It’s Official. Rascal Flatts is Done. For Now.
Sorry all you “Flattheads,” Rascal Flatts is done. Do not pass ‘Go.’ Do not collect $200. It’s finito. Curtains. Even their supposed “farewell tour” that they announced in January of 2020 to drive up tickets sales while winking and nodding that perhaps they could still come back if they wanted, that won’t be rescheduled after being postponed due to COVID-19. In fact there’s no plans for the troika to do anything together into the foreseeable future at all, while the respective players are pursuing other interests.
Lead singer Gary LeVox is readying the release of a Christian music-oriented single called “The Distance” on March 19th that is part of a greater Christian music album he’s been working on, and he’s planning to record a solo country album after that. LeVox is also planning to tour in 2021 to sing his new material along with Rascal Flatts songs, but not with fellow Flatts members Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney.
“Flatts aren’t going to go back on the road this year. But I’ll be on the road for sure,” Gary LeVox told Billboard recently. “I have 17 No. 1s with Rascal Flatts, plus there’s my new stuff. I’ll be covering all bases.”
Meanwhile bass player/singer Jay DeMarcus who started a side venture called Red Street Records in late 2019 and appointed himself CEO has poured himself full tilt into the project, announcing a host of new signees in January to the Christian-oriented label, including vocal trio Jawbone Honey, and songwriters Kevin Rooney, Justin Unger, and Josh and Jordan Ward.
“I am personally grateful that these amazing talents have chosen RSR as their home, and I’m honored to join them on their journeys. I can’t wait for the world to hear them, and we are so excited about what God continues to do at Red Street!” Jay DeMarcus said at the time. There’s also supposedly a Netflix series out there following him and his family around. Who knew?
Meanwhile guitarist and high harmony singer Joe Don Rooney? Well, he doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything. But he’s married to a former Miss USA runner-up and the 2005 Playmate of the Year. So you know, he’s “enjoying life” at the moment.
First formed in 1999 in a nightclub in Nashville’s Printer’s Alley district, Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus were second cousins from Columbus, Ohio, and guitarist Joe Don Rooney was from Oklahoma. Rooney filled in one night behind the two relatives, and soon they were performing as a trio. Their soft, vocal-driven style of country pop was perfect for radio, and soon they were signed to Lyrics Street Records, appropriately owned by The Disney Corporation. They then went on to front 17 headlining tours.
Undoubtedly the inevitable reunion tour will take shape at some point in the future when nostalgia and touring opportunities make it too lucrative for the respective members to pass up. Who better for a Las Vegas residency someday than Rascal Flatts? They’re custom made for the casino lounge.
But it is surprising they couldn’t even hold the thing together long enough to fulfill the farewell tour they had planned and cash out the franchise before going their separate ways—pandemic and the necessary delays notwithstanding. Perhaps ticket sales were more paltry than expected, and the pandemic provided good cover.
Sure, it’s easy to hoot on these guys if you’re a traditional country fan. But many pray for the days when their sanguine, pallid, inoffensive, strikingly pop version of radio country and frosted tip hairdos were the worst thing you had to interface with in the “country” realm.
They’ll be back for sure, unless they aren’t. But after 21 years and 17 #1 singles, it does feel like the end of an era. And as we’ve seen over the years as the ills of mainstream country continue to worsen, it’s an era someone will be nostalgic for and others will be re-evaluating more favorably in the future.
March 18, 2021 @ 8:52 am
Good riddance. I never heard one song of their that I didn’t hate, mostly because of LeVox’s whiny voice.
Not to mention they turned out inferior versions of previously-great songs like “Bless the Broken Road” and “Life is a Highway”
March 18, 2021 @ 8:43 pm
I almost totally agree, but then there’s “I’m Moving On.” That is one true blue, honest to goodness, masterpiece of a country song.
Otherwise, right with ya bud.
March 19, 2021 @ 10:34 am
Yay, this is great news.
Never cared for their sound at all and the singer always sounded like he was about the blow a gasket.
But, unfortunately, we have much worse’ artists on ‘country radio’ now, so sad.
however, Pop country really sucks!!!
March 18, 2021 @ 8:54 am
Wow!
This news will absolutely crush a huge percentage of girls from the ages of five to nine in this country.
March 18, 2021 @ 8:55 am
who ?
March 18, 2021 @ 9:33 am
Got ’em, Albert!!!
March 18, 2021 @ 9:00 am
The only memory I’ll take from them was the uproar Rooney’s bare ass caused in the music video for “I Melt.” I think CMT pulled the video and RF almost broke up over the incident.
