Emily is excited that her favorite, Lonestar is coming to the Wayne County Fair, and could I feature them on a Thursday.  Well E, today is your day!

Lonestar is an interesting story that is kind of tough to follow, but here are the highlights.  They formed in 1992 as a group called "Texassee" - a combination of Texas and Tennessee.  They were originally Richie McDonald, John Rich, Micheal Britt, Dean Sams, and Keetch Rainwater (one of my favorite names ever).  Then thankfully someone changed their name to Lonestar.  Over the years there have been many personnel defections, additions, rejoins, and rejoins to this group, and yes they still tour today.  But here we will focus on their great run starting in the mid 1990's.

Their First Radio Hit

When they hit the charts in 1995, there was no doubt they were of the Neo-traditionalist ilk.  They had a real nice Texas country sound and their first couple of albums were of moderate success.  Bands were really gaining traction in country from the late 1980's well into the 1990's. Shenandoah, Blackhawk, Confederate Railroad, Kentucky Headhunters, Little Texas, Southern Pacific, The Desert Rose Band , Diamond Rio, and others had, or were having great success after Alabama paved the way. Lonestar seemed to fit right in, and even though they were not dominating the charts, they were getting a ton of airplay, and were recording darn good music.

Their First Number One Song!

Then in late 1998, John Rich left the band, as it was said publicly that having two lead singers was confusing, and it may have been. I have always maintained that bands in general, country or not, are well served to have a front and center singer for fans to identify with. In Lonestar's case, it would be Richie McDonald.  Rich of course would form Big And Rich and things would be fine for him as he is a gifted songwriter and entertainer.  But his departure seemed to spawn a change in sound and direction with Lonestar.  With all that said, I have always felt there were future directional differences there leading to the John Rich exit.

Amazed - Changed Everything

In 1999 their third album, Lonely Grill was released and it was a new day.  There was no question it was a move towards a far more pop country sound and outward style, and it was a gigantic success. That album had four number one songs on it, including Amazed, which has become not only their signature song, but one of the most loved wedding and country love songs ever and still.  That album propelled them to a new level of popularity, as it sold about four million copies and put them on the map to stay.  The entirety of their being was completely different than at their start.

Another Monster Song

Amazed was a hit on the pop charts, and that would lead to a few other songs of theirs crossing over as well, namely, I'm Already There which was on the next album of the same name. They had successfully reinvented themselves and this would lead to a great line of big songs for about the next five years or so.

 Fans Loved This Song

McDonald then left the band in 2007 and many eyebrows were raised.  The momentum had slowed for them, and the time may have seemed right for his departure, but in country, it seldom is right. He went on to start a solo career.  Truth be told, it was a charting death blow to Lonestar. And for him, the solo career never really took off.

Fans Loved Thier Version

I have been in country radio for 42 consecutive years, and I don't know if I have ever really seen a lead singer leave a very successful country band and have a truly great solo career. For some reason, it generally doesn't work out. And it's been tried a ton of times. It seems that fans just don't respond well to the defection.  Big And Rich had a nice run, but Rich wasn't what McDonald was to the vocals in Lonestar. Even Ronnie Dunn of Brooks And Dunn had a tough time on the charts in the solo arena, and B & D were the absolute baseline for success for 20 years in country.  And even now, we have Tyler Hubbard from Florida Georgia Line setting out on a solo venture, we will see if it gains traction or not.

A Real Family Favorite

But Lonestar had a great run, and were loved by fans for many years. Fans loved their sound, their style and many of their big songs were very relatable to families and those in love.  Much of their music made you feel, and feel good. They recorded Christmas music as well, and that was very popular.  They did something very brave with their reinvention and it paid huge dividends.  They are proof that you are not guaranteed a 20 year chart run, but you can have great success with some risk taking.  But in the end, a ton of hits and nine number one songs.

Always Loved This Early Hit

Lonestar still has a nice fan base and many of their songs take fans back to great times in country when many were just discovering us. They competed at a time that was very competitive. They found a niche, and capitalized on it.

Lonestar - Still shining!