Diamond Rio is an American
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the
Opryland USA
Opryland USA (later called Opryland Themepark and colloquially "Opryland") was a theme park in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally (generally March to October) from 1972 to 1997, and for a special Christmas-themed engagement eve ...
theme park in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was founded by Matt Davenport, Danny Gregg, and
Ty Herndon
Boyd Tyrone Herndon (born May 2, 1962), known professionally as Ty Herndon, is an American country music singer and songwriter. His music career began in the 1980s as a member of the Tennessee River Boys, a predecessor to the country band Diamon ...
, the last of whom became a solo artist in the mid-1990s. After undergoing several membership changes in its initial years, the band has consisted of the same six members since 1989: Marty Roe (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Johnson (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, tenor vocals), Jimmy Olander (lead guitar, banjo), Brian Prout (drums), Dan Truman (keyboards), and Dana Williams (bass guitar, baritone vocals).
After assuming the name Diamond Rio, the band was signed to
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & ...
and debuted in 1991 with the single "
Meet in the Middle
"Meet in the Middle" is a song recorded by American country music band Diamond Rio. It was released in February 1991 as their debut single, and served as the first single in the album ''Diamond Rio''. The single reached number one on the U.S. ''B ...
", which made them the first band ever to send a debut single to No. 1 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
charts. The band charted 32 more singles between then and 2006, including four more that reached No. 1: "
How Your Love Makes Me Feel
"How Your Love Makes Me Feel" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Max T. Barnes, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio that reached the top of the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in May 199 ...
" (1997), "
One More Day" (2001), "
Beautiful Mess" (2002), and "
I Believe" (2003).
Diamond Rio has recorded nine studio albums, four Greatest Hits compilations, and an album of Christmas music. Three of the band's albums have achieved
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
platinum certification in the United States. In addition, Diamond Rio has received four Group of the Year awards from the
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...
, two Top Vocal Group awards from the
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
, and one
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
. The band is known for its vocal harmonies, varied instrumentation, and near-exclusive use of only its own band members on recordings instead of
session musician
Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
s. Their sound was originally defined by mainstream country,
bluegrass, and
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
influences, but later albums drew more influence from Christian country music and
country pop
Country pop (also known as pop country or urban cowboy) is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres ...
.
Beginnings
![Tyherndon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Tyherndon.jpg)
In 1982, Matt Davenport and Danny Gregg founded a band at
Opryland USA
Opryland USA (later called Opryland Themepark and colloquially "Opryland") was a theme park in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally (generally March to October) from 1972 to 1997, and for a special Christmas-themed engagement eve ...
, a former country music-based
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. The band was first named the Grizzly River Boys, after a new
river rafting ride
A river rapids ride (or river rafting ride) is an amusement ride that simulates whitewater rafting.
History
The river rapids ride concept was proposed by Bill Crandall (general manager of AstroWorld in Houston) and developed by Intamin. Astro ...
at the park, but quickly changed names to the Tennessee River Boys due to its members disliking the original name. Originally intended to promote the park through a one-time television special, the band proved popular enough that it became one of many regular performers there. Davenport, Gregg, and
Ty Herndon
Boyd Tyrone Herndon (born May 2, 1962), known professionally as Ty Herndon, is an American country music singer and songwriter. His music career began in the 1980s as a member of the Tennessee River Boys, a predecessor to the country band Diamon ...
alternated as lead vocalists, with Davenport also playing bass guitar and Gregg on rhythm guitar; completing the lineup were Larry Beard (lead guitar, fiddle, banjo), Mel Deal (steel guitar), Al DeLeonibus (piano), and Ed Mummert (drums). The group "swapped lead voices, told jokes, and balanced old-school country concert shtick with a contemporary sound". Herndon left the group in 1983 to compete on the talent show ''
Star Search
''Star Search'' was an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./ Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versio ...
'', and became a solo artist for
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
between 1995 and the early 2000s. Herndon was temporarily replaced by
Anthony Crawford and then Virgil True before his role was taken over by Marty Roe, who had originally toured nationally with the Christian band Windsong,
and worked in the park by doing impersonations of
Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin (born May 2, 1948) is an American country and Southern gospel singer and songwriter. As part of a trio with his younger brothers Steve and Rudy, he achieved considerable success within the country music genre, performing on 3 ...
. Following Herndon's departure, DeLonibus and Mummert quit as well, with Dan Truman (who had previously played in
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
's
Young Ambassadors
__NOTOC__
The Young Ambassadors are a song and dance performing group from Brigham Young University (BYU). Consisting of 20 performers, 10 male and 10 female, they were founded by Janie Thompson in 1969. Since their first international performance ...
) and Jimmy "J. J." Whiteside taking their places. Beard quit shortly afterward and ultimately became a
session musician
Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
, and former
Mel McDaniel
Melvin Huston McDaniel (September 6, 1942 – March 31, 2011) was an American country music artist. Many of his top hits were released in the 1980s, including " Louisiana Saturday Night", "Big Ole Brew", "Stand Up", "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans ...
sideman Jimmy Olander took his place. The band, through the assistance of
Bill Anderson's drummer Len "Snuffy" Miller, submitted
demos
Demos may refer to:
Computing
* DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system
* DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR
* Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems
* plural for Demo (computer programming)
...
to various Nashville record labels with no success.
By 1985, the Tennessee River Boys had quit working at Opryland. According to Roe, while the band enjoyed playing at the park, they also felt that their status as a theme park attraction discredited them as "real musicians" to those in the Nashville community. For the next few years, they played at small venues, such as high school auditoriums, and usually worked no more than four concerts a month. They also competed on ''Star Search'', but were eliminated in the first round. Frustrated by the sporadic touring schedules, Whiteside quit the group and was replaced by Brian Prout, who previously performed in Hot Walker Band and Heartbreak Mountain.
