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Lady Antebellum Racks Up The Miles
Although the next chance to catch the band is April 26 at Sommet Center in Nashville, there are plenty of headlining shows, festival gigs and fair appearances on the itinerary.
Other upcoming shows include Crossroads Arena in Corinth, Miss. (May 1), Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tenn. (May 8), Montgomery Jubilee Cityfest in Alabama (May 23), Country Thunder USA in Waxahachie, Texas (May 31), America’s River Festival in Dubuque, Iowa (June 13), Clarence Homecoming in Missouri (June 20), Country Jam USA in Grand Junction Colorado (June 27), City Harvest Festival in Tuscola, Ill. (July 5), Putnam County Fair in Eleanor, W. Va. (July 12), the Clarion County Fair in New Bethlehem, Pa. (July 24), Silver Spur Ranch in Kleinburg, Ontario (August 3), Fudd Fest in Gleason, Wis. (August 8), Fire Station in Saint Leonard, Mo. (August 24), the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque (September 10), Apple Festival in Jackson, Ohio (September 19), and the Fryeburg Fair in Maine (October 2).
Lady Antebellum has made quite a name for itself since it was formed in Nashville in 2006 by Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. The band has opened for Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner, Phil Vassar, Rodney Atkins and Little Big Town.
The group came together when Scott, whose parents are country singer Linda Davis and musician Lang Scott, introduced herself to Kelley after recognizing him from his MySpace page. Kelley, brother of singer/songwriter Josh Kelley, brought in childhood pal and co-writer Haywood and the trio began writing together.
The three began posting demos on MySpace and got an immediate positive reaction, encouraging them to begin playing live gigs around Nashville, which were equally successful.
“It took on a life of its own,” said Haywood, who booked their first shows himself. “There was no plan, we just kept churning out as many songs as we could.”
Early fans soon christened the band with the nickname “Lady A” and wasn’t long before the labels came calling. The band signed with Capitol Nashville and began working on its debut with producer Paul Worley and songwriter Victoria Shaw.
The quick rise from unknowns to up-and-coming stars is still hard for Scott to believe.
“It still overwhelms me,” she said. “I’m a true believer that what’s meant to be will fall into place. When the ride starts you’ve just got to jump on.”