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Lady A, known until 2020 as Lady Antebellum, is an American
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
group formed in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar), and Dave Haywood (lead and background vocals, guitar, piano, mandolin). Scott is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis, and Kelley is the brother of pop singer Josh Kelley. The band abbreviated the name to "Lady A" in June 2020 during the
George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
in an attempt to blunt the name's associations with
slavery Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
and the
Antebellum South The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practic ...
, inadvertently causing a dispute with Black blues and gospel singer Anita White, who had been using the name Lady A for more than 20 years. The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on
Jim Brickman James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums ''Peace'' (2003) for Best Instrumental, and ''Faith'' (2009) for Best New Age Album. ...
's single " Never Alone", before signing to Capitol Nashville. Lady A has released six albums for Capitol: ''
Lady Antebellum Lady A, known until 2020 as Lady Antebellum, is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar ...
'', '' Need You Now'', ''
Own the Night ''Own the Night'' is the third studio album by American country music trio Lady Antebellum. It was released on September 13, 2011 through Capitol Nashville. The production on the album was handled by Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum. The album w ...
'', '' Golden'', ''
747 747 may refer to: * 747 (number), a composite number * AD 747, a year of the Julian calendar * 747 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * Boeing 747, a large commercial plane Arts and media * 747s (band), an indie band * ''747'' (album), by country m ...
'', ''
Heart Break ''Heart Break'' is the fifth studio album by American contemporary R&B, R&B quintet New Edition, released June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member ...
'', plus one Christmas album (''
On This Winter's Night ''On This Winter's Night'' is the fourth studio album and first Christmas album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Capitol Records Nashville. The production on the album was handled by the group's longt ...
''), and one for
Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, formerly BMLG Records and Republic Nashville, is a record label established in 2009 by Republic Records in New York and Big Machine Records in Nashville. It is headquartered on Music Row and utilizes the c ...
: ''
Ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...
''. The first three albums are
certified platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
or higher by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). The albums have produced sixteen singles on the
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
and
Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, ...
charts, of which nine have reached number one. The longest-lasting number one single is " Need You Now", which spent five weeks at that position in 2009; both that song and 2011's " Just a Kiss" reached number one on the Adult Contemporary charts. Lady A was awarded Top New Duo or Group by the
Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller (songwriter), Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris ...
and New Artist of the Year by the
Country Music Association The Country Music Association (CMA) is an American trade association with the stated aim of promoting and developing country music throughout the world. Founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee, it originally consisted of 233 members and was the f ...
in 2008. The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards at the
51st Annual Grammy Awards The 51st Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on February 8, 2009, honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were the ...
and two more at the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...
, winning Best Country Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals for "I Run to You". It was awarded Top Vocal Group, Song of the Year ("Need You Now"), and Single of the Year ("Need You Now") at the 44th ACM Awards on April 18, 2010. It won five awards at the
53rd Annual Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights p ...
, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year for "Need You Now". At the
54th Annual Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted ...
, Lady A won the award for Best Country Album for ''Own the Night''. By August 2013, the group had sold more than 12.5 million digital singles and 10 million albums in the United States.


History


2006–2007: Formation and early career

Lady A was formed in 2006 by Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
. Scott, a Nashville native, is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis, best known for collaborating with
Reba McEntire Reba Nell McEntire ( ; born March 28, 1955), or simply Reba, is an American country music, country singer and actress. Dubbed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Queen of Country", she has sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Sin ...
on her 1993 single "
Does He Love You "Does He Love You" is a song written by Sandy Knox and Billy Stritch, and recorded as a duet by American country music artists Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. It was released in August 1993 as the first single from Reba's compilation album '' G ...
", and Charles Kelley is the brother of pop and country artist Josh Kelley. Scott attended Donelson Christian Academy in
Donelson, Tennessee Donelson is a neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, about 6 mi (10 km) east of downtown Nashville along U.S. Route 70. It is named in honor of John Donelson, co-founder of Nashville and father-in-law of Andrew Jackson, Nashvillian a ...
. Kelley and Haywood were
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
natives who went to middle school together. Kelley moved to Nashville in mid-2005 from
Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...
, North Carolina, where he had been working construction with his brother John. Trying to become a successful solo country artist, Kelley convinced Haywood to relocate to Nashville in 2006 so they could write music together. Shortly thereafter, Scott recognized Kelley from Myspace, and they started to talk at a local music club. Kelley invited Scott to join him and Haywood in the new group, which assumed the name Lady Antebellum. On the ''
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
Drivetime Show'' August 9, 2010, the band explained that the name comes from when the group did a
photo shoot A photo shoot is the process taken by creatives and models that results in a visual objective being obtained. An example is a model posing for a photographer at a studio or an outdoor location. A photo shoot is a series of images that are taken, ...
in historical costumes at antebellum houses. In American history, the
Antebellum era The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practi ...
was the period in the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...
before the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
. The trio then began performing at local venues before
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
Nashville signed them in July 2007. In an interview with
Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio ( SDARS) service that operated in the United States and Canada. Sirius launched in 2002, and primarily competed with XM Satellite Radio, until the two services merged in 2008 to form Sirius XM. Li ...
, Scott said she was rejected from participating in ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' twice, not even making it past the first round.