Around 1986, Deal and Gregg both left the group, the latter due to health complications from a serious illness he had developed as a teenager. They initially chose to operate as a quintet, with Davenport as the sole lead vocalist and Roe and Prout singing harmony; when this arrangement proved unsuccessful, they found mandolinist Gene Johnson, a former member of the bluegrass group Eddie Adcock's IInd Generation, which Olander was a fan of as a child. Johnson debuted at a concert in
Clewiston, Florida
Clewiston is a city in Hendry County, Florida, United States. Its location is northwest of Fort Lauderdale on the Atlantic coastal plain. The population was 7,327 at the 2020 census, up from 7,155 at the 2010 census. The estimated population in ...
, in May 1987. Also at this point, the band members supplemented their incomes with outside jobs: Johnson continued to work in
carpentry
Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters tr ...
, Olander and Roe mowed lawns, and Prout drove tour buses.
In 1988, the band caught the attention of
Keith Stegall
Robert Keith Stegall (born November 1, 1955) is an American country music recording artist and record producer. Active since 1980, Stegall has recorded two major-label studio albums: 1985's ''Keith Stegall'' and 1996's ''Passages'', although he ...
, a singer-songwriter who would later become known primarily for his work as
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many o ...
's record producer. Stegall produced demos for the Tennessee River Boys, but noted that Davenport could not record the lead vocal and bass parts at the same time, as they would be difficult to separate in the control room. As a result, Stegall had Roe sing a "scratch" vocal track live with the other musicians, which would then be replaced by Davenport's voice in post-production. Upon hearing Roe sing the "scratch" track, Stegall successfully convinced the other members that Roe should be the lead vocalist instead. Due to his discomfort outside the lead role and his wife's dissatisfaction with his career, Davenport quit in late 1988, becoming the last founding member to leave. The group quickly had to find a replacement, as they were scheduled to appear on the talk show ''
Nashville Now
''Nashville Now'' was an American talk show that focused on country music performers in the style of ''The Tonight Show''. The show aired live on weeknights on TNN from 1983–1993. The host was Nashville TV/radio personality Ralph Emery. The sho ...
'' on January 23, 1989. Alan LeBeouf, who had just left
Baillie & the Boys
Baillie & the Boys were an American country music group. They were founded in 1987 by Kathie Baillie (lead vocals, guitar) and her husband, Michael Bonagura (background vocals, guitar), along with Alan LeBoeuf (bass guitar, background vocals). Not ...
, expressed interest in replacing Davenport but ultimately declined due to other commitments. They finally chose Dana Williams, a nephew of the bluegrass group
Osborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny (October 29, 1937 – October 24, 2021) and Bobby (born December 7, 1931), were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s and until Sonny retired in 2005. They are probably best known for ...
and former sideman for
Jimmy C. Newman
Jimmy Yves Newman (August 29, 1927 – June 21, 2014), better known as Jimmy C. Newman (the C stands for Cajun), was an American country music and cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry.
Early life
Newman was born ...
, who had been a fan of the Tennessee River Boys since Herndon was a member.
1990: Signing with Arista Nashville
Williams officially joined before the ''Nashville Now'' appearance, but the band still did not have a record deal at this point. They continued to record demos in Prout's garage with assistance from
Monty Powell
Monty Powell (born June 1, 1961) is an American country music songwriter best known for collaborating with Keith Urban, and for producing albums by Diamond Rio.
Powell's first songwriting credit was a jingle for an Allstate commercial. After mov ...
, who had previously hired Roe and Olander for recording jingles, but wanted to produce commercial music. Powell was a friend of
audio engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproduction, ...
Mike Clute, who would later become one of the band's producers, and songwriters
Tim DuBois
James Timothy DuBois (born May 4, 1948 is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Nashville-based songwriter and recording industry executive who has headed both Arista Records (Nashville Division) and Universal South Records. As a songwrit ...
and
Van Stephenson
Van Wesley Stephenson (November 4, 1953 – April 8, 2001) was an American singer-songwriter. He scored three US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 hits in the 1980s as a solo artist, and later became tenor vocalist in the country music band BlackHawk in t ...
. DuBois was talking with record executive
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
about creating a country music branch of
Arista Records
Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...
called
Arista Nashville
Arista Nashville is an American record label that serves as a wholly owned division of Sony Music, operated under the Sony Music Nashville division. Founded in 1989, the label specializes in country music artists, including Alan Jackson, Brooks & ...
; Stephenson would later sign to the label in 1993 as a member of
Blackhawk Black Hawk and Blackhawk may refer to:
Animals
* Black Hawk (horse), a Morgan horse that lived from 1833 to 1856
* Common black hawk, ''Buteogallus anthracinus''
* Cuban black hawk, ''Buteogallus gundlachii''
* Great black hawk, ''Buteogallus uru ...
. Initially, DuBois was hesitant about signing the Tennessee River Boys, as he felt that there were too many popular bands in country music, and he was about to sign both
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is an American Western swing group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception, released over twenty albums, and has charted more t ...
and
Exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
. He expressed interest in signing Roe as a solo artist, but at Powell's insistence, he agreed to see the band open for
George Jones
George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
at a May 1989 concert, and officially signed them to Arista Nashville in 1990.
The band members also decided to choose a new name, as they thought that Tennessee River Boys sounded more suitable for a bluegrass or gospel group than a country one. Among the names they had chosen were Kilroy and T-Town Mavericks, the latter of which was rejected by Arista executives. Prout suggested Diamond Rio, after the
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
manufacturing company
Diamond Reo Trucks
Diamond Reo Trucks was an American truck manufacturer. In 1967, Diamond T and Reo Trucks were combined to form the Diamond Reo Trucks Division of the White Motor Corporation. Reo dated back to 1904 when Ransom E. Olds, founder of Oldsmobil ...
. The name had been previously rejected by another country band,
Shenandoah, whose lead singer
Marty Raybon
Marty Raybon (born December 8, 1959) is an American country music artist. He is known primarily for his role as the lead singer of the country band Shenandoah, a role which he held from 1985 to 1997, until he rejoined the band in 2014. He reco ...
(also a former member of Heartbreak Mountain) gave Prout permission to use the name even though Shenandoah "conducted business" under that name.
