "England Dan" Seals (of England Dan and John Ford Coley ), Tom Jones , and Merrill Osmond (both alone and with some of his brothers ; his younger sister Marie Osmond
3915-532: A total of 51 weeks on the latter chart. The album's title track was released as the second single and reached #6 on the country chart. The third and fourth singles, " My Wish " and " Stand ", both reached number one. In the summer of 2006, the group charted in the top 10 of the Hot 100 again with a cover of Tom Cochrane 's " Life Is a Highway ", which they recorded for the Disney / Pixar film Cars . Although "Life Is
4060-770: Is a music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and the Southwest . First produced in the 1920s, country music is primarily focused on singing stories about working-class and blue-collar American life. Country music is known for its ballads and dance tunes (i.e., " honky-tonk music ") with simple form, folk lyrics, and harmonies generally accompanied by instruments such as banjos , fiddles , harmonicas , and many types of guitar (including acoustic , electric , steel , and resonator guitars). Though it
4205-499: Is a subgenre that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to adult contemporary music . It started with pop music singers like Glen Campbell , Bobbie Gentry , John Denver , Olivia Newton-John , Anne Murray , B. J. Thomas , the Bellamy Brothers , and Linda Ronstadt having hits on
4350-736: Is among the nation's leading pediatric facilities, where the Rascal Flatts Pediatric Surgery Center was named in recognition of the trio's long-standing involvement. They have raised and donated millions of dollars to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt . They were also involved with the American Red Cross as members on the celebrity cabinet board. The group had an uncommon youth demographic (18–25) for country music. In September 2007, Weekly Reader Research conducted
4495-793: Is possible in children's lives. The band has supported charities such as the Make A Wish Foundation . They helped raise one million dollars for the Central Ohio foundation. The event was Ohio State University 's second annual "Big Wish Gala". Their chart-topping song, " My Wish " is also used on ESPN as the soundtrack for its series that follows the Make-a-Wish Foundation as they turn dreams into reality for children with life-threatening illnesses. Since then, they have also contributed countable hours of their time—and $ 4 million—to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt which
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4640-411: Is primarily rooted in various forms of American folk music , such as old-time music and Appalachian music , many other traditions, including Mexican , Irish , and Hawaiian music , have had a formative influence on the genre. Blues modes from blues music have been used extensively throughout its history as well. Once called " hillbilly music", the term country music gained popularity in
4785-658: The Billboard Hot Country Songs , Country Airplay , and/or Canada Country charts. Their longest-running number-one, a cover of Marcus Hummon 's " Bless the Broken Road ", spent five weeks at number one on Hot Country Songs in 2005. Through 2006 and 2007, " What Hurts the Most " was number one on both the Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts, and garnered their highest peak on
4930-554: The Billboard Hot 100 at number six. The band has also found commercial success with a cover of Tom Cochrane 's " Life Is a Highway ", which they recorded for the soundtrack of the Disney / Pixar animated film Cars (2006). Rascal Flatts' music is defined by country pop influences, as well as their distinct vocal harmonies . In addition to their own music, DeMarcus has produced albums for Chicago , Jennette McCurdy , and Brooks & Dunn member Kix Brooks . The band
5075-514: The 48th Annual Grammy Awards . On January 7, 2020, Rascal Flatts announced that they would be disbanding following a farewell tour after twenty years together. However, this farewell tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic ; the group's disbandment was officially confirmed in October 2021. The group announced a reunion on October 1, 2024, with a tour commemorating their twenty-fifth anniversary set to commence in 2025. We're not just business partners, we are good friends. That's why we have had
5220-522: The American Century Championship together. When asked if the band had broken up, Rooney said; "No, we're never going to be done. No way. For us now, we are just recalibrating things, taking some time off and waiting for things to open up the next couple of years. We have no set year yet even, but at some point we'll get back at it." DeMarcus himself said; "Rascal Flatts is bigger than the three of us. The time will come when we pass
5365-654: The Bakersfield sound . It has the tempo of country rock and the emotion of honky-tonk, and its lyrics focus on a truck driver 's lifestyle. Truck-driving country songs often deal with the profession of trucking and love. Well-known artists who sing truck driving country include Dave Dudley , Red Sovine , Dick Curless , Red Simpson , Del Reeves , the Willis Brothers and Jerry Reed , with C. W. McCall and Cledus Maggard (pseudonyms of Bill Fries and Jay Huguely, respectively) being more humorous entries in
5510-516: The CMT Music Awards by inviting Journey to perform their hit " Don't Stop Believin' " with them on stage. Rascal Flatts was nominated for International Artist of the Year and International Music Video of the Year (for "Banjo" and "Come Wake Me Up") at the 2013 CMC Music Awards. On April 8, 2013, Jay DeMarcus tweeted that Rascal Flatts was working on a new album The lead single, " Rewind ",
5655-759: The First National Band ), the Grateful Dead , Neil Young , Commander Cody , the Allman Brothers Band , Charlie Daniels , the Marshall Tucker Band , Poco , Buffalo Springfield , Stephen Stills ' band Manassas and Eagles , among many, even the former folk music duo Ian & Sylvia , who formed Great Speckled Bird in 1969. The Eagles would become the most successful of these country rock acts, and their compilation album Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) remains
5800-789: The Great Depression . However, radio became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started by radio stations all over the South, as far north as Chicago, and as far west as California. The most important was the Grand Ole Opry , aired starting in 1925 by WSM in Nashville and continuing to the present day. Some of the early stars on the Opry were Uncle Dave Macon , Roy Acuff and African American harmonica player DeFord Bailey . WSM's 50,000-watt signal (in 1934) could often be heard across
5945-487: The Maddox Brothers and Rose , Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams ; the music of these artists would later be called "traditional" country. Williams' influence in particular would prove to be enormous, inspiring many of the pioneers of rock and roll, such as Elvis Presley , Jerry Lee Lewis , Chuck Berry and Ike Turner , while providing a framework for emerging honky tonk talents like George Jones . Webb Pierce
