Keech Rainwater

Lonestar (formerly known as Texassee) is an American country music group from Texas.

The group consists of Drew Womack (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals), Dean Sams (keyboards, acoustic guitar, background vocals), and Keech Rainwater (drums).

"Amazed" also charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first country song to do so since "Islands in the Stream" in 1983.

Before Lonestar's foundation, Rainwater and Britt were members of the group Canyon, which recorded two albums for the independent 16th Avenue Records and charted in the country top 40 with "Hot Nights" in 1989, as well as receiving a nomination from the Academy of Country Music Awards for Best New Vocal Duet or Group.

Soon after foundation, Texassee changed its name to Lonestar.

Britt, Sams, and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist/vocalist John Rich.

Lonestar began in 1992 as a band named Texassee.

This portmanteau name was derived from the fact that all five members were natives of Texas, and met in Nashville, Tennessee's Opryland USA theme park.

The original lineup consisted of lead singer/rhythm guitarist Richie McDonald (Lubbock), lead guitarist Michael Britt (Fort Worth), drummer Randy "Keech" Rainwater (Plano), keyboardist/rhythm guitarist Dean Sams (Garland), and bass guitarist/lead and background vocalist John Rich (Amarillo).

The band first played at a concert in Nashville in 1993 and signed to BNA Records in January 1995.

Lonestar's first release for BNA was an extended play titled Lonestar Live, recorded at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville and issued in January 1995.

Their debut single, "Tequila Talkin'", was released that August, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart.

It was included on their self-titled debut album, which was released that October.

Its producers were Don Cook (best known for his work with Brooks & Dunn) and songwriter Wally Wilson, with whom Rich wrote the track "I Love the Way You Do That".

Other contributing songwriters included former solo artists Bill LaBounty, Rick Vincent, and Larry Boone.

Along with his work with the band, McDonald has co-written singles for Clay Walker, The Wilkinsons, Billy Dean, and Sara Evans, in addition to singing guest vocals on Mindy McCready's 1996 single "Maybe He'll Notice Her Now".

The next single, "No News", became the band's first No. 1, holding that position for three weeks in April 1996.

A physical single release of "Tequila Talkin'" and "No News" as a double A-side also went to No. 22 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles.

After these two songs, "Runnin' Away with My Heart" also went to No. 8 on the country charts.

It was followed by "When Cowboys Didn't Dance" (co-written by McDonald), which failed to reach the top 40, and "Heartbroke Every Day", the only single to feature Rich on lead vocals, at No. 18.

Both of these songs had previously appeared on the Lonestar Live EP.

Their chart runs both overlapped with then-labelmate Mindy McCready's "Maybe He'll Notice Her Now" (from her debut album Ten Thousand Angels), which featured McDonald as a backing vocalist and peaked at No. 18 as well.

Lonestar was met with generally favorable reviews.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic and Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time both praised the band for having neotraditionalist country influences in their sound, with Wahlert also stating that the use of both Rich and McDonald on lead vocals gave the album "versatility".

Rick Mitchell of New Country magazine was less positive, calling the band's sound "lite rock with a twang".

In 1996, Lonestar won the Academy of Country Music award for Top New Vocal Group/Duet.

Lonestar's sixth chart single was "Come Cryin' to Me", which Rich and Wilson co-wrote with "No News" co-writer Mark D. Sanders.

The song became the band's second No. 1 single in August 1997, two months after the release of its corresponding album, Crazy Nights.

As with Lonestar, it was produced by Wilson and Cook.

The next single, "You Walked In", was co-written by rock producer and songwriter Robert John "Mutt" Lange.

It peaked at number 12 on the country charts and became the band's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 93.

Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big & Rich.

Since his departure, Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment.

"Amazed" and "My Front Porch Looking In" were the top country songs of 1999 and 2003, respectively, on Billboard Year-End.

The group has recorded seven albums, one EP, and a greatest hits package for the defunct BNA Records, and one album each for three different independent labels.

Three of their albums have been certified platinum or higher by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The band's first two albums were defined by honky-tonk and neotraditionalist country influences, but subsequent albums largely drew from country pop.

McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist, and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011.

McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join The Frontmen, with former Sons of the Desert lead vocalist Drew Womack replacing him.

Lonestar has charted more than 20 singles on the Hot Country Songs chart, including 9 that reached No. 1: "No News", "Come Cryin' to Me", "Amazed", "Smile", "What About Now", "Tell Her", "I'm Already There", "My Front Porch Looking In", and "Mr. Mom".