Shortly after the band received its record deal, the band underwent a series of misfortunes when Olander, Johnson, and Williams came down with health problems. On August 9, 1990, Johnson was injured in a carpentry accident in Arkansas a day before his 41st birthday, severely cutting his left thumb. Robert Bolin substituted for Johnson during the band's tour in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
with
Kevin Welch
Kevin Stephen Welch (August 17, 1955) is an American country music artist. He has charted five singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Songs charts and released eight studio albums. He is also one of the cofounders of the Dead Reckoning Reco ...
and
Jann Browne
Jann Browne (born March 14, 1954 in Anderson, Indiana) is an American country music singer. She moved to Southern California in 1978 where she performed in a number of Orange County country bars. From 1981 through 1983, before her solo career, she ...
. On September 6, four weeks after Johnson's accident, Williams was water skiing with his family in
Cookeville, Tennessee
Cookeville is the county seat and largest city of Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was reported to be 34,842. It is recognized as one of the country's micropolitan areas, or smaller ...
, as his boat came forward at high speed when his wife was picking him up. The propeller slashed Williams' legs, and he was rushed to a hospital for his injuries. Brian Helgos and Paul Gregg (Danny Gregg's brother, and a member of
Restless Heart
Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's members are Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (piano, keyboards, guitar, vocals), and Greg Je ...
) substituted for Williams. Meanwhile, Olander discovered that he had a lemon-sized tumor that was pressing against his esophagus. The tumor was never successfully diagnosed, although it ultimately vanished.
Musical career
1991–1992: ''Diamond Rio''
After Olander, Williams, and Johnson had recovered, the six musicians set to work on their debut album. In doing so, Johnson soon discovered that the injuries to his hands had altered his dexterity on the mandolin, and threatened to walk away after Powell offhandedly remarked that he would have Roe dub in his own tenor harmonies instead of having Johnson sing them. The band also had commitments to finish as the Tennessee River Boys, to the point that they occasionally had to promote themselves under both names in the same day.
Arista Nashville released Diamond Rio's debut single, "
Meet in the Middle
"Meet in the Middle" is a song recorded by American country music band Diamond Rio. It was released in February 1991 as their debut single, and served as the first single in the album ''Diamond Rio''. The single reached number one on the U.S. ''B ...
", on February 6, 1991. As the lead single to their
self-titled debut album, "Meet in the Middle" went on to spend two weeks at No. 1 on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
charts, making Diamond Rio the first country music group ever to send its debut single to the top of that chart.
Following its release, the band performed its first official concert as Diamond Rio on May 4, 1991. They shared the bill with
Wild Rose, whose membership included Prout's then-wife, Nancy Given Prout. Released three weeks later
with DuBois and Powell as producers, ''Diamond Rio'' was met with positive critical reception from critics such as
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', and ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', which praised the band's vocal harmonies, instrumentation, and song choices.
Four more singles were released from ''Diamond Rio'', all reaching top 10 on the ''Billboard'' country singles charts: "
Mirror, Mirror", "
Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me", "
Norma Jean Riley
"Norma Jean Riley" is a song written by Rob Honey, Monty Powell and Dan Truman, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released on March 23, 1992 as the fourth single from their self-titled album. Unlike the four other s ...
" (which was previously the
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
of "Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me"), and "
Nowhere Bound
"Nowhere Bound" is a song written by Monty Powell and Jule Medders, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA the ...
", the latter two of which were co-written by Powell. Roe and Prout had found both "Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me" and "Mirror, Mirror" by attending shows at the
Bluebird Cafe
The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas.
...
in Nashville, a popular spot for performances by aspiring songwriters. Truman and an employee of Arista had found "Norma Jean Riley", which was originally titled "Pretty Little Lady" until DuBois remarked that the lady in the song should have a name: "It could be 'Norma Jean Riley', anything!" Johnson spoke positively about "Mama Don't Forget to Pray for Me", which was written and originally recorded by
Larry Cordle
Larry Cordle (born November 16, 1948) is an American country and bluegrass singer-songwriter
. Cordle is most famous for his song "Murder on Music Row", which was recorded by George Strait and Alan Jackson and received the Country Music Asso ...
, and the impact that it had on fans. He recalled a letter sent to him by a female fan who had run away from home and chose to return after hearing that song, and said that "We already didn't wanna do the drinkin' songs and stuff ... if you're gonna touch someone, touch them with something that's positive."
''Diamond Rio'' was later certified platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) for shipping one million copies in the United States.
In addition, the band won the
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
's Top Vocal Group for 1992, an award they would receive again in 1993, 1994, and 1997. They were also nominated for Top New Vocal Duet or Group by the same association in 1992. A cut from the album, the instrumental "Poultry Promenade", gave the band its first
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination.
1992–1995: ''Close to the Edge'' and ''Love a Little Stronger''
''
Close to the Edge
''Close to the Edge'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 13 September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford. After scoring ...
'', the group's second album, was released in 1992. Certified gold by the RIAA for U.S. shipments of 500,000 copies,
the album produced the Top 5 country hits "
In a Week or Two
"In a Week or Two" is a song written by James House and Gary Burr, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released in November 1992 as the lead-off single from their album ''Close to the Edge''. It peaked at number 2 in ...
" and "
Oh Me, Oh My, Sweet Baby
"Oh Me, Oh My, Sweet Baby" is a song written by Michael Garvin and Tom Shapiro. It was first recorded in 1989 by George Strait and featured on his album ''Beyond the Blue Neon''.
Diamond Rio version
It was later recorded and released as a single ...
", the latter of which was originally recorded by
George Strait
George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...
on his 1989 album ''
Beyond the Blue Neon
''Beyond the Blue Neon'' is the ninth studio album by American country music artist George Strait and 12th overall. It was released by MCA Records on February 6, 1989. It is certified platinum by the RIAA, and it produced the singles "Baby's ...