Also, the time I “booed” them relentlessly during their set at a Brooks & Dunn Neon Circus & Wild West tour stop until a little girl turned around a told me “you’re mean.” When I did the math, I thought for sure Brad Paisley was the co-headliner that tour, but Rascal Flatts jumped him. From the parking lot, I could hear Paisley’s set starting, so we had to close down the tailgate and hightail it into the venue. Drunk, Pissed and Coked Up, I let RF have it.
March 18, 2021 @ 9:34 am
Bye
March 18, 2021 @ 10:34 am
Unfortunately Dan + Shay are there to carry on the wuss country torch.
March 18, 2021 @ 10:40 am
Some punk thought he’d have a laugh
Said “Play me some Rascal Flatts!”
So I played him some Johnny cash
And I stomped his ass (stomped his ass stomped his ass)
March 18, 2021 @ 10:55 am
Careful with that screendoor.
March 18, 2021 @ 11:07 am
I Only ever liked “Mayberry”, and that was only because it referenced The Andy Griffith Show. I was working at a radio station in Jacksonville, FL the first time I heard them, and I was like “What the hell is THIS shit?”
March 18, 2021 @ 4:24 pm
As my mom was going through her battle with cancer a friend sent me Sarabeth (Skin) and that song was very therapeutic….so I will thank them for that.
March 18, 2021 @ 11:20 am
I have some nostalgia for their older songs, mostly because my sister loved them and when she used to drive us around, they were the soundtrack. Even if I recognize the problems with their music, I have some decent memories associated with some songs. That, and at least they came up in the days when you still had to have a decently-written song to have radioplay, certain exceptions like “Bob That Head” notwithstanding. And as far as I’m concerned, this era of pop country is just the 2000s version of countrypolitan, schmaltzy songs and string arrangements and all.
March 19, 2021 @ 8:00 am
Are you knocking “Wichita Lineman”?
March 19, 2021 @ 2:45 pm
No, “Wichita Lineman” is a great song. But I’m not so blinded by nostalgia that country pop from yesteryear strikes me as materially different from country pop of the 2000s like it apparently does everyone else. I’m pretty sure that’s just generational bias. The only difference is what type of music was being imitated to make country more palatable to the mainstream. It used to be big bands and Sinatra, then it was rock, now it’s hip hop, etc. Country pop is country pop, it’s only in the last decade or so that the lyrics have become so braindead and given to tokenism that it’s become unbearable, at least to me. The Nashville Sound didn’t die, it evolved. Rascal Flatts, for all their annoying boy band tendencies, tend to fall into that adult contemporary country vibe where the strength of the song is still mostly dependent on the emotion of the vocals and lyrics, at least before they started falling out of favor with radio and bro-ed it up in the 2010s. I really don’t find them to be all that dissimilar from Glen Campbell in terms of the space they inhabit in country, his masterful guitar skills notwithstanding.
March 18, 2021 @ 11:43 am
For all the years of pop country drivel and fluff that I could slam them for…I’ll dig deep and try to be nice. Two of their best songs were, ironically, their most traditionally sounding ones.
“Winner At a Losing Game” and “Ellsworth” were actually decent country songs for that era and in hindsight, are solidly country when compared to the garbage trail of mainstream country of the past 15 years.
March 18, 2021 @ 12:35 pm
I agree, Ellsworth is actually a good song. Not sure if they wrote it. And it uses more than three chords… always appreciated.
March 18, 2021 @ 3:50 pm
I actually like Winner at a Losing Game. That’s their only song I can recall liking.
March 19, 2021 @ 6:12 am
I love Rascal Flatts and will miss them. There music bring many wonderful memories for me as well two of they’re songs where anthems for two hardships I’ve faced in my life, one my oldest daughters severe brain injury in 2011 the song “I won’t let go” became our families song of love to Sammie. Tragedy came again to our family in 2016 when our oldest son Jesse completed suicide their song “Why” became a part of our life and continues to be as we now fight to bring awareness and prevention to Suicide. Thank you Rascal Flatts for these and all the beautiful music. ❤️
March 19, 2021 @ 8:15 am
Lisa, I’m sorry you have had to go through all of this.
March 18, 2021 @ 11:59 am
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March 18, 2021 @ 12:26 pm
I’m impressed with your emoji ability. You learn new things everyday.
March 21, 2021 @ 3:54 pm
Care to preview your reaction when Gary LeVox’s solo career tanks like so many before him and the band is reformed?
March 18, 2021 @ 12:34 pm
They have a few decent songs. I’ve plugged them into Audacity, decreased the pitch to get away from LeVox’s annoying voice, and it makes them tolerable.