2007–2009: ''Lady Antebellum''

Shortly after the trio signed to the label, it was chosen by recording artist
Jim Brickman James Merrill Brickman (born November 20, 1961) is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums ''Peace'' (2003) for Best Instrumental, and ''Faith'' (2009) for Best New Age Album. ...
to sing on his 2007 single " Never Alone," which reached No. 14 on the ''Billboard''
adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
charts. In mid-2007, the group also wrote a song for the MTV reality television series '' The Hills.'' The solo debut single " Love Don't Live Here" was released in September 2007, with a music video for the song following in December. This song was the lead-off single to the band's debut album. Released on April 15, 2008, ''Lady Antebellum'' was produced by
Paul Worley Paul Worley (born February 16, 1950 in Nashville) is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Records' Nashv ...
along with Victoria Shaw, a Nashville songwriter and former solo artist. "Love Don't Live Here" reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
charts. The album itself was the first album by a new duo or group to debut at Number One on the ''Billboard''
Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...
charts. A second single, "
Lookin' for a Good Time "Lookin' for a Good Time" is a song recorded by American country music trio Lady Antebellum. It was released on June 9, 2008, as the second single from their self-titled debut studio album, as well as their second top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' ...
", was released in June 2008 and peaked at No. 11 in December. In addition, Lady A was signed as an opening act on
Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and relocated to Nashville, T ...
's Waking Up Laughing Tour in 2008. The group also contributed the song "I Was Here" to the '' AT&T Team USA Soundtrack'', a song which peaked at No. 24 on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
based on downloads. In December 2008, the rendition of "
Baby, It's Cold Outside "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and popularized in the 1949 film '' Neptune's Daughter''. While the lyrics make no mention of a holiday, it is commonly regarded as a Christmas song owing to its winter ...
" peaked at No. 3 on the same chart. The band's third official single, "
I Run to You "I Run to You" is a song recorded by American country music group Lady Antebellum. It was released on January 26, 2009, as the third and final single from the group's self-titled debut album. Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, ...
", was released in January 2009. It eventually became the trio's first Number One in July 2009. On October 7, 2009, their debut album was certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
for shipments of one million copies in the United States. Haywood and Kelley co-wrote labelmate
Luke Bryan Thomas Luther "Luke" Bryan (born July 17, 1976) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and television personality. Bryan is a five-time "Entertainer of the Year", being awarded by both the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Count ...
's 2009 single "
Do I "Do I" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released in May 2009 as the lead-off single from his album ''Doin' My Thing''. Bryan co-wrote the song with Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of the group La ...
", on which the group also sings backing vocals. This song is the first single from Bryan's second studio album "Doin' My Thing", which was released on October 6, 2009.


2009–2011: ''Need You Now''

In August 2009, the group released its fourth single, " Need You Now", the lead-off single and title track to the second studio album, which was also produced by Worley. It debuted at No. 50 on the ''Billboard''
Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data along with digital sales and streaming. ...
chart and became its second number 1 hit on the charts for the week of November 28, 2009, spending five weeks at number 1 on that chart. The song also reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
and topped the
Hot Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart, making it a crossover hit. A second single, " American Honey", was released to radio on January 11, 2010, and would become its third No. 1 hit. The third single from the album, " Our Kind of Love", was released on May 31, 2010, and went No. 1 in September 2010. The song was notable for being written in collaboration with a non-Nashville songwriter
busbee Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He was known for his work in both pop mus ...
, who at that point had previously written for
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
,
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
and
Katharine McPhee Katharine Hope McPhee (born March 25, 1984) is an American actress and singer. In May 2006, she was the runner-up on the fifth season of ''American Idol.'' Her eponymous debut album was released on RCA Records in January 2007, and debuted at n ...
. The fourth single from this album, "
Hello World Hello World may refer to: * "Hello, World!" program, a computer program that outputs or displays the message "Hello, World!" Music * "Hello World!" (composition), song by the Iamus computer * "Hello World" (Tremeloes song), 1969 * "Hello World" ...
", was officially released on October 4, 2010. The album was released on January 26, 2010, and debuted at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and
Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...
charts for the week of February 2, 2010, selling 480,922 copies. Four weeks after the album's release, it was certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. On April 28, 2010, the band performed on the results show of ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'', performing "Need You Now". On September 20, 2010, the band launched their first headlining tour, "Need You Now 2010" in
Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
. On October 28, 2010, they performed the National Anthem before Game 2 at the
2010 World Series The 2010 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2010 Major League Baseball season, 2010 season. The 106th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American L ...
. They also appeared on the 44th Annual Country Music Awards on November 10, 2010. Chris Tyrrel from Love and Theft was in college with Scott and they recconected when both were opening acts for
Tim McGraw Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
's tour of early 2010. He filled in as drummer for a month in August 2010, they got engaged in July 2011, he became full-time drummer in October 2011, they wed in January 2012 and had a baby in July 2013 and twins in January 2018.


2011–2012: ''Own the Night'' and ''On This Winter's Night''

The week of January 9, 2011, the group began recording the third studio album. In an interview with ''Entertainment Weekly'', Charles Kelley said, "We actually just went ahead and decided we're gonna take two, two and a half months straight in the studio to create this thing and not have all this distraction. Hopefully that will be a good thing". On May 2, 2011, the group released the first single from its upcoming album, titled " Just a Kiss". The group performed the single on stage on ''
American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
''s result show on May 5, 2011. It was a commercial and critical success, debuting and peaking at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's highest debut on the chart. It also topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs, making it the band's fifth number-one single on the chart. On June 7, 2011, the title of third album was announced, ''
Own the Night ''Own the Night'' is the third studio album by American country music trio Lady Antebellum. It was released on September 13, 2011 through Capitol Nashville. The production on the album was handled by Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum. The album w ...
'', and was released on September 13, 2011. The album cover and track listing was released on July 18, 2011. All together, four singles were released from Own the Night. Follow-up singles were "We Owned the Night", "Dancin' Away with My Heart", and "Wanted You More", which charted moderately in the Hot Country Songs. Lady A released a "Lady Hazed" version of
Jason Aldean Jason Aldine Williams (born February 28, 1977), known professionally as Jason Aldean, is an American country music singer. Since 2005, he has been signed to BBR Music Group, Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released eleven alb ...
's song " Dirt Road Anthem" titled "Country Club Anthem" on its installment of Webisode Wednesdays on August 10, 2011. On October 1, 2011, the group performed as the musical guests on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. The group released its first Christmas album ''
On This Winter's Night ''On This Winter's Night'' is the fourth studio album and first Christmas album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Capitol Records Nashville. The production on the album was handled by the group's longt ...
'' on October 22, 2012.


2013–2016: ''Golden'', ''747'', and hiatus

On January 22, 2013, "
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
", the first single from a new album, was released to country radio. It was made available on iTunes starting February 5, 2013, and reached number one on the
Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, ...
chart in April 2013. The new album, '' Golden'', was released on May 7, 2013. The album's second single, " Goodbye Town", was released to country radio on May 13, 2013, and peaked at number 11 on the Country Airplay chart. The third single from the ''Golden'' era, "
Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with No ...
", was released to the iTunes Store on October 1, 2013, and reached number one on the Country Airplay chart in March 2014. It is one of the new recordings featured on the deluxe edition re-issue of ''Golden'', which was released on November 12, 2013. Unlike all of the band's previous releases, it was produced by Nathan Chapman. They also sang backing vocals on
Darius Rucker Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carol ...
's 2013 single " Wagon Wheel". "
Bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep or barman or barmaid or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the Bar (establishment), bar, usually in a licensed bar (establishment), establishment as ...
" was released to country radio on May 12, 2014, as the lead single for the group's sixth studio album, and was made available to digital retailers on May 19. In July 2014, the album's title was confirmed as ''
747 747 may refer to: * 747 (number), a composite number * AD 747, a year of the Julian calendar * 747 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * Boeing 747, a large commercial plane Arts and media * 747s (band), an indie band * ''747'' (album), by country m ...
'', and the track listing was confirmed. Chapman produced this album as well. "Bartender" became the group's ninth number 1 hit on the
Country Airplay Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, ...
charts in 2014, with " Freestyle" as the second single. The third single " Long Stretch of Love" was released on February 7, 2015, in the UK and on March 23, to country radio in the US. The band recorded two songs, "I Did With You" and "Falling For You", for the soundtrack of the 2014 romantic drama film '' The Best of Me''. In October 2015, while appearing on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'', the group announced some downtime after the Wheels Up Tour. During the break, Kelley will be working on his solo career. Kelley stated that the group is his priority but he wanted to try working alone. On September 28, 2015, he released his debut solo single, titled "The Driver". It features
Dierks Bentley Frederick Dierks Bentley (; born November 20, 1975) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Bentley moved to Nashville in the late 90s to pursue a career in music, leading up to his releasing the self-funded and independent album Do ...
and
Eric Paslay Eric Thomas Paslay (born January 29, 1983) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has released one album for EMI Nashville, which contains the hit singles " Friday Night", " Song About a Girl", and " She Don't Love You". In addit ...
. On October 12, 2015, Charles Kelley announced his tour dates for his solo tour. He played some Lady A songs, but his tour focused on his solo material. Also during the break, Hillary Scott announced that she and her family (her
mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
, father, and sister) would work on a gospel album titled ''Love Remains''. The album was released on 29 July. In 2016, Lady A was selected as one of 30 artists to perform on " Forever Country", a mash-up track of "
Take Me Home, Country Roads "Take Me Home, Country Roads", also known simply as "Country Roads", is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on ''Billboard''s U ...
", " On the Road Again", and "
I Will Always Love You "I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner, expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career ...
" which celebrates 50 years of the
CMA Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...
.


2017–2018: ''Heart Break'' and label change

On January 19, 2017, " You Look Good" was released as the lead single on the upcoming seventh studio album ''
Heart Break ''Heart Break'' is the fifth studio album by American contemporary R&B, R&B quintet New Edition, released June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member ...
''. It released on June 9, 2017, and is further promoted with the " You Look Good World Tour", which began on May 26 and ended on October 15, 2017. The titular track was released as the second single on September 25, 2017. ''Heart Break'' was nominated for Best Country Album, and "You Look Good" was nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the
60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongch ...
. The band co-headlined the Summer Plays On Tour with Darius Rucker starting in mid-2018. In August 2018, the group ended its recording contract with Capitol Nashville and signed with
Big Machine Records Big Machine Records is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group. Big Machine is based on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. The label was founded in September 2005 by former DreamWorks Records executive Scott Borchetta and ...
.


2019–2022: Las Vegas residency, ''Ocean'', and ''What a Song Can Do''

On October 24, 2018, the band announced that it would be headlining a residency at the
Palms Casino Resort Palms Casino Resort is a hotel and casino located near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It includes 703 rooms and a casino. It was originally owned by th ...
's Pearl Concert Theater in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
in 2019. The fifteen date Our Kind of Vegas residency began in February 2019. In March 2019, the band headlined the C2C: Country to Country festival in London and Dublin for the second time (having headlined in 2015) and for the first time in Glasgow. At the London show on March 9, the band announced new music and performed two new songs, "What If I Never Get Over You" and "Be Patient With My Love". The first single on Big Machine, " What If I Never Get Over You", was released on May 17, 2019, along with the music video. The second single, "Pictures", was released on August 9, 2019. The eighth studio album ''Ocean'' was released on November 15, 2019. On September 20, 2019, the title track was released. "Boots" was released on October 11, 2019. The song "What I'm Leaving For" was also released ahead of the album on October 25, 2019. The album features a collaboration with
Little Big Town Little Big Town is an American country music vocal group from Homewood, Alabama. Founded in 1998, the group has had the same four members since its founding: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman (née Roads), Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook. Fa ...
. The trio appeared on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's ''
Songland ''Songland'' is an American songwriting competition series that aired on NBC from May 28, 2019, to June 15, 2020. The show, produced in cooperation with the Universal Television Alternative Studio, 222 Productions, Live Animals Productions and ...
'' and released the song " Champagne Night" on April 13, 2020. On January 21, 2021, the group became members of the
Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...
after being invited by
Darius Rucker Darius Carlos Rucker (born May 13, 1966) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of rock band Hootie & the Blowfish, which he founded in 1986 at the University of South Carol ...
. On March 12, the band released the single " Like a Lady"; on October 22 of the same year, their ninth studio album (entitled '' What a Song Can Do'') was released. On August 4, 2022, the group announced that it would postpone their Request a Line Tour until 2023 to support Kelley's sobriety.


2023–present: New music

On July 17, 2023, Lady A teased a new song on their Instagram called "Love You Back".


Name controversy

The band members have always said that the band's name was chosen arbitrarily, complaining about the difficulty of choosing a name. Inspired by the "country" style nostalgia of a photo shoot at a
mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...
from the
Antebellum South The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practic ...
, they said, "one of us said the word and we all kind of stopped and said, man, that could be a name" and "Man that's a beautiful Antebellum house, and that's cool, maybe there's a haunted ghost or something in there like Lady Antebellum." Haywood concluded, " ehad a lady in the group, obviously, and threw Lady in the front of it for no reason. I wish we had a great resounding story to remember for the name, but it stuck ever since." The name was always controversial, with a critic in ''Ms. Magazine'' writing in 2011 that the band's name "seems to me an example of the way we still — nearly 150 years after the end of the Civil War, nearly 50 years after the Civil Rights Act; and in a supposedly post-racial country led by a biracial president — glorify a culture that was based on the violent oppression of people of color". On June 11, 2020, joining widespread commercial response to the
George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
, the band announced it would abbreviate its name to its existing nickname "Lady A" to remove the term 'Antebellum'. The band members stated on social media that, never having previously sought the dictionary definition of the word "", they now consulted their "closest black friends and colleagues" so that their "eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day. Now, blind spots we didn't even know existed have been revealed." Fan response was mixed, with many decrying
virtue signaling Virtue signalling is the act of expressing opinions or stances that align with popular moral values, often through social media, with the intent of demonstrating one's good character. The term ''virtue signalling'' is frequently used pejorative ...
or even disparaging the protests. ''
American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...
'' said, "Given that the world knows what that A stands for, to many this change does little more than add extra insult to this ongoing injury." The next day, it was widely reported that the name "Lady A" had already been in use for more than 20 years by Seattle-based African American activist and blues, soul, funk, and gospel singer Anita White. The band again admitted ignorance of any prior use, which White called " pure privilege". Interviewed by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', White described the band's token acknowledgement of racism while blithely appropriating an African American artist's name: "They're using the name because of a
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
incident that, for them, is just a moment in time. If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn't have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it. It's an opportunity for them to pretend they're not racist". A veteran music industry lawyer observed that such name clashes are uncommon due to the existence of the Internet. The band members contacted White the next week to apologize for having inadvertently co-opted and dominated her name, saying that the Black Lives Matter movement had inspired them to a collaborative attitude. They nonetheless required retaining the same name, though she believed dual-naming is inherently impossible. She said "We talked about attempting to co-exist but didn't discuss what that would look like" because the band members would not directly respond to that explicit question three times during the conversation or in two contract drafts. She soon submitted a counteroffer that either the band would be renamed, or that her act would be renamed for a $5 million fee plus a $5 million donation to be split between Seattle charities, a nationwide legal defense fund for independent artists, and Black Lives Matter. On July 8, 2020, the band filed a lawsuit against White, asking a Nashville court to affirm its longstanding trademark of the name. The press release read: "Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended. She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years." On September 15, 2020, White filed a counter-suit asserting her claim to the Lady A trademark and rejecting the notion that both artists could operate in the same industry under the same brand identity. She is seeking damages for lost sales and a weakened brand, along with royalties from any income the band receives under the Lady A moniker. In October 2021, musician Lilli Lewis's album ''Americana'' was temporarily blocked and held for review by the streaming-service
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
because one of the songs on the album, "A Healing Inside", credited White as "Lady A". The album was returned to the streaming within a week of Lewis becoming aware of the situation. In February 2022, ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' reported that White and the band had settled their lawsuit: "the parties filed a joint request for dismissal to a judge in a federal Tennessee court" and the "terms of the settlement have not been disclosed".