''. The next singles, "
This Romeo Ain't Got Julie Yet
"This Romeo Ain't Got Julie Yet" is a song written by Jimmy Olander and Eric Silver, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released in July 1993 as the third single from their album ''Close to the Edge''. It peaked at n ...
" and "
Sawmill Road
"Sawmill Road" is a song written by Dan Truman, Sam Hogin and Jim McBride, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released in November 1993 as the fourth and final single from the album ''Close to the Edge (Diamond Rio al ...
", both failed to reach top 10.
Roe considered ''Close to the Edge'' a weaker album than their debut because the band only had one month to pick the songs for it; in a 1994 interview with ''New Country'' magazine, he stated: "There aren't ten great songs out there for everybody, certainly not that you could find in a 30-day period of time."
Olander was also critical of the novelty factor of "This Romeo Ain't Got Julie Yet", which he co-wrote, saying that it was "by far not my favorite Diamond Rio recording – but that's at the time when I'm thinkin', 'Oh, this is easy, let's write this. It's kinda cute.'"
Brian Mansfield
Brian Mansfield (born September 24, 1963) is an American writer and journalist.
Early life and education
Mansfield grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He graduated from David Lipscomb High School.
In 1984, Mansfield received a bachelor's degre ...
of Allmusic was also critical of the song, but described the rest of the album with favor, saying that its "strongest material emphasizes the virtues of God, family and honest living – traditional stuff, no doubt influenced by the members' bluegrass background", while Jack Hurst of the ''Chicago Tribune'' thought that "In a Week or Two" and "Sawmill Road", "which is about the diverse trails some rural schoolmates follow in adulthood", were the strongest tracks.
In 1994, the band released its third album, ''
Love a Little Stronger
Love a Little Stronger is the third studio album by American country music band Diamond Rio. Released in 1994 on Arista Records, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million copies in the U.S. Four singles were released fr ...
''.
The album was recorded on a more relaxed schedule than the previous album; as a result, they did not have a single on the charts for three months after "Sawmill Road" fell off the charts.
For this album, Clute joined DuBois and Powell as co-producer, a role that he has held on all of the band's subsequent releases. The
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may al ...
(co-written by Billy Crittenden, later a member of the vocal group
4 Runner
4 Runner was an American country music vocal group founded in 1993 by Craig Morris (lead vocals), Billy Crittenden (baritone vocals), Lee Hilliard (tenor vocals), and Jim Chapman (bass vocals). Signed to Polydor Records Nashville, the quartet rel ...
), reached a peak of No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' country singles charts, and No. 1 on the country singles chart published by ''
Radio & Records
''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...
''.
It was followed by the No. 9 hit "
Night Is Fallin' in My Heart
"Night Is Fallin' in My Heart" is a song written by Dennis Linde. The song was first recorded by country music artist J.P. Pennington for his 1991 album, ''Whatever It Takes''. It was later recorded and released as a single in October 1994 by Ameri ...
",
[Whitburn, p. 124] originally recorded by
J. P. Pennington in 1991. Next were the Top 20 hits "
Bubba Hyde
"Bubba Hyde" is a song written by Gene Nelson and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released in February 1995 as the third single from the group's 1994 album '' Love a Little Stronger''. The song reac ...
" and "
Finish What We Started". Because the band had taken a longer period of time to choose songs for ''Love a Little Stronger'', they considered it a superior album to its predecessor;
Mansfield shared a similar opinion in his review of the album, stating that "Spurred by the relatively lackluster performance of ''Close to the Edge'' ... Diamond Rio explored the musical possibilities of its talents rather than digging for easy commercial success." Bob Cannon of ''New Country'' was more mixed, saying that "the production on ''Love a Little Stronger'' is so sparkling clean it could've been recorded in an operating room." This album also earned the band its second platinum certification.
1996–1999: ''IV'', ''Greatest Hits'', and ''Unbelievable''
![Craig Wiseman songwriter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Craig_Wiseman_songwriter.jpg)
''
IV'', Diamond Rio's fourth album, was released in 1996. It was the "first country release recorded entirely on a digital console"; specifically, a
Fairlight console which recorded the album directly to a
hard drive
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with magnet ...
. Produced by DuBois, Clute, and the band itself, it was also their first album not to have Powell as a co-producer. According to DuBois, Powell left this role on good terms, as he "saw a need to go in a certain direction, and the guys saw a need to go in a different direction." Roe thought that the album benefited from a new label policy that allowed label personnel to respond more quickly to pitches from songwriters. He recalled to ''Billboard'' that the label's head of
artists and repertoire
Artists and repertoire (colloquially abbreviated to A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists (singers, instrumentalist ...
(A&R) recommended the lead single "
Walkin' Away" while co-writer
Craig Wiseman
Craig Michael Wiseman is an American Country music songwriter and producer, and the owner/founder of the Big Loud enterprise. He has been writing since the late 1980s, and his songs have been recorded by Lorrie Morgan, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, ...
(who co-wrote "Bubba Hyde") was still recording its demo, and the band was able to record the song in the same day that the demo was completed.
"Walkin' Away" peaked at No. 2 on the country charts in early 1996. Three more singles were released from the album: the top 10 hits "
That's What I Get for Lovin' You
"That's What I Get for Lovin' You" is a song written by Kent Blazy and Neil Thrasher, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio. It was released in April 1996 as the second single from their album '' IV''. It peaked at number 4 in ...
" and "
Holdin'
"Holdin'" is a song written by Kelly Garrett and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme ...
" (also written by Wiseman), with the top 20 "
It's All in Your Head", co-written by Van Stephenson, in between. The music video for "It's All in Your Head" featured
Martin Sheen
Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...
and
Ramon Estevez
Ramón Luis Estévez (born August 7, 1963), sometimes billed as Ramón Sheen, is an American actor and director who runs Estevez Sheen Productions.
Early life
Estevez is the second of four children born to actor Martin Sheen and artist Janet T ...
, the former playing the part of a
snake handling preacher.
