Country Group
The trio Rascal Flatts is one of the most successful modern country combos of the 2000s, known for pop-centric songwriting and crowd-pleasing harmonies. Over their decade-plus career, they’ve released eight studio albums, two greatest-hits compilations and scored 12 No. 1 hits on the U.S. country charts.
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The trio – Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney – formed in the Nashville club circuit in the late 1990s. DeMarcus and LeVox are second cousins. The group was discovered by Disney’s Lyric Street Records country-music division, which released its self-titled debut in 2000. They followed it up with 2002’s “Melt,” which featured their first and second No. 1 singles, “These Days” and “Mayberry.”
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They continued this streak with 2004’s “Feels Like Today,” 2006’s “Me and My Gang” and 2007’s “Still Feels Good,” which each yielded chart-topping singles. They released “Greatest Hits Vol. 1” in 2008 and signed to the independent Big Machine Records in 2010. In 2011, the group released “The Best of Rascal Flatts Live” in 2011, and its latest album “Changed” came out in April 2012.
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The group has never shied away from its crossover appeal, having appeared on a Justin Bieber remix and collaborated with the British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield. Its members are longtime supporters of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital in Nashville and the American Red Cross. They’ve won myriad awards, including accolades from the Grammys, AMAs, CMT and the Grand Ole Opry. They received their Hollywood Walk of Fame star on Sept. 17.
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— August Brown for the Los Angeles Times Sept. 19, 2012
