A Profile of the Band Lonestar

Lonestar band

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The band Lonestar originated in 1992 with group members Richie McDonald, John Rich, Dean Sams, Michael Britt, and Keech Rainwater. Hailing from Texas, they originally decided to name the group "Texassee" after their home state and their new home in Nashville, Tennessee, but quickly changed it to Lonestar.

The band toured together first playing in Nashville in 1993, and by 1994 they were signed to BNA Records. They released their self-titled debut album in 1995. Their first single from the album, "Tequila Talkin'" reached No. 8 on Billboard's charts, and the album also spawned the group's first No. 1 song, "No News."

The second album that the band released was Crazy Nights in 1997, which produced another No. 1 with "Come Cryin' To Me," and three other Top 15 singles, including the No. 2 hit, "Everything's Changed."

A Band in the Making

In 1998, John Rich left the group to pursue a solo career, and Richie became the only lead singer. Despite the change, the band saw its greatest success with their third album,  released in 1999. The lead single, "Saturday Night" didn't go very far, but the next single would be the band's first crossover hit. That song was "Amazed." The song spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the charts, and would eventually become a No. 1 pop song as well.

The Millennium was good for the group as well, and they released I'm Already There, with the title track becoming another monster hit, and their Greatest Hits collection, From There to Here: Greatest Hits.

In early 2007, lead singer Richie McDonald announced that he was leaving the band to pursue a solo career. The other three members had to debate whether to try to replace him or just split up. They opted to look for a new lead singer. Cody Collins, who was introduced at a Nashville Showcase in September 2007, then came on board. 

The newly formed Lonestar released a Christmas project, My Christmas Wish, with Cracker Barrel as their first release with Collins as lead singer. 

Collins left the band in 2011, which is when McDonald returned to the group. The band's then released "The Countdown," which hit the charts in late 2012. The song is included on an album titled Life as We Know It, which came out on June 4, 2013. In 2014, Lonestar announced they would release their tenth album, Never Enders. 

The band's influences include Alabama, The Eagles, and Restless Heart.

Lonestar Fun Facts

  • McDonald wrote quite a few of the band's songs more recently, but also wrote "Everything Changed," and "When Cowboys Didn't Dance" from the band's early years. Some of his later contributions include the smash "I'm Already There," "My Front Porch Looking In," "Let's Be Us Again," and "Mr. Mom."
  • Rich wrote the early hit "Come Cryin' to Me," and "Say When."
  • Britt wrote the early hit "Running Away with My Heart."

Top Lonestar Songs

  • "Amazed"
  • "I'm Already There"
  • "No News"
  • "What About Now"
  • "Come Cryin' to Me"