Everything you need to know about Lady A
Get to know one of the biggest country bands on the planet!
When it comes to country music groups, you don't get much bigger than Lady A. Since forming in 2006, the group have sold an estimated 18 million albums, achieved 11 Number 1 singles with their infectious songs, and won multiple Grammy, Billboard and CMA awards.
They've also completed a highly successful Las Vegas Residency, been guests advisors popular talent show The Voice and have been inducted into the iconic music institution, the Grand Ole Opry. Want to find out more about Lady A and their meteoric rise to the top? Keep on reading...
Who are Lady A?
Lady A are an American country music group formed in 2006 by Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood. The multi-award-winning group are best known for their flawless harmonies and relatable lyrics, which have helped them to produce multiple mega-hits such as 'Need You Now', 'American Honey' and 'Just A Kiss'.
Who is in Lady A?
Lady A has three members - lead vocalists Hillary Scott, lead vocalist and guitarist Charles Kelley and guitarist Dave Haywood, who also sings backing vocals and plays piano and mandolin in the group.
Where are Lady A from?
Lady A was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
How did Lady A get famous?
After moving to Nashville to pursue a career in music, school friends Charles and Dave met Hillary at a local club in 2006 and started to write songs and perform at dive bars together as Lady Antebellum. After being headhunted during one of their shows, the group signed a record deal with Capitol Records in July 2008.
Later that year, the group released their self-titled debut album which reached Number 1 on the Top Country Albums Chart and Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 200. The album sold 47,000 copies in its first week and they became the first country music group to have their debut album enter at the top of the Top Country Albums chart.
Lady A went on to win the Top New Duo or Vocal Group award at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards and were named New Artist of the Year at Country Music Association (CMA) Awards in 2008.
The following year the group released their second album, 'Need You Now' which catapulted them to even bigger heights. The album reached Number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and the US Top Country Albums charts and was awarded a Grammy for Album Of The Year.
Now with 9 albums under their belt, Lady A's latest studio album release was 2021's 'What a Song Can Do' - which debuted at Number 3 on the Billboard Country charts.
What was Lady A previously called?
Lady A was previously called Lady Antebellum. The group decided to change the name in June 2020 as the word has connotations with the slavery era and refers to the period and architecture in the US South before the Civil War.
The group originally came up with the name Lady Antebellum during their first photoshoot together in 2006 where they were pictured in front of an antebellum-style house.
Career highlights
During their career, Lady A have won the CMA Awards Vocal Group of the Year trophies three years in a row as well as five Grammy Awards including Best Album, Record Of The Year and Best Record.
Las Vegas residency
Lady A embarked on a 15-date Las Vegas residency, titled the 'Our Kind of Vegas' tour, at the Palms Casino Resort’s Pearl Concert Theatre in late 2019. The trio were the first country act to headline the venue and ensured that every performance was unique by re-ordering the set list and inviting guest songwriters to join them onstage.
Grand Ole Opry
In January 2021, Lady A were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, after playing at the legendary musical institute multiple times over the years. The country trio were officially invited to become members by singer-songwriter Darius Rucker during a taping for an upcoming NBC special celebrating the Opry's 95th anniversary.
LadyAID
Lady A have also established their own charity, known as LadyAID which offers support and brings awareness to numerous global initiatives, ranging from helping vulnerable children to societal and cultural issues to natural disaster aid and recovery. They have also established the LadyAID scholarship fund to support students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and to help empower Black communities across the U.S.
How many albums have Lady A released?
To date, Lady A have released nine studio albums: 'Lady Antebellum' (2008), 'Need You Now' (2010), 'Own the Night' (2011), 'Golden' (2013), '747' (2014), 'Heart Break' (2017), 'Ocean' (2019) and 'What a Song Can Do' (2021), as well as their Christmas album 'On This Winter's Night' (2012).
Take a look at some upcoming country tours in the UK in 2024:
Darius Rucker
'Wagon Wheel' Country legend Darius Rucker revealed last year that he would be adding UK dates to his epic 'Starting Fires' tour in 2024! The singer kicked off his stream of UK shows in Manchester on Saturday 27th April 2024, with Darius then performing in Newcastle, Birmingham, Bristol, London, Leeds, Glasgow and Dublin, before wrapping in Belfast on Saturday 11th May.
Buy tickets here!
Bailey Zimmerman
Another tour for the calendar in 2024 is none other than 'Never Comin' Home' legend Bailey Zimmerman, with his 'Religiously. The. Tour'. Fresh from the news that his debut 'Religiously. The Album.' broke the record for most streamed debut country album of all time, Bailey revealed that he will be taking the album on tour in 2024, playing a stream of UK dates from Thursday 9th May - Sunday 19th May, travelling through London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast.
Buy tickets here!
Kacey Musgraves
'High Horse' superstar Kacey Musgraves is heading on her 'Deeper Well World Tour' in 2024, bringing dates to the UK from May! Starting the string of dates in Glasgow on 9th May 2024, she'll perform in Manchester and Wolverhampton, then performing a date in London on 14th May!
Buy tickets here!