Charity

Since January 2012, Lady A has been partnered with the charity myLIFEspeaks, to raise awareness of and provide facilities for disabled orphans in
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
. At the start of the year 2013, the members of the group also created the fund called LadyAID, which was created in hopes of bringing awareness to children who suffer and cannot help themselves locally, nationally and around the world. The main focus of LadyAID is the children in hospitals, mainly in the United States and Canada.


Awards and nominations

Since Lady A won the Country Music Association Awards New Artist of the Year award in 2008, it has accumulated seven more awards, including its first
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
in 2010 for Best Country Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals. At the 2009 CMAs, the group ended
Rascal Flatts Rascal Flatts is an American Country music, country music band formed in 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, background vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, background voc ...
' six-year reign as Vocal Group of the Year. At the 2010 CMAs, the group became the first artist in CMA Award history to receive the Single of the Year honor for two consecutive years. At the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, the trio won the Song of the Year. It won Top Vocal Group at the 2012 ACM Awards April 1, 2012. In addition to being honored, Lady A has made efforts to recognize veterans who have returned from service and contributed to their communities. In 2013, Lady A recognized eight deserving military families for their service by inviting them to up close and personal concerts, and acknowledging them from the stage.


Discography

*''
Lady Antebellum Lady A, known until 2020 as Lady Antebellum, is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar ...
'' (2008) *'' Need You Now'' (2010) *''
Own the Night ''Own the Night'' is the third studio album by American country music trio Lady Antebellum. It was released on September 13, 2011 through Capitol Nashville. The production on the album was handled by Paul Worley and Lady Antebellum. The album w ...
'' (2011) *''
On This Winter's Night ''On This Winter's Night'' is the fourth studio album and first Christmas album by American country music trio Lady A. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Capitol Records Nashville. The production on the album was handled by the group's longt ...
'' (2012) *'' Golden'' (2013) *''
747 747 may refer to: * 747 (number), a composite number * AD 747, a year of the Julian calendar * 747 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * Boeing 747, a large commercial plane Arts and media * 747s (band), an indie band * ''747'' (album), by country m ...
'' (2014) *''
Heart Break ''Heart Break'' is the fifth studio album by American contemporary R&B, R&B quintet New Edition, released June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member ...
'' (2017) *''
Ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...
'' (2019) *'' What a Song Can Do'' (2021)


Tours and residencies

Headlining * Need You Now Tour (2010) * Own the Night Tour (2011–12) * Take Me Downtown Tour (2014) *
Wheels Up Tour The Wheels Up Tour was the fourth headlining tour by American country music trio, Lady Antebellum. The tour was in support of their sixth studio album, '' 747'' (2014) that began on February 28, 2015, in Oslo, Norway, and concluded on October 3, ...
(2015) * You Look Good World Tour (2017) * What a Song Can Do Tour (2021) * Request a Line Tour (2023)
Co-headlining * Summer Plays On Tour (2018) Supporting * The Waking Up Laughing Tour (2008) *CMT ON TOUR: Relentless (2008) *Sun City Carnival Tour (2009) * Play On Tour (2010) *Southern Voice Tour (2010) * Get Closer 2011 World Tour (2011) Residency *Our Kind of Vegas (2019)


Filmography


Television


References


External links

* * *
Lady Antebellum Lady A, known until 2020 as Lady Antebellum, is an American country music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006. The group is composed of Hillary Scott (lead and background vocals), Charles Kelley (lead and background vocals, guitar ...
at Billboard.com {{Authority control Big Machine Records artists Country music groups from Tennessee Country pop groups Capitol Records artists Grammy Award winners Musical groups established in 2006 Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee Musical trios from Tennessee 2006 establishments in Tennessee Name changes due to the George Floyd protests Race-related controversies in music Mixed-gender musical trios