Rascal Flatts
The Rascal Flatts originally played as the backup band to country star Chely Wright, but eventually broke out on their own. The group has been together as a feature band since 2000 with bassist Jay DeMarcus, lead guitarist Joe Don Rooney and singer-songwriter Gary LeVox. The three met in Columbus, Ohio where they all grew up. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus met as family, they are second cousins.
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The three were signed by Lyric Street Records and immediately made an impact on the country music charts. Rascal Flatts first self-titled album went platinum twice and reached number three on the country charts. The breakout hit won them the ACM award for top new vocal group.
The Rascal Flats followed the hit freshman album with Melt, which met with even greater fanfare. The album topped the country album charts and hit number five on the overall U.S. charts.
The adored band did not go without some controversy though. “I Melt”, a single released in 2003, reached the number two on the country charts, but spurred some fans to ban it from the Country Music Network because of nudity in the video featuring Joe Don Rooney and model Christina Auria. The Rascal Flatts refused to release a more family friendly version, and have been rewarded with an uncharacteristically younger demographic (18-25) than most country acts (who are an average age of 44).
The younger appeal has moved the albums Feels Like Today, Me and My Gang, and Still Feels Good to peak positions of number one on the country and overall U.S. music charts. Each album has gone platinum.
The success of the Rascal Flatts extends to their tours as well. The band had a headlining tour with the release of their second album and had the third highest grossing country tour in 2007.
The Rascal Flatts are back this summer bringing the hit singles “Take Me There”, “Winner at a Losing Game”, and “Every Day” from their album, Still Feels Good, with them. The boys promise a good time complete with giant video screens, pyrotechnics, and laser lights.
The tour starts in May in Fort Wayne, Indiana and goes until September in Tulsa. Seats to any of the shows will be hard to find, so get your Rascal Flatts tickets from the Ticket Specialists.