March 18, 2021 @ 12:40 pm
Can’t really listen to them now, but Me and My Gang was one of the cds on my first ute (pickup) and it was the soundtrack of lots of good times.
I think I bought the album after it and then gave up.
End of an era, but should have ended ages ago.
Also Sarabeth (skin) is as country as is gets. Good song.
March 18, 2021 @ 2:12 pm
The real question is who is going to claim their Opry membership?
March 18, 2021 @ 6:36 pm
I was wondering that, too. if the group truly no longer exists, is their Opry Membership dissolved/sacrificed?
March 18, 2021 @ 8:49 pm
Now, I’m wondering the same thing. If I remember correctly, both Holly Dunn and Ricky Van Shelton had their membership taken away immediately after they retired. I’ll be mad if they’ll let the Flatts still be members after how those two much better artists were treated.
March 18, 2021 @ 8:52 pm
This is a good question. Barbara Mandrell is still officially a member even though she’s officially retired. Though she might be a special exception. Also, since they seem to have almost completely done away with removing anyone for lack of performances, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do the same for retirees. Also underscores just what a bad pick Rascal Flatts was when they were selected. At the least, select individuals or groups you feel are in it for the long haul.
March 18, 2021 @ 2:57 pm
Sadly, compared to most of the toolboxes ruling the mainstream country scene right now Flatts were a traditional country act. Lol.
Remember when RF kicked Eric Church off their tour early in Church’s career? They said it was because Church played past his allotted time and was too loud, but I suspect it was because Chief made them sound even more sterile than they already did.
With all that being said, good for them for doing what they did and for their success. Better than flipping burgers at McDonald’s.
Enjoy your retirement and $$$$ boys.
March 19, 2021 @ 6:34 am
Well, I am a huge Eric Church fan but Rascal Flatts was absolutely correct for kicking him off the tour. His overtime playing was violating union laws. Tours are a business. Follow the rules. Unfortunately, they replaced him with Taylor Swift which started her rise to fame.
March 19, 2021 @ 3:30 pm
Lol. If you think his being kicked off the tour had anything to do with union laws, you’re breathing stale air on Fantasy Island (and have never heard of guys like Bruce Springsteen who do 4+ hour shows, with a break, and no union incidences). It’s not like Flatts were playing two hour + shows. There were no union rules broken. Church was kicked off because he made RF look like they needed training wheels.
March 18, 2021 @ 3:32 pm
Well, I, for one, certainly won’t be feeling any nostalgia for the soccer mom country period of the mid-late 00’s anytime soon. But I will say that the first 2-3 albums by the Flatts did contain a handful of solid pop country songs, and if they were the “worst” things on the radio today, I would actually still listen. My favorite song they ever did is “My Worst Fear” from the Melt album, and that’s probably as close to a traditional sound as they’ve ever gotten.
Unfortunately, I have yet to hear anything as country sounding (or anything resembling country music at all, for that matter) coming from their successors, Dan + Shay.
March 18, 2021 @ 3:34 pm
Ok so I spent like 5 minutes thinking “What was that really annoying bro country song that released that terrorized everyone in 2014?”
It turned out to be Show You Off by Dan + Shay
that is how forgettable this group was
March 18, 2021 @ 3:37 pm
Never was a big RF fan. If I had a favorite song, it would be “Fast Cars and Freedom.” The great guitar intro, though, is only a prelude for the letdown when LeVox’s vocals come in. In the right hands and with the right vocalist, it would be a much better song.
All that said, for some reason the room seems to get a bit dusty whenever “Sarabeth” pops up in my shuffle.
March 18, 2021 @ 4:09 pm
RF was nothing more than “Gary LeVox and Two Guys That Nobody Remembers”. LeVox’s, uh, “noises” are always grating and puzzling, and Nashville and the general public’s obsession with nasal singers such as LeVox and Jennifer Nettles is bizarre. The biggest tragedy from this breakup is Farce The Music losing their biggest source for fat jokes. The second biggest tragedy is LeVox going from cleaning out bank accounts to cleaning out every Waffle House he drives past.
March 18, 2021 @ 6:02 pm
the one and only time I saw rf, at the inconveniently located suburban shed in 2018, their opener was the most puerile of the puerile, dan and shay.
So, when rf emerged for their headlining set, I actually enjoyed the trio’s soft party pop country by contrast.
March 18, 2021 @ 6:27 pm
Trigger
Are you going to be commenting anywhere on the fact that Garth Brooks is reissuing his Chris Gaines album with bonus material?
March 18, 2021 @ 6:59 pm
I might. Lots of fires raging at the moment.
