Lonestar

Country outfit Lonestar first came together in Nashville, Tennessee, but the band’s name is a tribute to their roots—all five founding members were originally from Texas. ∙ “No News,” a 1996 single from the group’s self-titled debut LP, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, a feat they’ve repeated eight times. ∙ John Rich, now best-known as half of the country duo Big & Rich, was Lonestar’s founding bassist (and occasional lead singer), and he contributed to the group’s first two albums. ∙ The Academy of Country Music named Lonestar Best Vocal Group in 1996, and the band picked up Vocal Group of the Year honors from the Country Music Association in 2001. ∙ In 1999, their iconic power ballad, “Amazed,” was the first country song to top Billboard’s Hot 100 since Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers’ 1983 blockbuster duet, “Islands in the Stream.” ∙ The band has appeared on multiple episodes of Wheel of Fortune, and they performed live on The Price Is Right in 2010. ∙ Lonestar’s catalog includes three Gold albums and three Platinum albums, one of which, 1999’s Lonely Grill, has been certified triple-Platinum.