Rascal Flatts, Country Musicians

Born: 1999

Birthplace: Nashville, Tennessee

Best Known As: Country vocal trio that did "I'm Movin' On"

Rascal Flatts shot to stardom with their debut album in 2000, and the success of their next releases, Melt and Feels Like Today, made them one of country music's top-selling acts by the end of 2004. Famous for their vocal harmonies, the band is made up of Gary LeVox (b. 10 July 1970, Columbus, Ohio), Jay DeMarcus (b. 26 April 1971, Columbus, Ohio) and Joe Don Rooney (b. 13 September 1975, Baxter Springs, Kansas). LeVox and DeMarcus are second cousins who grew up in Ohio. DeMarcus moved to Nashville in 1992, LeVox followed in 1997 and the duo began performing in clubs. They were eventually joined by Rooney, who DeMarcus met while playing in a band for Chely Wright. Their first album yielded the hits "Prayin' for Daylight" and "I'm Movin' On." Their second album, released in 2002, included the hits "Love You Out Loud" and "Mayberry," and their third album, released in 2004, debuted at the top of the charts. Despite facing criticism that they were a "boy band" who were more pop than country, Rascal Flatts won the award for Best Vocal Group of 2003 at the Country Music Awards.

Their backing band while on tour is Mr. Nasty... Rooney caused a bit of a stir when he showed his bare bottom in the music video for their hit "I Melt"... Rascal Flatts sang the song "Walk the Llama Llama" for Sting's soundtrack to the animated feature The Emperor's New Groove (2000).

No doubt, these suburban cowboys play country music for Friday-afternoon drive times and Saturday nights at the mall, not the honky-tonk, the ranch, or the porch. With harmonies as squeaky-clean as their faces, Rascal Flatts relish the pop and lite-groove direction that the genre has taken at the turn of the century. In fact, they seem to take pride in their distance from hard-core country roots. To their credit, this trio of earnest young men sounds as if they are truly enjoying themselves as they run through their bouncy, bubbly love songs. And at least these boys don't pay lip service to keeping country traditions alive in 2000. Heck, they even find the fact that their label has "the power of Disney" behind it "really exciting." If you're looking for music with instantly digestible pop melodies, tight harmonies, and very little grit, Rascal Flatts will delight you and they will most likely delight their Disney-backed label, who's obviously taken aim squarely at the teenage market. Goes down as easy as a milkshake--a nonfat milkshake.

Somewhat remarkably, the youthful trio Rascal Flatts has an uncanny ability to sound 20-something going on 13. They are often dismissed as just another slick, contrived "boy band," though that hasn't kept them from chart-topping success. Admittedly, these Rascals do sound slick and even generic on run-of-the-mill teem anthems like "Fast Cars and Freedom" and "The Day Before You." Yet, on a few shining tracks like "Bless the Broken Road," "When the Sand Runs Out," and a lovely hidden cut called "Skin," the chic threesome also betrays poise, maturity, and thoughtfulness amid its chart-conscious predictability.