March 18, 2021 @ 7:30 pm
“Bonus”
March 19, 2021 @ 5:24 am
LOL, yes “bonus.”
This could end up being hilarious.
March 19, 2021 @ 9:05 am
Unintentional comedy is sometimes the best.
March 19, 2021 @ 5:49 am
He really just needs to Fu** Off at this point guess he’s ran out of ways to release his greatest hits compilations he has to resort to this now????????.
Far as RF I’d like to thank them for contributing nothing of note to country.
March 19, 2021 @ 7:05 am
He will do anything for a headline. As he gets older and his popularity wanes look for his desperation moves to increase and become even more drastic.
March 21, 2021 @ 5:46 am
I keep telling my friends (in their 20s) about how Garth Brooks was Chris Gaines and I can’t ever really find too much evidence. Now I can further prove my claims!
March 19, 2021 @ 1:12 am
formed in 1999? and they already had a full album and “praying for daylight” ready to hit radio and cmt? This makes me think they were some kind of industry plant. A prepackaged boy band created by big wigs with fake twang and acoustic guitars. Some of their songs are indecipherable from nsync really
March 19, 2021 @ 5:59 am
They’ve been done for awhile now. They just now realized it.
March 19, 2021 @ 6:37 am
Yeah, they have been dead at radio and as a headliner for years.
Somehow they survived Bro-Country better than I thought they would.
March 19, 2021 @ 6:34 am
You people are mean …i don’t see your names on records …i thought they were great …grow up people you have no lives that this is what you do all day ..my GOD I sure hope they as I will pray for your nastiness
March 19, 2021 @ 8:18 am
Debbie, how many Sugarland and Little Big Town albums do you own?
March 19, 2021 @ 2:58 pm
“YoU pEEpUl aRe mEEEN!!!”
Thanks for the compliment, Debbie.
March 19, 2021 @ 4:25 pm
“… and Lord, please help all those pathetic, nasty nobodies being so mean to Rascal Flatts on that website. They need your help so they can get a life and stop being such jerks. Please help them realize that they are not worthy to to even be in the same room as the great Rascal Flatts. Amen.”
March 19, 2021 @ 6:39 am
I probably like RF more than most here. When they hit on a song, they hit on a song. Overall though they were pretty bland as a group. They never had a strict identity. Outside of a few stupid songs (which every Nashville artist will have), I never felt insulted by their music. They wrote and sang songs for adults which is more than I can say for most singers post 2011.
March 19, 2021 @ 9:12 am
I’ve only heard one song and I liked it.
Something about a dirt road, a truck and a swimming hole.
The fear of a YouTube search prevents me from finding the title.
March 19, 2021 @ 9:41 am
OK, i remember Rascal Flatts a little bit… I did not know they had a song titled “Ellsworth.” That being my first name, i decided to go check it out. Oh. My. God. Can we go back to that being the “worst” country music out there?!? LOL. It’s got a friggin steel guitar solo… how spoiled we all were before music became digitized.
FYI, the song is about Ellsworth, KS. Not Ellsworth, ME or Ellsworth Air force Base, SD.
March 24, 2021 @ 4:50 am
Goddammit! Where am I suppose to get my mediocre to shit music?
March 19, 2021 @ 12:59 pm
Never knew their fan base were known as “Flattheads” … Do they also cut their hair into Flattops ??
March 19, 2021 @ 3:59 pm
They suck, but JDR sure can eyefuck the shit out of a camera. https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/content/printView/6618383
March 19, 2021 @ 8:01 pm
I came here for the comments. Did not disappoint.
March 21, 2021 @ 11:39 am
Yahooooooooooo????????????????????????????????
March 24, 2021 @ 4:52 am
maybe the Nazis weren’t so bad when they burned stuff. Maybe?
August 24, 2021 @ 12:45 pm
Rascall Flatts has no legitimate defense. The hackneyed schlock that band peddles isn’t just predictable, uncreative and (ostensibly) sterile, it is also retrograde, delusional and revisionist.
For example the “Mayberry” song (which I initially thought to be a parody of misguided postwar idealism), celebrates a rural/ small town America that never existed for many or most of those who inhabited such areas. It’s a familiar trope and not particular to RF, but it misrepresents small town life, both retrospectively and contemporarily.
It’s a low-rent and ignorant iteration of the pastoral idyll.
Ask if black people in the AL black belt or MS Delta miss the “Mayberry” of which these pandering fabulists sing.
Of course RF sings of longing for a mythical era when “everything was black and white” ( in which they did not live), the band’s schtick is rooted in moral simplicity and fable.
This band profits from promoting a perverse version of the pastoral idyll, which as produced is both toxic & historically inaccurate .