A year after ''IV'', Diamond Rio released its first ''
Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' package, which included eleven of the singles from their first four albums, plus the album cut "She Misses Him on Sunday the Most" from ''IV'' and two new songs: "
How Your Love Makes Me Feel
"How Your Love Makes Me Feel" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Max T. Barnes, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio that reached the top of the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in May 199 ...
" and "
Imagine That". "How Your Love Makes Me Feel" became the band's second No 1 on Hot Country Songs, as well as their longest-lasting at three weeks, making it the biggest chart hit for any country group that year.
"Imagine That", co-written by
Bryan White
Bryan Shelton White (born February 17, 1974) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Asylum Records in 1994 at age 20, White released his self-titled debut album that year. Both it and its follow-up, 1996's '' Between Now ...
, reached Top 5 by early 1998. ''Greatest Hits'' became the band's third platinum album.
Diamond Rio was inducted into the
Grand Ole Opry
The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...
in April 1998, becoming the first band in fourteen years to be inducted. Later in the year, the band released its fifth studio album, ''
Unbelievable''. Contributing songwriters to the album included
Paul Williams, former
NRBQ
NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed around 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re-f ...
member
Al Anderson,
Robert John "Mutt" Lange
Robert John "Mutt" Lange (born 11 November 1948) is a South African record producer and songwriter, mainly known for his work in rock music as well as his previous marriage to Canadian singer Shania Twain, for whom he wrote and produced several ...
, and
Huey Lewis
Hugh Anthony Cregg III (born July 5, 1950), known professionally as Huey Lewis, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor.
Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band, Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many o ...
. The lead single was the ballad "
You're Gone", which reached top 5 on the country charts. After it was the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may al ...
, which peaked at No. 2 on the country charts and became the band's first entry on the
Billboard Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
, where it reached No. 36. The third and final single was "
I Know How the River Feels
"I Know How the River Feels" is a song written by Steven Dale Jones and Amy Powers. First recorded by Ty Herndon, it has been released as a single by both Diamond Rio and McAlyster.
History
The song was originally recorded by Ty Herndon on his 199 ...
", originally recorded on Herndon's 1996 album ''
Living in a Moment
''Living in a Moment'' is the second studio album by American country music artist Ty Herndon. The album was released in 1996 (see 1996 in country music) via Epic Records. Like his debut album '' What Mattered Most'', the album has been certified ...
'' and later released as a single by
McAlyster
McAlyster was an American country music group founded in Pensacola, Florida. Its members comprised Cody Collins, Josh Walther, Leigh Usilton and Valerie Gills. They were signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2000. Their debut single, "I Know How the ...
in 2000. Diamond Rio's rendition peaked at 33 on the country charts, their lowest chart peak at the time.
In 1998, Prout began dating
Mary Bono
Mary Bono (née Whitaker and formerly Mary Bono Mack, born October 24, 1961) is an American politician, businesswoman, and lobbyist who served Palm Springs and most of central and eastern Riverside County, California, in the U.S. House of Represen ...
, the widow of singer and politician
Sonny Bono
Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and politician who came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republica ...
.
The two became engaged but later ended their relationship in 2001. On December 28 of the same year, Prout married singer-songwriter
Stephanie Bentley
Stephanie Kay Bentley (born April 29, 1963) is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 1996 as a duet partner on Ty Herndon's single "Heart Half Empty", which peaked at No. 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Track ...
, best known for co-writing
Faith Hill
Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Hill' ...
's 1999 single "
Breathe".
2000–2002: ''One More Day''
Diamond Rio released its twenty-third official chart single, "
Stuff
Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to:
*Physical matter
*General, unspecific things, or entities
Arts, media, and entertainment
Books
*''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly
*''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...
", in May 2000. The song was originally intended to be the title track to their sixth studio album, which would have been released on August 22 of the same year, but according to Truman, "Certain radio stations, for some reason, didn't want to play 'Stuff'."
As a result, "Stuff" was withdrawn after peaking at number 36 on the country charts, and the album was delayed until February 2001.
Following this song's failure, the band released "
One More Day" later in 2000. The song was written by Steven Dale Jones and Bobby Tomberlin, the same two writers who wrote "She Misses Him on Sunday the Most".
"One More Day" went on to spend two non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the country charts, with the album, by this point re-titled ''
One More Day'', having its release date moved up to February 6, 2001.
The song also peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, in addition to reaching top 10 on the
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
charts (the band's first appearance on that chart). Regarding the song's popularity among fans who have used the song to cope with personal losses, Prout said, "Actually, 'One More Day' was recorded as a love song. Then one of Oklahoma State's basketball team's
plane went down, then in early 2001 we lost
Dale /nowiki>">arnhardt/nowiki> in Daytona, and then of course,
9/11
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
came after that. And every event of that year, the song took on a different meaning to different people ... We hear quite often in e-mails and people talking to us in shows. If you're asking how it makes us feel? Pretty darn special ... to know that you had that impact on someone's life and helped in a tough time of healing and hope."
The third and fourth singles from ''One More Day'' were less successful: "
Sweet Summer
"Sweet Summer" is a song written by Neil Thrasher and Michael Dulaney, and recorded by American country musicgroup Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA t ...
" made Top 20, while "That's Just That" failed to make Top 40. The album featured a guest vocal from
Chely Wright
Chely Wright (born Richell Rene Wright; October 25, 1970) is an American Activism, activist, author and country music artist. She initially rose to fame as a commercial country recording artist with several charting singles, including the numbe ...
on "I'm Trying",
making for the band's first ever duet with another artist on one of their own albums.
It also included a cover of "Hearts Against the Wind", originally recorded by
J. D. Souther
John David "J. D." Souther (born November 2, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. Souther is probably best known for his songwriting abilities, especi ...
and
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
for the ''
Urban Cowboy
''Urban Cowboy'' is a 1980 American romantic Western film directed by James Bridges. The plot concerns the love-hate relationship between Buford Uan "Bud" Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy (Debra Winger). The film's success was credited for spur ...
