Though their name might lead you to believe that
Lonestar was formed in Texas, the quintet actually hails from Tennessee. Originally called Texassee, the band features
Richie McDonald (lead vocals, guitar),
John Rich (lead vocals, bass),
Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals),
Dean Sams (keyboard, background vocals), and
Keech Rainwater (drums). All the members are in fact Texas natives -- they just formed in Tennessee in 1992.
In 1993,
Lonestar played their first concert at Backstage Pass in Nashville in January of 1993. A booking agent happened to hear the show. Impressed, he added the group to his roster, and the group headed out on the road. Over the next two years, they played nearly 500 shows. In 1994, the group landed a record contract with BNA Records. The following year they released their eponymous debut, which spawned the Top Ten hit "Tequila Talkin'."
Crazy Nights followed in 1997, and two years later
Lonestar returned with
Lonely Grill, which featured the hit "Amazed." Their seasonal effort
This Christmas Time followed in fall 2000, and
I'm Already There appeared the next spring. They released three more records after their 2003 greatest-hits compilation
From There to Here: 2004's
Let's Be Us Again, 2005's
Coming Home, and 2006's
Mountains. In late 2007, the band announced that
Cody Collins had replaced
Richie McDonald as lead singer, and that their next album, My Christmas List, would be distributed by Cracker Barrel restaurants.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi