Shenandoah (band)
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Shenandoah 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 ...
band founded in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...
, in 1984 by Marty Raybon (lead vocals,
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
), Ralph Ezell (
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
, backing vocals), Stan Thorn ( keyboards, backing vocals), Jim Seales (
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
, backing vocals), and Mike McGuire (
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, background vocals). Thorn and Ezell left the band in the mid-1990s, with Rocky Thacker taking over on bass guitar; Keyboardist Stan Munsey joined the line up in 1995, until his departure in 2018. The band split up in 1997 after Raybon left. Seales and McGuire reformed the band in 2000 with lead singer Brent Lamb, who was in turn replaced by Curtis Wright and then by Jimmy Yeary. Ezell rejoined in the early 2000s, and after his 2007 death, he was replaced by Mike Folsom. Raybon returned to the band in 2014. That same year, Jamie Michael replaced the retiring Jim Seales on lead guitar. Shenandoah has released nine
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
s, of which two have been certified gold 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 ...
. The band has also charted twenty-six singles on the ''
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''
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, including the Number One hits " The Church on Cumberland Road," " Sunday in the South" and " Two Dozen Roses" from 1989, " Next to You, Next to Me" from 1990, and " If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)" from 1994. The late 1994-early 1995 single " Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart," which featured guest vocals from
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
, won both artists a
Grammy Award 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 ...
for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.


History

Lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
ist Jim Seales and
drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...
Mike McGuire formed Shenandoah in 1984 as a house band in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...
, with
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
ist Ralph Ezell and keyboardist Stan Thorn, as well as lead singer Marty Raybon, who had been in his father's bluegrass band since childhood called American Bluegrass Express, as well as Heartbreak Mountain. Before that, Seales, Thorn, McGuire and Ezell were session musicians. McGuire invited songwriting friend Robert Byrne to one of the session band's shows. Byrne then invited them into his recording studio to record a demo, which he then pitched to
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
' CBS Records division. The band first wanted to assume the name The MGM Band, a name which was rejected for legal reasons. CBS suggested Rhythm Rangers and Shenandoah as possible names, and Raybon chose the latter because he thought that the name Rhythm Rangers "sounded like an amateur band."


19871990: ''Shenandoah'' and ''The Road Not Taken''

In 1987, Shenandoah released its self-titled debut
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
, which Byrne and Rick Hall produced. This album accounted for the band's first two charting singles in "They Don't Make Love Like We Used To" and "Stop the Rain". The latter was the band's first Top 40 country hit, peaking at number 28 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot Country Singles (now
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. John Bush of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote that this album "leaned a little close to the pop-schmaltz they later rebelled against." '' The Road Not Taken'' was the band's second album, released in 1988. This album's first two singles — " She Doesn't Cry Anymore", previously found on ''Shenandoah'', and "
Mama Knows "Mama Knows" is a song written by Tony Haselden and Tim Mensy, and recorded by American country music group Shenandoah (band), Shenandoah. It was released in August 1988 as the first single from their album ''The Road Not Taken (album), The Road No ...
" — brought the band to the Top Ten for the first time. After these singles came three consecutive ''Billboard'' number-one hits: " The Church on Cumberland Road", " Sunday in the South" and " Two Dozen Roses". "The Church on Cumberland Road," with its two-week run at Number One, marked the first time in country music history that a country music band's first number-one single spent more than one week at the top. This song was originally recorded by one of its three writers, former Rockets and Billy Hill member Dennis Robbins as the B-side to his 1987 single " Two of a Kind, Workin' on a Full House";
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American Country music, country singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him his immense popularity, particularly in the United States, ...
would later reach number one in 1991 with a rendition of the latter song. Byrne co-wrote "Two Dozen Roses" with Mac McAnally, a veteran songwriter and session musician who has recorded both as a solo singer and as a member of
Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...
's Coral Reefer Band. The last single from ''The Road Not Taken'', " See If I Care", reached number 6 on ''Billboard'' and number one on ''
Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The ...
''. On January 22, 1991, ''The Road Not Taken'' earned a gold
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from 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) for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. Tom Roland of
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave ''The Road Not Taken'' four-and-a-half stars out of five, with his review saying, "The songs mix the day-to-day struggles of everyday-Joe with a steady respect for love, personal roots, and family." In the wake of ''The Road Not Takens success, the band played 300 shows in 1989.


19901992: ''Extra Mile'' and lawsuits

The band achieved its biggest hit in 1990 with the three-week number-one single " Next to You, Next to Me." Written by then-solo singers Robert Ellis Orrall and Curtis Wright, this was the first of five singles from Shenandoah's third album, '' Extra Mile''. " Ghost in This House," " I Got You" (co-written by Teddy Gentry of the band
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
) and " The Moon Over Georgia" all peaked in the ''Billboard'' top ten between late 1990 and mid-1991, with the latter two reaching number one on ''Gavin Report''; "When You Were Mine," the fifth single, stopped at number 38 on ''Billboard'' in 1991. Also that year, the band won 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 ...
's Vocal Group of the Year award. Alanna Nash of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' gave ''Extra Mile'' a B rating, saying that it was "unflinchingly commercial" but adding that "the band goes beyond Alabama's jingoistic flag-waving and
Restless Heart Restless Heart was an American country music band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band's longest-tenured lineup consisted of Larry Stewart (singer), Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dav ...
's vapid mood-brighteners to showcase intelligent ballads and jaunty rhythm numbers." An uncredited review in the ''
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'' said that the band "proved that no matter how overcrowded the field is, there's always room for quality." ''Extra Mile'' earned a gold certification in the United States. Following the release of ''Extra Mile'', a band from Kentucky threatened to sue Shenandoah over the use of the name Shenandoah. After a financial settlement was made with the Kentucky band, two other bands filed lawsuits over Shenandoah's name. The lawsuits depleted the money earned by the band on the road, which led to the band asking the label and their production company to all pay one-third of their legal costs. The production company refused, and Shenandoah was forced to file for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
in early 1991 after paying more than 2 million dollars on court settlements and legal fees. Although the lawsuits allowed Shenandoah to keep its name, the bankruptcy filing terminated the contract with Columbia after a 1992 '' Greatest Hits'' package. The production company's officials then filed a lawsuit against the band, claiming that it had tried to void its agreement with them. After Shenandoah's departure, there were no other bands on Columbia's Nashville division; as a result, producer Larry Strickland assembled three musicians to create a new band called Matthews, Wright & King in an attempt to keep a commercially successful band on the label.


19921994: ''Long Time Comin and ''Under the Kudzu''

In 1992, the band had moved to
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
Nashville, releasing '' Long Time Comin''' on it that year. This album was produced by Byrne and Keith Stegall, a former solo singer best known for producing Alan Jackson's albums. " Rock My Baby" (another Curtis Wright co-write) led off the single releases, reaching number 2 on ''Billboard'' and ''
Radio & Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
'' and number 1 on ''Gavin Report''. After it came the top 30 hits "Hey Mister (I Need This Job)" and " Leavin's Been a Long Time Comin'", whose
music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...
featured a guest appearance by Dallas Cowboy quarterback and NFL hall of famer Troy Aikman as ‘Cowboy Joe’. Also guest appearing was Eddy Arnold. The band was nominated as Vocal Group of the Year at the Academy of Country Music again in 1992. ''Long Time Comin received a three-and-a-half star rating from the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', whose Jack Hurst said that it was "an excellent brand of rural-toned blue-collar music." Nash gave a B− rating in ''Entertainment Weekly'', where she said that the album had a more country pop-oriented sound than its predecessors, but commended the "sincerity" of Raybon's voice and the themes of "family and friendship." '' Under the Kudzu'', Shenandoah's second RCA album, followed in 1993. It was produced by Don Cook, who was also Brooks & Dunn's producer at the time. " Janie Baker's Love Slave", written by " Burning Love" writer Dennis Linde, was a top 15 ''Billboard'' hit from the album early that year. Next came " I Want to Be Loved Like That", which peaked at number three on ''Billboard'', number two on ''Gavin Report'' and number one on ''Radio & Records''. The album also included the band's fifth and final ''Billboard'' number-one hit, " If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)", which Raybon and McGuire wrote with veteran Nashville songwriter Bob McDill after a conversation about line dancing instructions at the local bar Shenandoah started in. "I'll Go Down Loving You," the last single from the album, spent eleven weeks on the ''Billboard'' charts and peaked at number 46, thus becoming the band's first single to miss the Top 40 since "They Don't Make Love Like We Used To" in 1987. Michael Corcoran of ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
'' called ''Under the Kudzu'' "their strongest album to date", and Jack Hurst gave it three stars, saying, "Shenandoah carries most of this album with impassioned vocals rather than superior song content."


19941995: ''In the Vicinity of the Heart'' and collaborations

Columbia's parent company
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
released ten of the band's Columbia songs in a '' Super Hits'' compilation in May 1994, which was certified gold in 2002. Shenandoah also collaborated with country and bluegrass singer Ricky Skaggs on the 1994 Keith Whitley tribute '' Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album'', recording a
cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of Whitley's "All I Ever Loved Was You". Later in 1994, the band left RCA for Liberty Records, then the name for the Nashville division of
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 ...
. RCA gave Liberty the
master recording Master recordings, or simply masters, are the original recordings—including post-recording mixes and production edits—of audio performances, from which all analog and digital copies of the audio are derived from. The term refers only to the r ...
s for a nearly-completed album, to which Liberty added " Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart", a song featuring guest vocals from bluegrass musician
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
. Liberty released the album in November 1994 as '' In the Vicinity of the Heart'', with the number seven-peaking title track also serving as the first single release. This song was also Krauss' first top 40 country hit, and its success helped boost sales of her album '' Now That I've Found You: A Collection''. ''Vicinity'' became the band's fastest-selling album, and the first 175,000 copies were distributed with prepaid telephone cards which included an
800 number A toll-free telephone number or freephone number is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free number is free of charge, unless air-charges apply for mobile telephone service. A toll-free ...
that could be called to receive a greeting from the band members. The album also produced the band's last Top Ten hit in " Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)." Originally the B-side to "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart," this song was co-written by
Ronnie Dunn Ronald Gene Dunn (born June 1, 1953) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record executive. Starting in 2011, Dunn has worked as a solo artist following the temporary dissolution of Brooks & Dunn. He released his Ronnie Dunn (alb ...
(of Brooks & Dunn) and songwriter Dean Dillon, best known for co-writing several of
George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait has sold over 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. He holds ...
's singles. " Heaven Bound (I'm Ready)" (another Dennis Linde song) and "Always Have, Always Will," peaking at numbers 24 and 40, were the last two releases from the album. Jim Ridley gave the album a two-and-a-half star rating in ''New Country'' magazine, citing the vocal performances on the title track and "I Wouldn't Know" as standouts, but saying that the rest of the album did not take any risks. Raybon released a solo
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...
album for Sparrow Records in July 1995, and in October of the same year, that label released a multi-artist country-gospel album entitled ''Amazing Grace — A Country Salute to Gospel'', to which the band contributed a rendition of " Beulah Land." Shenandoah also covered
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' " Can't Buy Me Love" on the mid-1995 album '' Come Together: America Salutes The Beatles''. "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" won Shenandoah and Krauss won the 1995
Grammy Award 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 ...
for Best Country Vocal Collaboration and 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 ...
award for Vocal Event, and "Darned If I Don't" was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal by a Duo or Group the same year.