'' soundtrack. Chris Neal of ''
Country Weekly
''Nash Country Weekly'' was an American lifestyle weekly magazine about country artists and their music. It was in circulation between April 1994 and May 2016. The publisher, Cumulus Media, now maintains the site ''Nash Country Daily''.
Overvie ...
'' thought that the album showed a greater musical variety than its predecessors, specifically noting the "spoken-word verses" of "Here I Go Fallin'", the "Hearts Against the Wind" cover, and the Wright duet as standout tracks.
Rick Cohoon of Allmusic cited the album's singles and the Wright duet as the album's best tracks, adding that "If any flaw can be found here it would be the band's choice not to experiment with new sound, but then again, why tamper with a good thing?"
Starting in 2001, the other members had noticed that Roe was having difficulty maintaining proper
pitch in concert. Although they did not want to confront him about it for fear of "bruis
nghis ego", they eventually convinced Roe of his problems by listening to concert recordings together. Roe also consulted unsuccessfully with vocal coaches and throat doctors at the
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is a medical provider with multiple hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, as well as clinics and facilities throughout Middle Tennessee. VUMC is an independent non-profit organization, but maintains acad ...
. The band attempted to cover up Roe's problems by removing certain songs from concert set lists, lowering the
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
on others, having Truman sometimes take the lead vocal, and using
pitch correction
Pitch correction is an electronic effects unit or audio software that changes the intonation (highness or lowness in pitch) of an audio signal so that all pitches will be notes from the equally tempered system (i.e., like the pitches on a piano) ...
software, but even these did not fully correct the issues. Finally, they consulted vocal coach Diane Sheets, a friend of Johnson's son-in-law. She determined that Roe was over-compensating for a small degree of
hearing loss
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to Hearing, hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to Language ...
typical of musicians who have performed live for long periods of time, thus tightening muscles in his throat and diaphragm and causing him to lose pitch. Although Roe was initially "cynical" toward Sheets's coaching, she was ultimately successful in restoring his voice.
2002–2007: ''Completely'', ''Can't You Tell'', and ''Greatest Hits II''
In 2002, Diamond Rio released its seventh studio album, ''
Completely''. The band originally conceived it as a double album, featuring traditional country on one disc and more pop-oriented country on the other, but according to Prout, this concept did not fully materialize because "country music has blinders on as far as what's acceptable – and what isn't", although Olander and Williams noted that the idea allowed them "more leeway in choosing songs".
In addition to earning a gold certification, it produced two consecutive No. 1 singles in "
Beautiful Mess" and "
I Believe",
the latter being the band's last single to top Hot Country Songs. Third single "
Wrinkles
A wrinkle, also known as a rhytid, is a fold, ridge or crease in an otherwise smooth surface, such as on skin or fabric. Skin wrinkles typically appear as a result of ageing processes such as glycation, habitual sleeping positions, loss of bo ...
" made Top 20, while the last single, "We All Fall Down" (also written by Steven Dale Jones), failed to reach top 40. Two of the album's tracks were previously recorded by other artists: "Make Sure You've Got It All", written by
Bill Anderson and
Steve Wariner
Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late 1 ...
, was originally recorded on
Collin Raye
Floyd Elliot Wray (born August 22, 1960) is an American country music singer, known professionally as Collin Raye, and previously as Bubba Wray. Under the latter name, he recorded as a member of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He made ...
's 1998 album ''
The Walls Came Down
''The Walls Came Down'' is the fifth studio album by American country music artist Collin Raye. The album's lead-off single, "I Can Still Feel You", was Raye's fourth and final Number One on the '' Billboard'' country charts. Other singles from th ...
'', and "If You'd Like Some Lovin'" by its co-writer,
David Ball, on his 1996 album ''
Starlite Lounge
''Starlite Lounge'' is the third studio album from American country music singer David Ball (country singer), David Ball. It was his second album for Warner Bros. Records and was released in 1996. The album produced the singles "Circle of Friends ...
''.
Rick Cohoon of Allmusic praised the album for its musical variety, saying, "With artists as well anchored in the business as Diamond Rio, the musical quality is a given. The real challenge is outdoing yourself and coming up with fresh concepts. The selections on this album seem to be the fruition of that search for musical renewal". He cited "Beautiful Mess" and "I Believe" as standout tracks.
Ray Waddell of ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' also thought that the singles were among the best tracks on the album, while highlighting the instrumental track "Rural Philharmonic" (which Olander had originally intended to record for a solo album
) as an example of the band's strong musicianship. Chrissie Dickinson of the ''Chicago Tribune'' was less favorable, commending the "masterful musicianship" and Roe's "light vocal timbre", while criticizing the song selections as "mostly a paint-by-numbers trip around the musical block, from the predictable power balladry of 'I Believe' to the saccharine sentiments of 'We All Fall Down.'"
A seventh album, tentatively titled ''Can't You Tell'', was recorded in 2003, but it was cancelled after its first two singles – the title track and "One Believer" – both failed to make Top 40 upon their releases in late 2004 and early 2005 respectively. Diamond Rio's second Greatest Hits package, ''
Greatest Hits II'', was released in 2006. Like their first Greatest Hits album, this compilation included several new songs as well as the band's greatest hits; one of these new songs, "God Only Cries", was released as a single, peaking at No. 30. Shortly after the album's release, Diamond Rio parted ways with Arista Nashville.
2007–present: New record label, ''The Reason'', and ''I Made It''
On August 31, 2007, Diamond Rio signed with
Word Records
Word Records is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records, and is a part of Word Entertainment. It is distributed by Warner Records (the former Warner Bros. Records).
History
In 1 ...
, a
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely around ...
label based in Nashville. Their first album for Word was a Christmas album entitled ''
A Diamond Rio Christmas: The Star Still Shines'', which they recorded in Olander's basement studio. Roe said in an interview with CMT that "we just didn't try to copy anybody else. We tried to make up our own arrangements." The group released its first
contemporary Christian
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
album, ''
The Reason'', on September 22, 2009. It earned the band three
Dove Award
A Dove Award is an accolade by the Gospel Music Association (GMA) of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the Christian music industry. The awards are presented annually. Formerly held in Nashville, Tennessee, the Dove Awards ...
nominations: Song of the Year for "God Is There", Country Song of the Year for the title track, and Country Album of the Year.
