User:Hoof Hearted/Sandbox

Rascal Flatts Gary LeVox and Jay Demarcus second cousins from a musical family in Columbus, OH. Jay moved to Nashville, TN in 1992 and formed a Christian band called East to West. Gary followed in 1997, leaving his job at the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and they played in Chely Wright's band where they met Joe Don Rooney from Picher, OK. During Jay and Gary's gig at Printer's Alley, their guitarist couldn't make it, so they asked Joe Don to sit in and the band was formed. They soon recored demos which were picked up by Lyric Street Records. The trio's debut self-titled album was released in 2000. "Prayin' for Daylight" became the group's first smash single. "This Everyday Love" soon followed, with almost as many accolades. The band's second album, Melt, appeared in October 2002. With the success of first single "These Days," Melt sold a million copies in eight weeks. A live album served as an amiable segue between Melt and 2004's chart-topping Feels Like Today, while Me and My Gang arrived in April 2006.