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6090-595: The Mountain City Fiddlers Convention , held in 1925, helped to inspire modern country music. Before these, pioneer settlers, in the Great Smoky Mountains region, had developed a rich musical heritage. The first generation emerged in the 1920s, with Atlanta's music scene playing a major role in launching country's earliest recording artists. James Gideon "Gid" Tanner (1885–1960) was an American old-time fiddler and one of
6235-516: The Ozarks . As Webb Pierce put it in 1956, "Once upon a time, it was almost impossible to sell country music in a place like New York City. Nowadays, television takes us everywhere, and country music records and sheet music sell as well in large cities as anywhere else." The Country Music Association was founded in 1958, in part because numerous country musicians were appalled by the increased influence of rock and roll on country music. Beginning in
6380-552: The music of Hawaii . The U.S. Congress has formally recognized Bristol, Tennessee as the "Birthplace of Country Music", based on the historic Bristol recording sessions of 1927. Since 2014, the city has been home to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum . Historians have also noted the influence of the less-known Johnson City sessions of 1928 and 1929, and the Knoxville sessions of 1929 and 1930. In addition,
6525-531: The " I Can't Stop Loving You " single, and recording the landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music . Another subgenre of country music grew out of hardcore honky tonk with elements of western swing and originated 112 miles (180 km) north-northwest of Los Angeles in Bakersfield, California , where many " Okies " and other Dust Bowl migrants had settled. Influenced by one-time West Coast residents Bob Wills and Lefty Frizzell , by 1966 it
6670-602: The "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" as well as the Country Music Association's most coveted award for females, "Female Vocalist of the Year". In response George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Jean Shepard and other traditional Nashville country artists dissatisfied with the new trend formed the short-lived "Association of Country Entertainers" in 1974; the ACE soon unraveled in the wake of Jones and Wynette's bitter divorce and Shepard's realization that most others in
6815-611: The 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood. Some of the popular singing cowboys from the era were Gene Autry , the Sons of the Pioneers , and Roy Rogers . Country music and western music were frequently played together on the same radio stations, hence the term country and western music, despite country and western being two distinct genres. Cowgirls contributed to the sound in various family groups. Patsy Montana opened
6960-405: The 1940s. The genre came to encompass western music , which evolved parallel to hillbilly music from similar roots, in the mid-20th century. Contemporary styles of western music include Texas country , red dirt , and Hispano- and Mexican American -led Tejano and New Mexico music , which still exists alongside longstanding indigenous traditions . In 2009, in the United States, country music
7105-473: The 1950s to the mid-1960s, western singer-songwriters such as Marty Robbins rose in prominence as did others, throughout western music traditions, like New Mexico music 's Al Hurricane . The late 1960s in American music produced a unique blend as a result of traditionalist backlash within separate genres. In the aftermath of the British Invasion , many desired a return to the "old values" of rock n' roll. At
7250-447: The 1980s. Country music propelled Kenny Rogers’ career, making him a three-time Grammy Award winner and six-time Country Music Association Awards winner. Having sold more than 50 million albums in the US, one of his Song "The Gambler," inspired several TV films, with Rogers as the main character. Artists like Crystal Gayle , Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell would also find success on
7395-579: The Beaters, an R&B song with slide guitar embellishment that appeared at number 42 on the country charts from minor crossover airplay. The record-setting, multi-platinum group Alabama was named Artist of the Decade for the 1980s by the Academy of Country Music. Country rock is a genre that started in the 1960s but became prominent in the 1970s. The late 1960s in American music produced a unique blend as
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#17327877027607540-508: The Carters recorded some 300 old-time ballads, traditional tunes, country songs and gospel hymns, all representative of America's southeastern folklore and heritage. Maybelle Carter went on to continue the family tradition with her daughters as The Carter Sisters ; her daughter June would marry (in succession) Carl Smith , Rip Nix and Johnny Cash , having children with each who would also become country singers. Record sales declined during
7685-529: The Grand Ole Opry. That was the ordination of bluegrass music and how Bill Monroe came to be known as the "Father of Bluegrass." Gospel music , too, remained a popular component of bluegrass and other sorts of country music. Red Foley , the biggest country star following World War II, had one of the first million-selling gospel hits (" Peace in the Valley ") and also sang boogie, blues and rockabilly. In
7830-520: The Judds . Grammy Award for Best Country Song The Grammy Award for Best Country Song (sometimes known as the Country Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1965. The award is given to the songwriter(s) of the song, not to the artist, except if the artist is also the songwriter. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award: Years reflect the year in which
7975-747: The Lane " for Okeh Records on June 14, 1923. Vernon Dalhart was the first country singer to have a nationwide hit in May 1924 with " Wreck of the Old 97 ". The flip side of the record was "Lonesome Road Blues", which also became very popular. In April 1924, "Aunt" Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis became the first female musicians to record and release country songs. The record 129-D produced by Columbia features Samantha playing fiddle and singing Big-Eyed Rabbit while Eva Davis plays banjo. The other side features Eva Davis playing banjo while singing Wild Bill Jones. Many of
8120-450: The South, as far north as Chicago, and as far west as California. The most important was the Grand Ole Opry , aired starting in 1925 by WSM in Nashville and continuing to the present day. During the 1930s and 1940s, cowboy songs, or western music, which had been recorded since the 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood, many featuring Gene Autry , who was known as king of the "singing cowboys," and Hank Williams . Bob Wills
8265-694: The Southwestern United States, it was the Rocky Mountains , American frontier , and Rio Grande that acted as a similar backdrop for Native American , Mexican , and cowboy ballads, which resulted in New Mexico music and the development of western music , and it is directly related to Red Dirt, Texas country, and Tejano music styles. In the Asia-Pacific , the steel guitar sound of country music has its provenance in
8410-480: The Straw " by fiddlers Henry Gilliland & A.C. (Eck) Robertson on June 30, 1922, for Victor Records and released in April 1923. Columbia Records began issuing records with "hillbilly" music (series 15000D "Old Familiar Tunes") as early as 1924. The first commercial recording of what is widely considered to be the first country song featuring vocals and lyrics was Fiddlin' John Carson with " Little Log Cabin in
8555-527: The Top 10 on the chart. The fifth and final single, " Here ", was released in August 2008 and became the band's ninth Number One hit on the chart week of January 3, 2009. Rascal Flatts released their first compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume 1 , on October 28, 2008. The album contains 13 of their biggest songs, starting with " Prayin' for Daylight " and going through " Life Is a Highway ". The limited edition of
8700-492: The US Billboard 200 upon release. After Lyric Street closed in 2010, they moved to Big Machine Records . Since joining that label, they've recorded five more studio albums: Nothing Like This (2010), Changed (2012), Rewind (2014), a Christmas album entitled The Greatest Gift of All (2016), and Back to Us (2017). Rascal Flatts has released more than forty singles, sixteen of which reached number one on
8845-558: The United States . The band released a new single entitled " How They Remember You " on June 19. It appears on an EP of the same name, released on July 31. On September 18, the band announced a new greatest hits package, Twenty Years of Rascal Flatts: The Greatest Hits , released on October 2. In November 2020, the band was forced to cancel their performance at the 54th Annual CMA Awards after an unspecified member tested positive for COVID-19 . Appearing alongside LeVox and Rooney, DeMarcus told Access Hollywood in August 2020 regarding
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#17327877027608990-597: The West Coast. Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family are widely considered to be important early country musicians. From Scott County, Virginia , the Carters had learned sight reading of hymnals and sheet music using solfege . Their songs were first captured at a historic recording session in Bristol, Tennessee , on August 1, 1927, where Ralph Peer was the talent scout and sound recordist. A scene in
9135-423: The album contains a second disc with three Christmas songs: " White Christmas ", " Jingle Bell Rock ", and " I'll Be Home for Christmas ". A year later in October 2009, they released a second edition of their greatest hits collection, this time with a second disc containing live performances of "Take Me There", "Summer Nights", "Me & My Gang", and "Winner at a Losing Game". In January 2009, Rascal Flatts released
9280-642: The albums sold at JCPenney stores. JCPenney was the official sponsor of Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable American Living Tour. On July 16, 2009, as part of the American Living Tour, Rascal Flatts made history as the first country music group to play Chicago 's Wrigley Field . The trio was joined by fellow artists Vince Gill and Darius Rucker for a near-sellout crowd. After the closure of Lyric Street in April 2010, Rascal Flatts signed to Big Machine Records in July of that year. The group's first single from
9425-423: The appeal of the Nashville sound, many traditional country artists emerged during this period and dominated the genre: Loretta Lynn , Merle Haggard , Buck Owens , Porter Wagoner , George Jones , and Sonny James among them. In 1962, Ray Charles surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country and western music, topping the charts and rating number three for the year on Billboard's pop chart with
9570-598: The band recorded for Disney Music Group 's former Lyric Street Records division. While on that label, it released six studio albums, all of which were certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The group's self-titled debut Rascal Flatts was released in 2000, and Melt (2002), garnered their first number-one single, " These Days ". Feels Like Today (2004), Me and My Gang (2006), Still Feels Good (2007), and Unstoppable (2009) all topped
9715-431: The band to take the spot of top-selling artist for all genres of music, which had not been accomplished in 15 years by a country group. In the summer of 2007, the band recorded a cover of the 1968 Beatles song " Revolution " for the film Evan Almighty . Later the same year, the group released the single " Take Me There ", a song which Kenny Chesney co-wrote and had initially planned to record himself. That song became
9860-567: The band's second number one. The music video for "I Melt" garnered controversy for its scenes which featured partial nudity, and was banned from the Great American Country network. Rascal Flatts' third album, Feels Like Today , was released in September 2004. Feels Like Today topped the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts upon release. The album's title track was released as its first single. The second single
10005-467: The band. LeVox also revealed he had not spoken to Rooney since his DUI arrest on September 10 and that the group quietly disbanded after the cancellation of their farewell tour. In 2020, DeMarcus formed a new band called Generation Radio alongside ex- Chicago vocalist Jason Scheff , Journey drummer Deen Castronovo , Scott Rodriguez and former Rascal Flatts live instrumentalist Tom Yankton. Their eponymous debut album, released on August 12, 2022, features
10150-572: The basic ensemble consisted of classical guitar , bass guitar , dobro or steel guitar, though some larger ensembles featured electric guitars , trumpets , keyboards (especially the honky-tonk piano, a type of tack piano ), banjos , and drums . By the early 1950s it blended with rock and roll , becoming the rockabilly sound produced by Sam Phillips , Norman Petty , and Bob Keane . Musicians like Elvis Presley , Buddy Holly , Jerry Lee Lewis , Ritchie Valens , Carl Perkins , Roy Orbison , and Johnny Cash emerged as enduring representatives of
10295-564: The boy-band knockoffs." DeMarcus recalled: " Randy Owen from Alabama grabbed me by the shoulders at the CMA Awards in New York. He said, 'I'm not going to BS you, buddy. Nobody likes you. Everybody hates you. You're just taking over the spot we were in 20 years ago.'" The band has cited Alabama, the Eagles , Shenandoah , George Jones , Earl Thomas Conley , Keith Whitley , Stevie Wonder , Eric Clapton , Merle Haggard , Johnny Cash , Jeff Beck and Vince Gill as some of their most prominent musical influences. LeVox told Billboard : "Alabama