19951996: ''Now and Then'' and ''Shenandoah Christmas''

Stan Thorn and Ralph Ezell left in late 1995 and early 1996, respectively, with Rocky Thacker unofficially replacing Ezell, and songwriter/keyboardist Stan Munsey replacing Thorn. During this time, Liberty Records was renamed Capitol Records Nashville. The band's first album for Capitol, 1996's ''Now and Then'', comprised re-recordings of eight Columbia singles, the original recording of "Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart", and five new songs. Among these new songs was the album's only single, "All Over but the Shoutin'," which peaked at number 43 on ''Billboard''. Nash gave this album an A− rating in ''Entertainment Weekly'', saying that Raybon's voice "beautifully capture the
rites of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
in Small Town, USA." Larry Stephens of '' Country Standard Time'' also reviewed the album favorably, saying, "The familiar hits on this album have all been re-recorded, but they've lost none of their familiar and loved sound," while Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann gave it two stars out of five and referred to it as a "stopgap." Shenandoah's first
Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of Music genre, genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas and holiday season, Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of Christmas ...
album, ''Shenandoah Christmas'', was released in September 1996, also on Capitol. Except for the original song "There's a Way in the Manger," it comprised acoustic renditions of popular Christmas songs. It received a two-and-a-half star rating from Allmusic, whose critic Thom Owens said that none of the renditions were "particularly noteworthy."


1997: Departure of Marty Raybon and disbanding of Shenandoah

Marty Raybon and his brother Tim recorded one album as the Raybon Brothers for MCA Nashville Records in mid-1997. They charted within the top 40 on both the country and ''Billboard'' Hot 100 charts with a rendition of the Bob Carlisle song " Butterfly Kisses," followed by the number 64 country release "The Way She's Lookin'."Whitburn, p. 340 Marty continued to tour with Shenandoah until the end of the year, when the remaining members disbanded and he sold the naming rights. In 2000, he released a second solo album and charted his only solo country chart hit, the number 63 "Cracker Jack Diamond." Raybon remained a solo artist, while Thorn self-released a solo
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
album titled ''In a Curious Way'' in 2001.


2000present: Reunion and ''Shenandoah 2000''