In 2014, Olander told ''
The Arizona Republic
''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...
'' that the group was no longer signed to Word Records and planned to release new material independently.
"I will say that I was proud of the material, but maybe it's not the best version of Diamond Rio," Olander told the publication. "We were kind of in a no-man's land. We didn't fit in with country radio and we didn't fit with Christian radio. It was something that wasn't fully realized."
The band began releasing records independently, starting with a live album in 2014 and following in 2015 with the studio album ''I Made It''.
Outside contributions
Diamond Rio has been featured on several projects featuring multiple country artists, including three
tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
s released between 1993 and 1994. The first was a cover of the
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
' 1975 hit "
Lyin' Eyes
"Lyin' Eyes" is a song written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and recorded in 1975 by the American rock band Eagles, with Frey singing lead vocals. It was the second single from their album ''One of These Nights'', reaching No. 2 on the ''Billboard ...
" for ''
Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles'', an album released in late 1993 via
Giant Records
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
which featured various country musicians covering that band's songs.
Diamond Rio had originally wanted to record the song for ''Love a Little Stronger'', but DuBois rejected the idea because he felt that they were not yet well-established enough to record a cover song on one of their own albums. The second was ''
Keith Whitley: A Tribute Album'', to which they contributed a cover of
Keith Whitley
Jackie Keith Whitley (July 1, 1954 – May 9, 1989) was an American country music singer and songwriter. During his career, Whitley released only two albums but charted 12 singles on the ''Billboard'' country charts, and 7 more after his death.
...
's 1986 hit "
Ten Feet Away", and the third was a cover of
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.
Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...
's "
Workin' Man Blues
"Workin' Man Blues" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Merle Haggard and The Strangers. It was released in May 1969 as the second single from the album '' A Portrait of Merle Haggard''. The song was released during ...
" for a tribute album entitled ''
Mama's Hungry Eyes: A Tribute to Merle Haggard''. This rendition, which featured guest appearances from
Lee Roy Parnell
Lee Roy Parnell (born December 21, 1956) is an American country music and blues artist, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Active since 1990, he has recorded eight studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot C ...
and
Steve Wariner
Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late 1 ...
(both of whom were also signed to Arista Nashville at the time), was credited to "Jed Zeppelin".
The song peaked at No. 48 on the ''Billboard'' country charts from unsolicited airplay, and was made into a music video.
In 1996, the band covered "
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
" for the multi-artist compilation ''
The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney
''The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney'' is an album featuring country music artists singing Disney songs. It was released on September 10, 1996 by Walt Disney Records. The album peaked at number 17 on the ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums c ...
'' and contributed the original song "Christmas Spirit" (which Powell and Roe co-wrote) to ''Star of Wonder: Country Christmas Collection'', a Christmas album featuring various artists on Arista Nashville's roster. A year later, Diamond Rio contributed a recording of the gospel standard "Walkin' in Jerusalem" to a compilation entitled ''Peace in the Valley: A Country Music Journey Through Gospel Music''.
Diamond Rio and
Collin Raye
Floyd Elliot Wray (born August 22, 1960) is an American country music singer, known professionally as Collin Raye, and previously as Bubba Wray. Under the latter name, he recorded as a member of the band The Wrays between 1983 and 1987. He made ...
also sang backing vocals on
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
' 2000 single "
He Will, She Knows". In 2002, the band was featured on country parodist
Cledus T. Judd
James Barry Poole (born December 18, 1964) is an American country music artist who records under the name Cledus T. Judd. Known primarily for his parodies of popular country songs, he has been called the "Weird Al" Yankovic of country music, and ...
's "Man of Constant Borrow", a parody of "
Man of Constant Sorrow
"Man of Constant Sorrow" (also known as "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") is a traditional American folk song first published by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally titled "Farewell Song" in a songbook ...
" on his album ''
Cledus Envy
''Cledus Envy'' is a 2002 album released by country music parodist Cledus T. Judd, released on Monument Records. It features "Leave You Laughin'", Judd's first serious song. Phil Vassar contributes a spoken line to the end of "Just Another Day in ...
''.
Jerrod Niemann
Jerrod Lee Niemann (born July 24, 1979) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has released one single for Category 5 Records (2006); three albums for Sea Gayle Music/Arista Nashville: ''Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury'' (2010), '' ...
's late-2017 album ''
This Ride
''This Ride'' is the sixth album by American country music singer Jerrod Niemann. It is his first release for Curb Records, and it was issued on October 6, 2017. The album includes the single " A Little More Love", a duet with labelmate Lee Brice.
...
'' features Diamond Rio on the song "I Ain't All There".
Some of the individual members have also contributed to songs by other artists. Roe sang duet vocals with then-labelmate
Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis and ex-wife of songwriter Bob DiPiero. Tillis recorded unsuccessful p ...
on "Love Is Only Human", a cut from her 1992 album ''
Homeward Looking Angel
Homeward Looking Angel is the third studio album by American country music artist Pam Tillis. The album was a #23 album on the Billboard charts. This album produced four singles for Tillis on the Hot Country Songs charts: the Top Five hits "Shake ...
''. Olander was featured along with bluegrass musicians
Carl Jackson
Carl Eugene Jackson (born September 18, 1953) is an American country and bluegrass musician. Jackson's first Grammy was awarded in 1992 for his duet album with John Starling titled "Spring Training." In 2003 Jackson produced the Grammy Award-wi ...
and
Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...
on the track "Hap Towne Breakdowne" from Steve Wariner's 1996 instrumental album ''
No More Mr. Nice Guy''. He also co-wrote
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...
's 2001 single "
I Lost It",
Marshall Dyllon's 2001 single "You", and the track "The Night Before (Life Goes On)" from
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood (born March 10, 1983) is an American singer. She rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of ''American Idol'' in 2005. Her single "Inside Your Heaven" made her the only country artist to debut atop the ''Bill ...