10440-508: The brakes on when everything is cruising along and going full-speed ahead. For us, we should have taken a break at some point, just a year off to kind of collect ourselves, hit the reset button." On June 13, 2024, DeMarcus and Rooney reunited onstage for the first time since March 2020, performing with Chicago-based cover band Maggie Speaks. Following a series of teasers and speculation, the band announced on October 1, 2024 that they would reunite to commemorate their twenty-fifth anniversary with
10585-468: The country charts. Between 1972 and 1975, singer/guitarist John Denver released a series of hugely successful songs blending country and folk-rock musical styles (" Rocky Mountain High ", " Sunshine on My Shoulders ", " Annie's Song ", " Thank God I'm a Country Boy ", and " I'm Sorry "), and was named Country Music Entertainer of the Year in 1975. The year before, Olivia Newton-John, an Australian pop singer, won
10730-631: The country charts. The second single off the album, " Come Wake Me Up ", reached #4 on the Country Airplay chart. The third single from the album was its title track , which peaked at #20 on the Airplay chart. Rascal Flatts received the 2,480th star in the category of recording of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 17, 2012. The star is located in front of the Sergeant Supply Store at 6664 Hollywood Boulevard . They became
10875-563: The country charts. The third single off the album, " Why ", peaked at No. 18 on the country charts, their poorest-charting effort to date at that point. The title track was released as the album's fourth single in January 2010 and peaked at #7 on the country chart in June. A special release version of their album Unstoppable was sold at JCPenney stores nationwide. It featured an exclusive bonus track entitled "American Living" only available on
11020-465: The country. Many musicians performed and recorded songs in any number of styles. Moon Mullican , for example, played western swing but also recorded songs that can be called rockabilly . Between 1947 and 1949, country crooner Eddy Arnold placed eight songs in the top 10. From 1945 to 1955 Jenny Lou Carson was one of the most prolific songwriters in country music. In the 1930s and 1940s, cowboy songs, or western music, which had been recorded since
11165-776: The cowboy ballads, New Mexico , Texas country and Tejano music rhythms of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico , reached its peak in popularity in the late 1950s, most notably with the song " El Paso ", first recorded by Marty Robbins in September 1959. Western music's influence would continue to grow within the country music sphere, western musicians like Michael Martin Murphey , New Mexico music artists Al Hurricane and Antonia Apodaca , Tejano music performer Little Joe , and even folk revivalist John Denver , all first rose to prominence during this time. This western music influence largely kept
11310-471: The demos, the band went into the Lyric Street offices the next day, sat down with acoustic guitars, and played a couple of songs. According to Howard in an interview with HitQuarters : "The vocals and harmonies, it was all there—I was just blown away. The lead singer has such a unique and compelling voice." The band was signed to Lyric Street in late 1999. In February 2000, the group made its debut with
11455-839: The door for female artists with her history-making song "I Want To Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart". This would begin a movement toward opportunities for women to have successful solo careers. Bob Wills was another country musician from the Lower Great Plains who had become very popular as the leader of a " hot string band ," and who also appeared in Hollywood westerns . His mix of country and jazz , which started out as dance hall music, would become known as western swing . Cliff Bruner , Moon Mullican , Milton Brown and Adolph Hofner were other early western swing pioneers. Spade Cooley and Tex Williams also had very popular bands and appeared in films. At its height, western swing rivaled
11600-671: The earliest stars of what would come to be known as country music. His band, the Skillet Lickers , was one of the most innovative and influential string bands of the 1920s and 1930s. Its most notable members were Clayton McMichen (fiddle and vocal), Dan Hornsby (vocals), Riley Puckett (guitar and vocal) and Robert Lee Sweat (guitar). New York City record label Okeh Records began issuing hillbilly music records by Fiddlin' John Carson as early as 1923, followed by Columbia Records (series 15000D "Old Familiar Tunes") ( Samantha Bumgarner ) in 1924, and RCA Victor Records in 1927 with
11745-408: The early 1960s, however, it was rare for a country band not to have a drummer. Bob Wills was one of the first country musicians known to have added an electric guitar to his band, in 1938. A decade later (1948) Arthur Smith achieved top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recording of " Guitar Boogie ", which crossed over to the US pop chart, introducing many people to the potential of
11890-630: The early country musicians, such as the yodeler Cliff Carlisle , recorded blues songs into the 1930s. Other important early recording artists were Riley Puckett , Don Richardson , Fiddlin' John Carson , Uncle Dave Macon , Al Hopkins , Ernest V. Stoneman , Blind Alfred Reed , Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers and the Skillet Lickers . The steel guitar entered country music as early as 1922, when Jimmie Tarlton met famed Hawaiian guitarist Frank Ferera on
12035-585: The early eighties: Nelson charted " Always on My Mind " (#5, 1982) and " To All the Girls I've Loved Before " (#5, 1984, a duet with Julio Iglesias ), and Newton achieved success with " Queen of Hearts " (#2, 1981) and " Angel of the Morning " (#4, 1981). Four country songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s: " Lady " by Kenny Rogers , from the late fall of 1980; " 9 to 5 " by Dolly Parton , " I Love
12180-528: The electric guitar. For several decades Nashville session players preferred the warm tones of the Gibson and Gretsch archtop electrics, but a "hot" Fender style, using guitars which became available beginning in the early 1950s, eventually prevailed as the signature guitar sound of country. Country musicians began recording boogie in 1939, shortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall , when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie". The trickle of what
