Short Biography
The newest members of the Grand Ole Opry and CMA awards nominees, Rascal Flatts have announced their winter tour, "Thaw Out 2012," with special guest Sara Evans and opener Hunter Hayes. The tour will kick off in Charleston, West Virginia at the Civic Center Coliseum on January 12 and will run through February 18.
Rascal Flatts wrapped up touring for 2011 in September and critics across the nation touted this year's "Flatts Fest" was a thrilling experience for fans. The Buffalo News claimed, "This band is incredibly tight and capable of conjuring up grandiose, emotion-filled moments." "Long considered one of the top touring acts in country music, Rascal Flatts proved the r...
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Short Biography
The newest members of the Grand Ole Opry and CMA awards nominees, Rascal Flatts have announced their winter tour, "Thaw Out 2012," with special guest Sara Evans and opener Hunter Hayes. The tour will kick off in Charleston, West Virginia at the Civic Center Coliseum on January 12 and will run through February 18.
Rascal Flatts wrapped up touring for 2011 in September and critics across the nation touted this year's "Flatts Fest" was a thrilling experience for fans. The Buffalo News claimed, "This band is incredibly tight and capable of conjuring up grandiose, emotion-filled moments." "Long considered one of the top touring acts in country music, Rascal Flatts proved the reputation was rightly deserved," said the Leader-Post. Cmt.com shared the band "delivered an electric show full of special effects, big hits and a renewed sense of purpose...it's a testament to their talent that the band can keep the momentum going."
In-depth Biography
A country trio known primarily for its pleasing harmony and Grammy-winning songcraft, Rascal Flatts are comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay Demarcus, and Joe Don Rooney. Cousins Demarcus and LeVox grew up in Columbus, Ohio, a town Demarcus eventually left in 1992 to pursue a music career in Nashville. Meanwhile, LeVox pursued his own musical success with a Christian group; at the behest of his cousin, however, he also relocated to Nashville toward the decade's end. Although LeVox quickly found work as the keyboardist for country star Chely Wright, he still found time to play local shows with Demarcus. One night, the duo asked Oklahoma native Joe Don Rooney (who played guitar in Wright's band) to join them during a Printer's Alley gig in Nashville. A bond was quickly formed, and the musicians abandoned their other duties in favor of forming Rascal Flatts in the late '90s.
After landing a record deal with Lyric Street Records, Rascal Flatts recorded an eclectic mix of country and pop for the trio's self-titled debut. The album arrived in 2000, and "Prayin' for Daylight" became the group's first smash single. Rascal Flatts ultimately sent four singles to the Top Ten before the band's second album, Melt, appeared in October 2002. Co-produced by the bandmates themselves, Melt sold a million copies in eight weeks and yielded the band's first number one country hit, "These Days." By this time, Rascal Flatts had established themselves as a highly successful country act, with a particularly strong following among younger listeners (an elusive demographic to most country stars). A live album served as an amiable segue between Melt and 2004's chart-topping Feels Like Today, while Me and My Gang arrived in April 2006. Rascal Flatts' 2007 release, Still Feels Good, enjoyed a similar reception, going platinum before the year's end and yielding another number one hit, "Take Me There." Unstoppable followed in 2009. After Lyric Street Records ceased operations, the trio signed with Big Machine Records and released its seventh studio album, Nothing Like This, in 2010. Nothing Like This was another hit, thanks in part to the Natasha Bedingfield duet "Easy," and the group released The Best of Rascal Flatts Live in time for the Christmas season of 2011. ~ Andrew Leahey & Rick Cohoon, Rovi
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