Rascal Flatts: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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| origin = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.

| genre = {{hlist|[[Country music|Country]]<ref name="allmusic"/>|[[country pop]]<ref name="allmusic" />|[[country rock]]}}

| years_active = {{flatlist|
*1999–2021,
*2024–present

}}

| label = {{hlist|[[Lyric Street Records|Lyric Street]]|[[Big Machine Records|Big Machine]]}}

| website = {{URL|rascalflatts.com}}

| ~~members~~current_members = * [[Gary LeVox]]

* [[Jay DeMarcus]]

* [[Joe Don Rooney]]

}}

'''Rascal Flatts''' is an American [[country music]] band founded in 1999 in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. The group ~~consisted~~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, 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 [[RIAA certification|certified]] platinum or higher by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA). The group's self-titled debut ''[[Rascal Flatts (album)|Rascal Flatts]]'' was released in 2000, and ''[[Melt (Rascal Flatts album)|Melt]]'' (2002), garnered their first number-one single, "[[These Days (Rascal Flatts song)|These Days]]". ''[[Feels Like Today]]'' (2004), ''[[Me and My Gang]]'' (2006), ''[[Still Feels Good]]'' (2007), and ''[[Unstoppable (Rascal Flatts album)|Unstoppable]]'' (2009) all topped the US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] upon release. After Lyric Street closed in 2010, they moved to [[Big Machine Records]]. During their tenure with that label, they recorded five more studio albums: ''[[Nothing Like This (album)|Nothing Like This]]'' (2010), ''[[Changed (album)|Changed]]'' (2012), ''[[Rewind (Rascal Flatts album)|Rewind]]'' (2014), a Christmas album entitled ''[[The Greatest Gift of All]]'' (2016), and ~~their final studio album~~ ''[[Back to Us]]'' (2017).

Rascal Flatts has released more than forty singles, sixteen of which reached number one on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|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#Rascal Flatts version|Bless the Broken Road]]", spent five weeks at number one on Hot Country Songs in 2005. Through 2006 and 2007, "[[What Hurts the Most#Rascal Flatts version|What Hurts the Most]]" was number one on both the Hot Country Songs and [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] charts, and garnered their highest peak on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] at number six. The band has also ~~had~~found commercial success with a cover of [[Tom Cochrane]]'s "[[Life Is a Highway#Rascal Flatts version|Life Is a Highway]]", which they recorded for the [[Cars (soundtrack)|soundtrack]] of the [[Pixar]] animated film ''[[Cars (film)|Cars]]'' (2006). Rascal Flatts' music is defined by [[country pop]] influences, as well as their distinct [[Vocal harmony|vocal harmonies]]. In addition to their own music, DeMarcus has produced albums for [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], [[Jennette McCurdy]], and [[Brooks & Dunn]] member [[Kix Brooks]].

The band was named [[Country Music Association Award for Vocal Group of the Year|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 [[Grammy Award for Best Country Song|Best Country Song]] at 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 ~~tour~~ on October 1, 2024, with a tour commemorating their twenty-fifth anniversary set to commence in 2025.

== Origins ==

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In November 2020, the band was forced to cancel their performance at the [[54th Annual Country Music Association Awards|54th Annual CMA Awards]] after an unspecified member tested positive for [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/rascal-flatts-member-gets-covid-19-before-cma-awards-2020/|title=Rascal Flatts Member Tests Positive for COVID-19, Band Forced to Cancel CMA Awards 2020 Performance|last=Hautman|first=Nicholas|date=November 12, 2020|accessdate=February 20, 2021|work=Us Magazine}}</ref>

=== 2021-~~present~~2024: Confirmed breakup and solo projects ===

Appearing alongside LeVox and Rooney, DeMarcus told ''[[Access Hollywood]]'' in August 2020 regarding 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."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92qyZoC4Lwg|website=YouTube|title=Rascal Flatts Say Next Tour May Not Be Their Last|date=August 2, 2020|access-date=June 22, 2023}}</ref>

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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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/jay-demarcus-rascal-flatts-farewell-tour-rescheduling/|title=Jay DeMarcus: Pandemic Might Change Rascal Flatts' Minds About Retirement|website=[[Townsquare Media#Web publications and services|Taste of Country]]|date=April 27, 2021|access-date=May 14, 2023}}</ref> In July 2021, DeMarcus and Rooney attended 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 the torch. But first we have some unfinished business."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tahoeonstage.com/genres/country/no-way-rascal-flatts-is-finishedvows-joe-don-rooney/|title=Rooney, DeMarcus say Rascal Flatts will return to stage|website=Tahoe On Stage|date=July 7, 2021|access-date=May 14, 2023}}</ref>

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 the band. LeVox also revealed he had not spoken to Rooney since his DUI arrest on September 10 and that the ~~band~~group quietly disbanded after the cancellation of their farewell tour.<ref name="ToC">{{cite web | url=https://tasteofcountry.com/gary-levox-says-rascal-flatts-joe-don-rooney-quit/ | title=Gary LeVox says that Joe Don Rooney quit the band | publisher=Taste of Country | date=October 8, 2021 | accessdate=October 8, 2021}}</ref>

In 2020, DeMarcus formed a new band called Generation Radio alongside ex-[[Chicago (band)|Chicago]] vocalist [[Jason Scheff]], [[Journey (band)|Journey]] drummer [[Deen Castronovo]], Scott Rodriguez and former Rascal Flatts live instrumentalist Tom Yankton. Their eponymous debut album, released on August 12, 2022, features a new rendition of Rascal Flatts' song "All Night to Get There," with DeMarcus on lead vocals.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldminemag.com/columns/rascal-flatts-chicago-and-journey-members-blend-as-generation-radio|title=Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus discusses Generation Radio's debut album on Frontiers Music, plus a Rascal Flatts flip side|date=August 15, 2022}}</ref> LeVox released a new single titled "Get Down Like That" on August 19, 2022.