12325-481: The end of World War II with "mountaineer" string band music known as bluegrass , which emerged when Bill Monroe , along with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs , were introduced by Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry. Gospel music remained a popular component of country music. The Native American , Hispano, and American frontier music of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico , became popular among poor communities in New Mexico , Oklahoma , and Texas ;
12470-529: The first all-country radio station was established in Lubbock, Texas . The music of the 1960s and 1970s targeted the American working class, and truckers in particular. As country radio became more popular, trucking songs like the 1963 hit song Six Days on the Road by Dave Dudley began to make up their own subgenre of country. These revamped songs sought to portray American truckers as a "new folk hero", marking
12615-406: The first famous pioneers of the genre Jimmie Rodgers , who is widely considered the "Father of Country Music", and the first family of country music the Carter Family . Many "hillbilly" musicians recorded blues songs throughout the 1920s. During the second generation (1930s–1940s), radio became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started all over
12760-454: The former crossing over to the US pop charts. Other country boogie artists included Moon Mullican , Merrill Moore and Tennessee Ernie Ford . The hillbilly boogie period lasted into the 1950s and remains one of many subgenres of country into the 21st century. By the end of World War II , "mountaineer" string band music known as bluegrass had emerged when Bill Monroe joined with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs , introduced by Roy Acuff at
12905-411: The industry lacked her passion for the movement. During the mid-1970s, Dolly Parton , a successful mainstream country artist since the late 1960s, mounted a high-profile campaign to cross over to pop music, culminating in her 1977 hit " Here You Come Again ", which topped the U.S. country singles chart, and also reached No. 3 on the pop singles charts. Parton's male counterpart, Kenny Rogers , came from
13050-549: The initial blending of the two polar opposite genres, other offspring soon resulted, including Southern rock , heartland rock and in more recent years, alternative country . In the decades that followed, artists such as Juice Newton , Alabama , Hank Williams, Jr. (and, to an even greater extent, Hank Williams III ), Gary Allan , Shania Twain , Brooks & Dunn , Faith Hill , Garth Brooks , Dwight Yoakam , Steve Earle , Dolly Parton , Rosanne Cash and Linda Ronstadt moved country further towards rock influence. In 1980,
13195-511: The label was " Why Wait ". The song was the first single from the album Nothing Like This , which was released November 16, 2010. In December 2010, "Why Wait" became the trio's eleventh number one hit on the U.S. country charts. In March 2011, Rascal Flatts was featured on a remix of Justin Bieber 's song " That Should Be Me ". The second single from Nothing Like This was " I Won't Let Go ". That song went to number 2 in early 2011. Following it
13340-406: The late 1950s and 1960s. Songs such as the 1963 Johnny Cash popularized " Ring of Fire " show clear influences from the likes of Al Hurricane and Little Joe , this influence just happened to culminate with artists such as Ray Price (whose band, the "Cherokee Cowboys", included Willie Nelson and Roger Miller ) and mixed with the anger of an alienated subculture of the nation during the period,
13485-407: The late 2000s and early 2010s. Most of the best-selling country songs of this era were those by Lady A , Florida Georgia Line , Carrie Underwood , and Taylor Swift . Hip hop also made its mark on country music with the emergence of country rap . The first commercial recordings of what was considered instrumental music in the traditional country style were " Arkansas Traveler " and " Turkey in
13630-604: The latter part of the western heyday in country music, many of these genres featured popular artists that continue to influence both their distinctive genres and larger country music. Red Dirt featured Bob Childers and Steve Ripley ; for New Mexico music Al Hurricane , Al Hurricane Jr. , and Antonia Apodaca ; and within the Texas scenes Willie Nelson , Freddie Fender , Johnny Rodriguez , and Little Joe . As Outlaw country music emerged as subgenre in its own right, Red Dirt, New Mexico, Texas country, and Tejano grew in popularity as
13775-521: The latter was climbing the charts, some radio stations began playing a hidden track on the album, titled "Skin". This airplay caused "Skin" to enter the top 40. The song was released as a single under the title " Skin (Sarabeth) " and officially added to the album's track list, later peaking at #2 on the country charts. Rascal Flatts's thirteenth chart entry, " What Hurts the Most ", was released in January 2006. This song had previously been recorded by Mark Wills in 2003. Rascal Flatts' version of that song
13920-514: The longevity we have. Joe Don Rooney, 2006, People magazine Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus are second cousins from a musical family based in Columbus, Ohio , where they were raised. DeMarcus moved to Nashville in 1992, earning his first record deal as part of a Christian group called East to West . In 1997, DeMarcus called LeVox, and convinced him to come to Nashville and provide some harmonies on Michael English 's album Gospel , which he
14065-417: The mid-1950s, and reaching its peak during the early 1960s, the Nashville sound turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered in Nashville, Tennessee . Under the direction of producers such as Chet Atkins , Bill Porter , Paul Cohen , Owen Bradley , Bob Ferguson , and later Billy Sherrill , the sound brought country music to a diverse audience and helped revive country as it emerged from
14210-585: The more polished country-pop sound that had been prominent on radio and the charts in favor of more traditional "back-to-basics" production. During the fifth generation (the 1990s), neotraditionalists and stadium country acts prospered. The sixth generation (2000s–present) has seen a certain amount of diversification in regard to country music styles. It has also, however, seen a shift into patriotism and conservative politics since 9/11 , though such themes are less prevalent in more modern trends. The influence of rock music in country has become more overt during
14355-400: The movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? depicts a similar occurrence in the same timeframe. Rodgers fused hillbilly country, gospel, jazz, blues, pop, cowboy, and folk, and many of his best songs were his compositions, including " Blue Yodel ", which sold over a million records and established Rodgers as the premier singer of early country music. Beginning in 1927, and for the next 17 years,
14500-556: The music of the folk revival and folk rock from influencing the country music genre much, despite the similarity in instrumentation and origins (see, for instance, the Byrds ' negative reception during their appearance on the Grand Ole Opry ). The main concern was largely political: most folk revival was largely driven by progressive activists, a stark contrast to the culturally conservative audiences of country music. John Denver
