The origins of the group to begin with co-founders, Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus, second cousins and close friends from Columbus, Ohio. "I grew up in a very musical family," says Jay DeMarcus about his musical roots. "My earliest memories of us sitting in the living room on Friday and Saturday evenings and around the house to come and pick up this instrument was to play for the relocation and all night." "My story is almost the same as Jay," said Gary LeVox. "I have a very musical family, my father and mother. Our mothers were cousins but close as sisters. We spent many weekends at Jay-house as kids do kid stuff and making music."
Grew up in Picher, Oklahoma, Joe Don Rooney musical influences first time since his brother and sisters. "They were all into music when I was little, I've spent a lot of different musical genres," says Joe Don. But he has his experience in traditional country Grove, OK. "It was a show called Grand Lake Opry, believe it or not. A little, as the Grand Ole Opry. It was really good. When I was nineteen I worked there and every month we would have a Grand Ole Opry in Nashville stars like Porter Wagoner, Connie Smith and Merle Haggard, come down to sing and perform."
In 1992, Jay DeMarcus packed his skills of music (vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards, mandolin and more), and was the first to move to Nashville. In 1997, Jay finally convinced his cousin Gary LeVox to quit his job to return to Columbus and bring his incredible voice to Nashville. "When Gary moved to Nashville, we started writing together," says Jay. "We have lost the time. We sang every chance we have. It is a serious blow. We feel like the endless nights writing music and playing together."
Jay and Joe Don met when they had jobs last year in the band of Chely Wright. Meanwhile, the cousins were also gigs in Nashville, Printers Alley infamous guitarist with a part-time employment. When their guitarist could not hosted a show on a weekend Jay Joe Don, along with them. None of them expected to be the magic that make Joe Don a permanent member of the band. "That night really worked special," says Joe Don.
Jay knew that I sing high and had the upper part of Gary the whole time they had sung together. That night, he decided to take the low fifth. Jay Pipes:" I was happy to take the low fifth. I've heard Joe Don open his mouth and said to me: "Thank you, Jesus" And the first night we sang together, we stopped and watched the stage, like - it was kinda cool, we'll do it again! It is really very, very magical. We do not really have to work hard. It was so natural and very funny. "
The trio went into the studio and recorded some rough demos with Bright and Williams, who then played for the producer Huff. Even if Huff was not involved with the project, was so impressed by the powerful harmonies and stellar musicianship that he called Lyric Street Records' Rascal Flatts AandR said Senior VP, Doug Howard and excited. You have to listen to this group Four days later Lyric Street had finished demo in hand and signed a new group.
It is impossible for an element that the music Rascal Flatts does identify so special."We are really about, because we have no influence, Pop, RandB, country, gospel, bluegrass roots,"says Joe Don. We wanted always try to be different, even though we're playing in some dive, "Jay said." If someone Rascal Flatts hear, hear a lot of harmony, a lot of funky, groove, because we love.”
It is very encouraging for us to see, country music is more that direction. "We felt like Lyric Street really had a lot of knowledge about how country music was going with SHeDAISY, "Gary continued," and from the beginning we felt like we wanted to be there for them."And the strength of Disney's Lyric Street behind it," said Jay, "which is really exciting."
Rascal Flatts is the perfect New Millennium group signed to the label forward looking back to Nashville. They were deeply impressed by the musical family roots back to the beginnings of country music itself has been making music and influenced by parents and siblings who were affected on the contemporary country influences in the second half of the century. Jay, Gary and Joe Don have spiced up all their individual influences and creativity of a powerful new musical brew with everything from country music great in the 20th Century added to their number, but was more fresh and exciting as the 21 ° century.