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On June 13, 2024, DeMarcus and Rooney reunited onstage for the first time since March 2020, performing with Chicago-based cover band Maggie Speaks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/illinois/frankfort/calendar/event/20240613/7c6a621f-adeb-4e73-8896-bd1174df4644/maggie-speaks-performs-with-two-members-of-rascal-flatts|title=Maggie Speaks Performs with Two Members of Rascal Flatts|website=Patch|date=June 13, 2024|access-date=June 18, 2024}}</ref>

=== 2024–present: Reunion ===

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 a 21-date tour entitled the "Life Is A Highway Tour." The tour is scheduled to commence in February 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/rascal-flatts-reunite-25th-anniversary-tour-1235789553/|title=Rascal Flatts Reunite for 25th Anniversary ‘Life Is a Highway’ Tour|website=Billboard|date=October 1, 2024|access-date=October 1, 2024}}</ref>

== Artistry ==

Rascal Flatts' music is defined primarily by [[country pop]] influences as well as their distinct [[Vocal harmony|vocal harmonies]]. Though the band ~~was~~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 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]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/country-boys-rascal-flatts-stay-on-top-85284/|title=Country Boys Rascal Flatts Stay on Top|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=April 26, 2006|access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref> [[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 the boy-band knockoffs." DeMarcus recalled: "[[Randy Owen]] from [[Alabama (American band)|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.'"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/journals/culture-magazines/flatts-rascal|title=Flatts, Rascal|website=Encyclopedia|access-date=October 1, 2023}}</ref>

The band has cited Alabama, the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]],<ref>{{cite journal |last=Horner |first=Marianne |date=2008-03-24 |title=Story Behind the Song: "Winner at a Losing Game" |journal=[[Country Weekly]] |volume=15 |issue=6 |pages=64 }}</ref> [[Shenandoah (band)|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 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 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 was an ’80s child, so I grew up loving all kinds of ’80s rock. I like R&B, too."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/qa-rascal-flatts-58767/|title=Q&A: Rascal Flatts|website=Billboard.com|date=April 12, 2006|access-date=June 26, 2023}}</ref>

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== Philanthropy ==

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" is possible in children's lives.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.littlekidsrock.org/friends/our-big-fans/rascal-flatts/ |title=Rascal Flatts | Little Kids Rock |access-date=January 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115020938/http://www.littlekidsrock.org/friends/our-big-fans/rascal-flatts/ |archive-date=January 15, 2014 }}</ref>

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".<ref name="Make a wish">{{cite web|last1=Hollabaugh|first1=Lori|url=http://theboot.com/rascal-flatts-make-a-wish-ohio/|title=Rascal Flatts help kids 'Make- a -wish'|website=Theboot.com|date=June 2010 |access-date=June 1, 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=After 10 Years of Making Dreams Come True, Rascal Flatts Re-records "My Wish" |url=http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2016/7/22/after-10-years-of-making-dreams-come-true-rascal-flatts-re-r.html |access-date=December 7, 2018 |publisher=ABC News |date=July 22, 2016}}</ref>

Since then, they have also contributed countable hours of their time—and $4 million—to [[Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt]] which 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Watts |first1=Cindy |title=Rascal Flatts performs at Children's Hospital |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/04/22/rascal-flatts-childrens-hospital-concert/8022349/ |access-date=December 7, 2018 |publisher=Tennessean |date=April 22, 2014}}</ref>

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== Touring ==

Rascal Flatts has enjoyed financial success as a touring ~~artists~~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 the top 25 tours of the year, grossing $26.3 million in 777,384 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore.<ref name=road>Waddell, Ray; Tucker, Ken (August 25, 2007), "Rascal on the Road". ''Billboard''. '''119''' (34):22</ref> Their follow-up tour in 2006 grossed $46.2 million, drawing more than a million people to 79 shows.<ref name=road /> Rascal Flatts had the third-highest US country tour in 2007, grossing $34 million from 588,009 tickets sold.<ref>"This Year's Highest-grossing Tours". ''People'', :16</ref> The group grossed $16.8 million from their summer tour.<ref>Jones, Steve (October 11, 2007) "Police excel at crowd control". ''[[USA TODAY]]''.</ref>

Rascal Flatts' shows ~~were~~are heavy on special effects, including videos, pyrotechnics and laser lights.~~<ref name=road />~~

In 2013, Rascal Flatts headed to Australia for the first time to headline ''CMC Rocks The Hunter 2013'', which was a three-day festival from March 15 to 17. They closed the proceedings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmcrocks.com/cmc-rocks-the-hunter-2103-first-artists-announced/ |title=CMC Rocks the Hunter 2013 – First Artists Announced! - CMC Rocks |access-date=October 6, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119102606/http://www.cmcrocks.com/cmc-rocks-the-hunter-2103-first-artists-announced/ |archive-date=January 19, 2013 }}</ref>

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*2018: Back To Us Tour

*2019: Summer Playlist Tour

*~~2020~~2025: ~~Rascal Flatts Farewell –~~ Life Is a Highway Tour ~~(cancelled)~~

;Supporting

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== Awards ==

~~{{more citations needed section|date=January 2008}}~~

'''2000'''

*[[Academy of Country Music|ACM]] Top New Vocal Duo Or Group (presented 2001)

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[[Category:Musical groups from Columbus, Ohio]]

[[Category:Vocal trios]]

[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2024]]