Brett Young
The one and only Brett Young will be heading across the pond in May 2024 on his EU/UK tour, performing in Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds and Belfast - not to mention his headline appearance at Highways Festival! Dates span from 15th-24th May 2024, with his headline Highways show taking place on Saturday 18th May.
Buy tickets here!
Highways Festival
Highways Festival is back in 2024! Exciting fans across the country, the news of the headline acts dropped on 4th December 2023 - revealing we can expect to see The Cadillac Three, Brett Young, The War And Treaty and many more take to the stage - with shows taking place at Royal Albert Hall, London, on Friday 17th & Saturday 18th May 2024! Other acts include Shane Smith & The Saints, Josh Ross and Tanner Usrey, and more!
Buy tickets here (from Friday 8th December)!
Taylor Swift
Global superstar Taylor Swift is bringing her 'Eras Tour' to the UK! If the tour name wasn't a big enough clue, the phenomenal shows will see Taylor play songs from all different 'eras' from her incredible career so far - including her country roots! Her string of UK dates begin on Friday 7th June 2024, with her playing shows throughout the whole month, before returning for a three-night stint at London's Wembley Stadium from 15th-17th August.
Buy tickets here!
Sheryl Crow
Grammy Award winning Sheryl Crow will be heading to the UK in 2024, performing four huge shows in June! Playing a headline show at The Piece Hall in Halifax on 13th June 2024, Sheryl will then play dates at Black Deer Festival in Kent (15th June), Nocturne Live in Oxfordshire (16th June) and a further headline show at Hampton Court Palace (18th June). The shows will follow the release of her highly-anticipated 11th studio album, titled 'Evolution'.
Buy tickets here!
Morgan Wallen
Record-breaking country star Morgan Wallen will be returning to the UK for another incredible show, performing as one of the headline acts at BST Hyde Park 2024. The famous London festival show will be taking place on Thursday 4th July.
Buy tickets here!
Noah Kahan
The incredible Noah Kahan is gifting us with two runs of tour dates this year, in both February AND August 2024! The 'Stick Season' star will began his first string of shows at Glasgow's OVO Hydro on Saturday 10th February, playing in Leeds, Cardiff and two shows in London, and is now set to return for another series of shows in August, which begin on Tuesday 13th in Manchester. The August shows will see him play shows in other cities including Newcastle and Birmingham, before returning to London for another two-night stint playing his incredible songs.
Buy tickets here!
The Long Road Festival 2024
August Bank Holiday 2024 will see the return of the three-day The Long Road Festival - celebrating the music, lifestyle and influences of Country! From Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th August 2024, the festival returns to Stanford Hall estate in Leicestershire with over 60 artists across five stages.
Buy tickets here!
Megan Moroney
The incredible Megan Moroney delighted country fans when she announced her UK & Europe tour dates! The 'I'm Not Pretty' singer will be heading to the UK in September 2024, beginning her string of dates in Cardiff on 4th, performing in Manchester, Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham and Cambridge - before finishing the run in London on 13th September!
Buy tickets here!
Chris Stapleton
October 2024 will see 'Tennessee Whiskey' legend Chris Stapleton head to the UK on his 'All-American Road Show' tour! The Country singer, famed for songs such as 'Daddy Doesn't Pray Anymore', 'Either Way' and 'Traveller' will playing a series of headline arena shows around the UK and Ireland, starting from 16th October 2024, including stops at Manchester's AO Arena, Glasgow's OVO Hydro, Dublin's 3Arena, Birmingham's Utilita Arena and London's The O2 - featuring special guest Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. The tour is in celebration of the singer's latest album, 'Higher'.
Buy tickets here!
Do Lady A write their own songs?
While Lady A are known for their fantastic songwriting abilities, the trio has been known to co-write some of their songs with other songwriters and artists. For instance, 'Need You Now' was co-written by the trio and songwriter Josh Kear, whereas the song 'Alright' from their 'Ocean' album was co-written with the late singer-songwriter Michael Busbee.
Who has Lady A written for?
Lady A have written songs for a number of artists during their career including Luke Bryan's 'Do I', Hunter Hayes' 'Better Than This' and Miranda Lambert's 'Love Song'.
The Lady A members have also written songs for others individually. Hillary shares a writing credit for Sara Evan's chart-topper, 'A Little Bit Stronger' and Charles co-wrote the hit song 'Homegrown Honey' for Darius Rucker.
In 2007, Lady A also co-wrote the song 'Miles Away' for the popular reality TV show, 'The Hills'.
Lady A’s most famous songs
Over the years, Lady A have released award-winning tracks that have bagged them top spots on the charts over and over. From well-known beats such as 'I Run To You' and their Grammy Award winning 'Need You Now', to melodic songs such as 'Ocean', you can check out some of the band's biggest and most successful tracks right here.
Are Lady A related?
No, the members of Lady A are not related to each other, but they do have some famous family connections. Hillary Scott is the daughter of Grammy-winning country star, Linda Davis and is married to Chris Tyrrell, who used to be the drummer for country group Love & Theft but now drums for Lady A.
Charles on the other hand is the brother of pop singer Josh Kelley who is best known for his top 10 hits, 'Only You' and 'Amazing'.
Lady A have had a fantastic career to date and show no sign of stopping anytime soon. We're already counting down the days until their new album is released later this year!
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