Seales, McGuire, Munsey and Thacker reunited as Shenandoah in 2000, with two new members: lead singer Brent Lamb, and guitarist/vocalist Curtis Wright, who was also playing with Pure Prairie League at the time. Before joining Shenandoah, Wright had been a member of the Super Grit Cowboy Band in the 1980s, then a solo artist and one-half of the duo Orrall & Wright with Robert Ellis Orrall. Wright also wrote "Next to You, Next to Me" and "Rock My Baby", collaborating with Orrall on the former. In 2000, the new lineup recorded the band's next album, ''Shenandoah 2000'', under the Free Falls label. It produced the band's last chart single in the number 65 "What Children Believe." Jolene Downs of
About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...
gave this album a positive review, saying that it was a "very strong country album" and "a slightly different sound from the original group, but not bad at all." The band toured small venues in 2001 to promote it. Lamb left in 2002, with Wright succeeding him on lead vocals and original bassist Ralph Ezell later re-joining. In 2006, Shenandoah released the album ''Journeys'' on the Cumberland Road label. Ezell died of a heart attack on November 30, 2007, and Mike Folsom succeeded him on bass guitar. Also, Wright, after also finishing his stint in Pure Prairie League left the group to join Reba McEntire's band in early 2007, and songwriter Jimmy Yeary took over as lead singer. In April 2009, the lineup of Yeary, Folsom, McGuire, Munsey and Seales performed a benefit concert in Muscle Shoals, in which Wright and Raybon also participated. Yeary and McGuire co-wrote a song entitled "You Never Know" as a tribute to Ezell. Darryl Worley recorded this song on his 2009 album '' Sounds Like Life'', saying that he considered it "dead-on" for him. Shenandoah has continued to tour in 2009 and 2010 with Yeary on lead vocals, mostly playing at community festivals and county fairs. Yeary engaged country-gospel singer Sonya Isaacs (of The Isaacs) in November 2009. They have since become married and had one son in 2011. He has also written songs for other artists, including " In Another World" by Joe Diffie, " Why Wait" by
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 ...
, "Summer Thing" by Troy Olsen, " I'm Gonna Love You Through It" by Martina McBride, and " I Drive Your Truck" by Lee Brice. Yeary left in 2011, with Doug Stokes taking over on lead vocals, and Chris Lucas (Roach) on bass. In August 2014, Marty Raybon re-joined as lead singer of the band, replacing Doug Stokes. At the time of his rejoining, the band consists of Raybon, McGuire, Munsey, and bassist Chris Lucas, later replaced by Paul Sanders. In October, Jamie Michael replaced the retiring Jim Seales on lead guitar. In 2016, Brad Benge joined the group on bass and baritone vocals, until his departure in 2018. In February 2016, Shenandoah signed with Johnstone Entertainment for management representation. "The confidence that you place in a person should be based on the true understanding you have of their integrity, wisdom and vision. We feel we made the right decision with Cole Johnstone as our manager as we set our sights on the future." said lead vocalist Marty Raybon The band released a collaborative album in 2020 titled ''Every Road'', which featured vocal collaborations with country music artists such as
Brad Paisley Brad Douglas Paisley (born October 28, 1972) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His first success came in 1997 as the writer of David Kersh's "Another You (David Kersh song), Another You". After this, he signed with ...
and
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 ...
. "Then a Girl Walks In", a duet with
Blake Shelton Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music, country singer, songwriter and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin (Blake Shelton song), Austin" from his Blake Shelton (album), self ...
, served as the lead single. This was followed in 2023 by the band announcing they would begin a 50-show Revival Tour in early 2023. Coinciding with this tour was a single titled "Revival", which was co-written by both members of Florida Georgia Line. In September 2023, Shenandoah recorded a new version of "Two Dozen Roses" with
Luke Combs Luke Albert Combs (born March 2, 1990) is an American country music, country singer. He was born in North Carolina and grew up there, performing as a child. After leaving college to pursue a career in music, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, Nas ...
. Released via 8 Track Entertainment, the track was recorded at the historic FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and was produced by
Grammy Awards 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 ...
winning producer Noah Gordon.
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premiered the track on September 21, 2023. Upon release, "Two Dozen Roses" hit #1 on the
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All Genre and Country Charts.


Musical styles

The band's sound is defined by country, bluegrass and gospel influences. John Bush of Allmusic calls Shenandoah "one of the first groups to rebel against the urban cowboy image of the '80s and lead the way to the new traditionalism of the '90s." Marty Raybon's vocals have been described as "blend ngthe soulfulness of
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
with the lonely intensity of great country music." Alanna Nash wrote that the band's work relies on "sentimental lyrics revolving around the Southern experience," and said that Shenandoah "forged its very commercial reputation on a soulful
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
-and- bluegrass blend, with lead singer Marty Raybon's searing sincerity making even the tritest songs about small-town Southern values and attitudes memorable." Logan Smith of the '' St. Petersburg Times'' said that the band has "woven together a highly polished sound built around precision musicianship and pristine harmonies, very much a hybrid of Raybon's bluegrass roots." Writing for the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
, Joe Edwards cited the variety of sounds on the band's second album, referring to "The Church on Cumberland Road" as a "spirited up-tempo," also making note of the Southern imagery in "Sunday in the South" and the "truest country music tradition" of the ballad "She Doesn't Cry Anymore."