14645-419: The music, it was something that got written in an article, and the young people said, 'Well, that's pretty cool.' And started listening." (Willie Nelson) The term outlaw country is traditionally associated with Willie Nelson , Jerry Jeff Walker , Hank Williams, Jr. , Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings and Joe Ely . It was encapsulated in the 1976 album Wanted! The Outlaws . Though the outlaw movement as
14790-565: The opposite direction, aiming his music at the country charts, after a successful career in pop, rock and folk music with the First Edition , achieving success the same year with " Lucille ", which topped the country charts and reached No. 5 on the U.S. pop singles charts, as well as reaching Number 1 on the British all-genre chart. Parton and Rogers would both continue to have success on both country and pop charts simultaneously, well into
14935-605: The pop charts with their records. In 1975, author Paul Hemphill stated in the Saturday Evening Post , "Country music isn't really country anymore; it is a hybrid of nearly every form of popular music in America." During the early 1980s, country artists continued to see their records perform well on the pop charts. Willie Nelson and Juice Newton each had two songs in the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 in
15080-626: The popularity of big band swing music. Drums were scorned by early country musicians as being "too loud" and "not pure", but by 1935 western swing big band leader Bob Wills had added drums to the Texas Playboys . In the mid-1940s, the Grand Ole Opry did not want the Playboys' drummer to appear on stage. Although drums were commonly used by rockabilly groups by 1955, the less-conservative-than-the-Grand-Ole-Opry Louisiana Hayride kept its infrequently used drummer backstage as late as 1956. By
15225-438: The post-war period, country music was called "folk" in the trades, and "hillbilly" within the industry. In 1944, Billboard replaced the term "hillbilly" with "folk songs and blues," and switched to "country and western" in 1949. Another type of stripped-down and raw music with a variety of moods and a basic ensemble of guitar, bass, dobro or steel guitar (and later) drums became popular, especially among rural residents in
15370-436: The pseudonym "Thumper Jones", wanting to capitalize on the popularity of rockabilly without alienating his traditional country base. Cash and Presley placed songs in the top 5 in 1958 with No. 3 "Guess Things Happen That Way/Come In, Stranger" by Cash, and No. 5 by Presley "Don't/I Beg of You." Presley acknowledged the influence of rhythm and blues artists and his style, saying "The colored folk been singin' and playin' it just
15515-428: The resumption of the farewell tour: "I don't know what the tour's gonna look like. We don't know when it's gonna happen. But, I don't even know if it's gonna be a farewell tour." LeVox released his first solo material, a Christmas song entitled "Christmas Will Be Different This Year", on November 13, 2020 and DeMarcus released a song entitled "Music Man" on January 29, 2021, as a tribute to his late father. LeVox released
15660-408: The same time there was a lack of enthusiasm in the country sector for Nashville-produced music. What resulted was a crossbred genre known as country rock . Fourth generation (1970s–1980s) music included outlaw country with roots in the Bakersfield sound , and country pop with roots in the countrypolitan , folk music and soft rock . Between 1972 and 1975 singer/guitarist John Denver released
15805-493: The second country artist with Oklahoma ties to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that month after Vince Gill received his star the previous week. On November 19, Rascal Flatts released a DVD, All Access & Uncovered: The Making of Changed and Beyond , inviting the public into their inner circle. The DVD project revealed a more intimate side of the trio's lives during the making of Changed . The project made
15950-410: The second-best-selling album in the US with 29 million copies sold. The Rolling Stones also got into the act with songs like " Dead Flowers "; the original recording of " Honky Tonk Women " was performed in a country style, but it was subsequently re-recorded in a hard rock style for the single version, and the band's preferred country version was later released on the album Let It Bleed , under
16095-518: The single " Prayin' for Daylight ". The song had been on the three-track demo that had gotten the band signed. The song, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard country charts, was the first single from their self-titled debut , which was issued in June 2000 on Lyric Street. Following "Prayin' for Daylight", the album's other three singles all made the Top 10 on that chart with " This Everyday Love ", " While You Loved Me ", and " I'm Movin' On ", which respectively peaked at numbers 9, 7, and 4. "I'm Movin' On"
16240-505: The song " Here Comes Goodbye " as the first single from the album Unstoppable , which was released on April 7 of that year. Co-written by American Idol season six finalist Chris Sligh , "Here Comes Goodbye" became the group's tenth number one hit. The second single from the Unstoppable album, " Summer Nights ", which was co-written by Gary LeVox, was released in early May 2009. That song debuted at No. 57 and topped out at No. 2 on
16385-404: The style. Beginning in the mid-1950s, and reaching its peak during the early 1960s, the Nashville sound turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered in Nashville, Tennessee ; Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves were two of the most broadly popular Nashville sound artists, and their deaths in separate plane crashes in the early 1960s were a factor in the genre's decline. Starting in
16530-659: The subgenre. Dudley is known as the father of truck driving country. During the mid-1980s, a group of new artists began to emerge who rejected the more polished country-pop sound that had been prominent on radio and the charts, in favor of more, traditional, "back-to-basics" production. Many of the artists during the latter half of the 1980s drew on traditional honky-tonk, bluegrass, folk and western swing. Artists who typified this sound included Travis Tritt , Reba McEntire , George Strait , Keith Whitley , Alan Jackson , John Anderson , Patty Loveless , Kathy Mattea , Randy Travis , Dwight Yoakam , Clint Black , Ricky Skaggs , and
16675-679: The third annual 2012 CMT Artists of the Year to honor the top country acts of the year. Rascal Flatts also hosted The 14th Annual A Home for the Holidays with Rascal Flatts . The show earned a 4.91(million) rating. Rascal Flatts and Journey headlined the Super Bowl XLVII CMT Crossroads concert at the New Orleans Sugar Mill on February 2, 2013. This marked the second collaboration for Rascal Flatts and Journey. In June 2012, Rascal Flatts closed