's 2005 debut album ''
Some Hearts
''Some Hearts'' is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Carrie Underwood, released in the United States on November 15, 2005, by Arista Nashville. The album contains the number one country singles "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Do ...
''. Truman co-wrote
Shane Minor
Shane Allen Minor (born May 3, 1968) is an American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 1999, Minor released his self-titled album that year, and it produced three hit singles on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & ...
's 1999 single "
Ordinary Love"; Minor would later co-write the band's hit "Beautiful Mess". In 2003, Truman and songwriter
Jason Deere
Jason Todd Deere (born December 19, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and music executive. He has written memorable songs for acts like Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, LeAnn Rimes, Jessica Simpson, Cory Marks, Jim Brick ...
co-founded the
Nashville Tribute Band, which has recorded three albums for missionaries of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
, of which Truman is a member. Roe, Johnson, and Williams sang backing vocals on
Josh Turner
Joshua Otis Turner (born November 20, 1977) is an American country and gospel singer and songwriter. In 2003, he signed to MCA Nashville Records. That same year, his debut album's title track, "Long Black Train", was his breakthrough single r ...
's 2006 single "
Me and God" (from the album ''
Your Man''), which also featured a guest vocal from bluegrass musician
Ralph Stanley
Ralph Edmund Stanley (February 25, 1927 – June 23, 2016) was an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing. Stanley began playing music in 1946, originally with his older brother Carter Stanley as part of ...
.
Musical stylings
In the country music industry particularly, record producers hire mostly
session musician
Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
s to record tracks for an album for both solo artists and bands, as opposed to
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
bands who record their own instrumental and vocal tracks on their albums. Diamond Rio has been one of few self-contained country bands to have followed the practice of each member playing their own instruments and singing their own vocals on all their albums themselves, without any additional input from outside musicians. The sole exception has been the inclusion of
string sections on some of their later work, starting with "I Know How the River Feels"
and continuing through certain tracks on ''One More Day'' and ''Completely''.
Their early music blended
neotraditionalist country
Neotraditional country (also known as new traditional country and hardcore country) is a country music style that emphasizes the instrumental background and a traditional country vocal style. Neo-traditional country artists often dress in the fash ...
with occasional traces of
country rock
Country rock is a genre of music which fuses rock and country. It was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal s ...
, primarily in the song's prominent
rhythm section
A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band.
The rhythm sec ...
s.
A
bluegrass influence has also been shown, primarily in the three-part harmonies among Roe (lead), Williams (baritone), and Johnson (tenor). Bluegrass influences are also shown in the band's prominent use of the
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
, as well as in the instrumentals featured on many of their earlier albums.
The band's later material has tended towards pop-oriented ballads, such as "I Believe" and "One More Day" – songs which received critical acclaim for their often religious-themed messages, but were considered departures from the more traditional material of their first four albums.
Another trademark of Diamond Rio's sound is the custom-built
B-Bender
A B-Bender is a guitar accessory that enables a player to fluidly alter the pitch of a guitar's B-string. This works by mechanically bending the B-string through the use of a series of levers and/or pulleys attached to an external lever that is ...
guitar played by Olander. He refers to this instrument as the "Taxicaster" because of its yellow body and black-and-white checkered
pickguard
A pickguard (also known more correctly as scratchplate) is a piece of plastic or other (often laminated) material that is placed on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument. The main purpose of the pickguard is to prot ...
, which give it the coloration of a
taxicab
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice ...
.
Awards
Diamond Rio received the
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
's award for Top Vocal Group in 1991 and 1992. In 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997, they also received the
Country Music Association
The Country Music Association (CMA) was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre. The objectives of the organization are to guide and enha ...
's award for Vocal Group of the Year (an award for which they received fifteen total nominations, more than any other country music group). In addition, Diamond Rio has received thirteen
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nominations. In 2010 they received three nominations for the GMA Dove Awards, and on April 22 won the award for Country Album of the Year. In 2011, they received their first Grammy Award in the
category for ''The Reason''.
Personnel
Members
;Current members
*Dan Truman – (born August 29, 1956; piano, keyboards)
*Marty Roe – (born December 28, 1960; lead vocals, rhythm guitar)
*Jimmy Olander – (born August 26, 1961; lead guitar, banjo)
*Brian Prout – (born December 4, 1955; drums)
*Gene Johnson – (born August 10, 1949; mandolin, fiddle, tenor vocals)
*Dana Williams – (born May 22, 1961; bass guitar, baritone vocals)
;Former members
*Larry Beard – lead guitar, fiddle, banjo
*Al DeLeonibus – piano
*Matt Davenport – bass guitar, lead vocals
*Danny Gregg – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
*Ty Herndon – vocals
*Ed Mummert – drums
*Jimmy "J. J." Whiteside – drums
*Anthony Crawford – vocals
*Virgil True – vocals
Discography
* ''
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American country music band. The band was founded in 1982 as an attraction for the Opryland USA theme park in Nashville, Tennessee, and was originally known as the Grizzly River Boys, then the Tennessee River Boys. It was foun ...
'' (1991)
* ''
Close to the Edge
''Close to the Edge'' is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes. It was released on 13 September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford. After scoring ...
'' (1992)
* ''
Love a Little Stronger
Love a Little Stronger is the third studio album by American country music band Diamond Rio. Released in 1994 on Arista Records, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million copies in the U.S. Four singles were released fr ...
'' (1994)
* ''
IV'' (1996)
* ''
Unbelievable'' (1998)
* ''
One More Day'' (2001)
* ''
Completely'' (2002)
* ''
A Diamond Rio Christmas: The Star Still Shines'' (2007)
* ''
The Reason'' (2009)
* ''I Made It'' (2015)
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Country music groups from Tennessee
Grand Ole Opry members
Musical groups established in 1982
Musical groups from Nashville, Tennessee
Word Records artists
Arista Nashville artists
Grammy Award winners
1982 establishments in Tennessee