Band members


Current

* Marty Raybon – lead vocals, acoustic guitar (1984–1997, 2014–present) *Mike McGuire –
drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, backing vocals (1984–1997, 2000–present) *Donnie Allen – fiddle, acoustic guitar (1990–1997, 2014–present) *Paul Sanders – bass guitar, backing vocals (2014–2016, 2018–present) *Austin Brown – lead guitar (2024–present)


Former

*Ralph Ezell – bass guitar, backing vocals (1984–1996, 2002–2007; died 2007) *Jim Seales –
lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
, backing vocals (1984–1997, 2000–2014) *Stan Thorn – keyboards, backing vocals (1984–1995) *Rocky Thacker – bass guitar, backing vocals (1996–1997, 2000–2002) *Brent Lamb – lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2000–2002) * Curtis Wright – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar (2000–2007) *Mike Folsom – bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–2011) * Jimmy Yeary – lead vocals,
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
(2007–2011) *Doug Stokes – lead vocals (2011–2014) *Travis Mobley – keyboards (2018–2022) *Chris Lucas (Roach) – bass guitar (2011–2014) *Brad Benge – bass guitar, backing vocals (2016–2018) * Stan Munsey – keyboards (1995–1997, 2000–2018) *Jamie Michael – lead guitar, backing vocals (2014–2020) *Jeff Allen – bass guitar, backing vocals (2010–2011) *Austin Crum – lead guitar (2020–2022) *Nicky Hines – lead guitar (2022–2024) *Andrew Ishee – keyboards (2022–2024)


Discography


Studio albums

*'' Shenandoah'' (1987) *'' The Road Not Taken'' (1989) *'' Extra Mile'' (1990) *'' Long Time Comin''' (1992) *'' Under the Kudzu'' (1993) *'' In the Vicinity of the Heart'' (1994) *''Shenandoah Christmas'' (1996) *''Shenandoah 2000'' (2000) *''Journeys'' (2006) *Good Ole Fashioned Christmas (2014) *''Good News Travels Fast'' (2016) *''Reloaded'' (2018) *''Every Road'' (2020)


''Billboard'' number-one hits

*" The Church on Cumberland Road" (2 weeks, 1989) *" Sunday in the South" (1 week, 1989) *" Two Dozen Roses" (1 week, 1989) *" Next to You, Next to Me" (3 weeks, 1990) *" If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)" (1 week, 1994)


Awards and nominations


Grammy Awards

, - ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, " Ghost in This House" , rowspan=2, Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal , , - , rowspan=2,
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, " Darned If I Don't (Danged If I Do)" , , - , " Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" , Best Country Collaboration with Vocals ,


American Music Awards

, - ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, Shenandoah , Favorite Country Band/Duo/Group ,


TNN/Music City News Country Awards

, - , 1990 , rowspan=3, Shenandoah , rowspan=2, Vocal Group of the Year , , - ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, , - ,
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, Vocal Band of the Year , , - ,
1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, Shenandoah and
Alison Krauss Alison Maria Krauss (born July 23, 1971) is an American bluegrass-country singer, fiddler and music producer. She entered the music industry at an early age, competing in local contests by the age of eight and recording for the first time at ...
, Vocal Collaboration of the Year ,


Academy of Country Music Awards

, - , rowspan=2, 1990 , rowspan=3, Shenandoah , Top New Vocal Group or Duet , , - , rowspan=2, Top Vocal Group of the Year , , - , rowspan=2,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, , - , " Next to You, Next to Me" , Single Record of the Year , , - ,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, Shenandoah , Top Vocal Group of the Year ,


Country Music Association Awards

, - , rowspan=2,
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
, rowspan=6, Shenandoah , Horizon Award , , - , rowspan=5, Vocal Group of the Year , , - , 1990 , , - ,
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, , - ,
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, , - , rowspan=2,
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, , - , " Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart" , Vocal Event of the Year , Nominated alongside Alison Krauss


References


External links

* {{Good article Country music groups from Alabama Capitol Records artists Columbia Records artists Grammy Award winners Liberty Records artists Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups from Alabama RCA Records artists