16820-474: The three states of Texhomex , those being Tex as , Okla ho ma , and New Mex ico . It became known as honky tonk and had its roots in western swing and the ranchera music of Mexico and the border states, particularly New Mexico and Texas, together with the blues of the American South. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys personified this music which has been described as "a little bit of this, and
16965-481: The title "Country Honk". Described by AllMusic as the "father of country-rock", Gram Parsons' work in the early 1970s was acclaimed for its purity and for his appreciation for aspects of traditional country music. Though his career was cut tragically short by his 1973 death, his legacy was carried on by his protégé and duet partner Emmylou Harris ; Harris would release her debut solo in 1975, an amalgamation of country, rock and roll, folk, blues and pop. Subsequent to
17110-550: The top 25 tours of the year, grossing $ 26.3 million in 777,384 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore. Their follow-up tour in 2006 grossed $ 46.2 million, drawing more than a million people to 79 shows. Rascal Flatts had the third-highest US country tour in 2007, grossing $ 34 million from 588,009 tickets sold. The group grossed $ 16.8 million from their summer tour. Rascal Flatts' shows are heavy on special effects, including videos, pyrotechnics and laser lights. Country music Country (also called country and western )
17255-500: The torch. But first we have some unfinished business." DeMarcus and Rooney appeared at the 2021 Academy of Country Music Honors show on August 25 to receive the Cliffie Stone Icon Award on behalf of the group, though LeVox was not present. Additionally, DeMarcus and Rooney did not mention him or address his absence. In October, LeVox revealed that the band decided to break up officially, citing that Rooney had quit
17400-437: The trucking song subgenre following the success of Six Days on the Road and asked Red Simpson to record an album of trucking songs. Haggard's White Line Fever was also part of the trucking subgenre. The country music scene of the 1940s until the 1970s was largely dominated by western music influences, so much so that the genre began to be called "country and western". Even today, cowboy and frontier values continue to play
17545-418: The war film We Were Soldiers (2002). Their sophomore album Melt was released on October 29, 2002. Unlike its predecessor, Melt was co-produced by the band. The album's first single, " These Days ", became the band's first number one hit on the U.S. country charts. The album included two more Top 10 hits with " Love You Out Loud " and " I Melt ". " Mayberry ", the album's fourth and final single, became
17690-405: The way I'm doin' it now, man for more years than I know." Within a few years, many rockabilly musicians returned to a more mainstream style or had defined their own unique style. Country music gained national television exposure through Ozark Jubilee on ABC-TV and radio from 1955 to 1960 from Springfield, Missouri . The program showcased top stars including several rockabilly artists, some from
17835-477: The year of rockabilly in country music. Rockabilly was an early form of rock and roll , an upbeat combination of blues and country music. The number two, three and four songs on Billboard's charts for that year were Elvis Presley , " Heartbreak Hotel "; Johnny Cash , " I Walk the Line "; and Carl Perkins , " Blue Suede Shoes ". Reflecting this success, George Jones released a rockabilly record that year under
17980-583: Was " Bless the Broken Road ". The song was originally recorded by its co-writer, Marcus Hummon , and had also been recorded by Melodie Crittenden (whose version charted in 1998), the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band , and Sons of the Desert . In early 2005, Rascal Flatts' version became the band's third number one hit on the U.S. country charts and spent five weeks at that position. The third single, " Fast Cars and Freedom ", hit number one as well. While
18125-604: Was "introduced to the world as a Southern phenomenon." Migration into the southern Appalachian Mountains , of the Southeastern United States , brought the folk music and instruments of Europe and the Mediterranean Basin along with it for nearly 300 years, which developed into Appalachian music . As the country expanded westward, the Mississippi River and Louisiana became a crossroads for country music, giving rise to Cajun music . In
18270-438: Was already an established country star) all recorded significant country hits in the early 1980s. Sales in record stores rocketed to $ 250 million in 1981; by 1984, 900 radio stations began programming country or neocountry pop full-time. As with most sudden trends, however, by 1984 sales had dropped below 1979 figures. Truck-driving country music is a genre of country music and is a fusion of honky-tonk , country rock and
18415-563: Was an important component of this style. The Nashville Sound collapsed in mainstream popularity in 1964, a victim of both the British Invasion and the deaths of Reeves and Cline in separate airplane crashes. By the mid-1960s, the genre had developed into countrypolitan . Countrypolitan was aimed straight at mainstream markets, and it sold well throughout the later 1960s into the early 1970s. Top artists included Tammy Wynette , Lynn Anderson and Charlie Rich , as well as such former "hard country" artists as Ray Price and Marty Robbins . Despite
18560-400: Was an ’80s child, so I grew up loving all kinds of ’80s rock. I like R&B, too." Among the artists who claim the group as an influence on their own music are Hunter Hayes and Dan + Shay . Rascal Flatts has helped support music education in disadvantaged U.S. public schools by filming a PSA with Little Kids Rock. Through their encouragement for music education, giving the gift of "music"
18705-593: Was another country musician from the Lower Great Plains who had become very popular as the leader of a " hot string band ," and who also appeared in Hollywood westerns . His mix of country and jazz , which started out as dance hall music, would become known as western swing . Wills was one of the first country musicians known to have added an electric guitar to his band, in 1938. Country musicians began recording boogie in 1939, shortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall , when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie". The third generation (1950s–1960s) started at
18850-408: Was awarded Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music in 2002. Stephen Thomas Erlewine reviewed the album with favor, calling it "a sunny, pleasing modern country-pop album". In November 2000, the group contributed the song "Walk The Llama Llama" to the soundtrack for the Disney film The Emperor's New Groove (2000). In early 2002, they also recorded a song titled "The Glory of Life" for
