The Country Music of Rascal Flatts

Gary Levox, Jay DeMarcus, and Joe Don Rooney are the founding members of the American country music band Rascal Flatts, originally from Columbus, Ohio. The band released their first album in 2000, called "Rascal Flatts," which was certified two times multi-platinum. In 2002, the album "Melt" was certified three times multi-platinum in the United States. Their 2004 album, "Feels Like Today," along with their 2006 release, "Me & My Gang," both went five times multi-platinum. 2007’s "Still Feels Good" is certified two times multi-platinum. Their most current album, "Unstoppable," released on April 7, 2009, has already been certified platinum. The band has released numerous singles, hitting the top of many charts.

Gary Levox and Jay DeMarcus are second cousins from a family of musicians. After relocating to Nashville in 1992, Levox and DeMarcus were working in a Printer’s Alley nightclub when they met Rooney, who was asked to sit in as a part-time guitarist. Eventually, the three formed a band and called themselves Rascal Flatts after a famous landmark in Oklahoma, signing to Lyric Street Records in 1999.

Rascal Flatts performed at the 2007 Grammy Awards show alongside Carrie Underwood. The band has enjoyed much financial success touring the country. Nielsen reported that in 2006 the band was the top selling artist, with nearly five million album sales and nearly a million digital tracks sales. The primary demographics for Rascal Flatts are young adults between the ages of 18 through 25. This happens to be uncommonly young for country music, where the average age of fans is 44.