18995-415: Was huge for us — the songs that they chose and the harmonies. Shenandoah — [lead singer] Marty Raybon , to this day, is the finest country singer on the planet. Shenandoah had a huge impact on me. Of course, George Jones and Earl Thomas Conley — just the tone of their voices and songs they’ve recorded. Keith Whitley and Stevie Wonder, too. [Stevie] is one of the best singers on the planet." Rooney said: "Being
19140-596: Was initially called hillbilly boogie, or okie boogie (later to be renamed country boogie), became a flood beginning in late 1945. One notable release from this period was the Delmore Brothers ' "Freight Train Boogie", considered to be part of the combined evolution of country music and blues towards rockabilly . In 1948, Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith achieved top ten US country chart success with his MGM Records recordings of " Guitar Boogie " and "Banjo Boogie", with
19285-400: Was issued in January 2014 from the album of the same name , which was released on May 13, 2014. The band admitted they were lip-syncing to a recording of "Rewind" during the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards on April 6, 2014. In response to the controversy, Rascal Flatts communicated afterwards that LeVox had lost his voice and so they made a last-minute decision to lip-sync. "Rewind" became
19430-640: Was known as the Bakersfield sound . It relied on electric instruments and amplification, in particular the Telecaster electric guitar, more than other subgenres of the country music of the era, and it can be described as having a sharp, hard, driving, no-frills, edgy flavor—hard guitars and honky-tonk harmonies. Leading practitioners of this style were Buck Owens , Merle Haggard , Tommy Collins , Dwight Yoakam , Gary Allan , and Wynn Stewart , each of whom had his own style. Ken Nelson , who had produced Owens and Haggard and Rose Maddox became interested in
19575-544: Was most popular with country fans in the 1950s; one of the first rock and roll superstars was former western yodeler Bill Haley , who repurposed his Four Aces of Western Swing into a rock and roll band in the early 1950s and renamed it the Comets . Bill Haley & His Comets are credited with two of the first successful rock and roll records, " Crazy Man, Crazy " of 1953 and " Rock Around the Clock " in 1954. 1956 could be called
19720-614: Was named Vocal Group of the Year by the Country Music Association every year from 2003 to 2008, Top Vocal Group by the Academy of Country Music from 2003 to 2009 and won the American Music Award for Artist of the Year in 2006. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2011 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012. "Bless the Broken Road" was also named Best Country Song at
19865-413: Was perhaps the only musician to have major success in both the country and folk revival genres throughout his career, later only a handful of artists like Burl Ives and Canadian musician Gordon Lightfoot successfully made the crossover to country after folk revival fell out of fashion. During the mid-1950s a new style of country music became popular, eventually to be referred to as rockabilly. In 1953,
20010-495: Was producing. They engineered the album together, and became English's backup band. At the same time, DeMarcus had become the bandleader of Chely Wright 's band, where he met Joe Don Rooney , the guitarist in that band. DeMarcus and LeVox were working in a Printer's Alley nightclub called the Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar, and when their part-time guitarist could not make it one night, DeMarcus invited Rooney to fill in. Jim Riley
20155-419: Was released as the first single from their fourth album Me and My Gang , which was released in April. For the full album, the band worked with producer Dann Huff to create a more band-oriented album. Rascal Flatts' rendition of "What Hurts the Most" was a crossover hit for the band, reaching No. 1 on both the country and adult contemporary charts, as well as peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 , spending
20300-422: Was released on May 19 of the same year. It topped the Country Airplay charts in August 2017, marking the band's fourteenth number one on the chart. On September 28, 2018, Rascal Flatts released a new single titled " Back to Life ". The band embarked on their Summer Playlist tour in summer 2019. On January 7, 2020, Rascal Flatts appeared on CBS This Morning to announce a farewell tour, the "Rascal Flatts: Life Is
20445-524: Was the band's first collaborative release to country radio, " Easy ", which is a duet with British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield . "I Won't Let Go", and "Easy" peaked at numbers 2 and 3 respectively on the country charts. On November 8, 2011, Hollywood Records released The Best of Rascal Flatts Live . Rascal Flatts' eighth studio album, Changed , was released on April 3, 2012. It was produced by Dann Huff and Rascal Flatts. The first single from that album, " Banjo ", became their twelfth number one on
20590-431: Was the drummer and bandleader for the band. The three men covered the 1989 Shenandoah hit " The Church on Cumberland Road " that night. To the group's recollection, a bond was formed instantly. Singer Mila Mason recommended the group to record producers Mark Bright and Marty Williams, who played Lyric Street Records A&R Doug Howard a three-song demo and Howard thought they were "just incredible." After he'd heard
20735-593: Was the first to revert to country music with his 1967 album John Wesley Harding (and even more so with that album's follow-up, Nashville Skyline ), followed by Gene Clark , Clark's former band the Byrds (with Gram Parsons on Sweetheart of the Rodeo ) and its spin-off the Flying Burrito Brothers (also featuring Gram Parsons), guitarist Clarence White , Michael Nesmith ( the Monkees and
20880-591: Was the most-listened-to rush-hour radio genre during the evening commute, and second-most popular in the morning commute. The main components of the modern country music style date back to music traditions throughout the Southern United States and Southwestern United States , while its place in American popular music was established in the 1920s during the early days of music recording. According to country historian Bill C. Malone , country music
21025-452: Was the top-charting country artist of the 1950s, with 13 of his singles spending 113 weeks at number one. He charted 48 singles during the decade; 31 reached the top ten and 26 reached the top four. By the early 1950s, a blend of western swing, country boogie, and honky tonk was played by most country bands, a mixture which followed in the footsteps of Gene Autry , Lydia Mendoza , Roy Rogers , and Patsy Montana . Western music, influenced by
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