Little Big Town, the country quartet known for tight harmonies, opens for Rodney Atkins tonight at Riverbend. This year marks the group’s 10th anniversary, even though they’ve only become radio regulars since the release of “Boondocks,” their first hit single from their 2005 CD, “The Road to Here.”
* Band members: Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook and Phillip Sweet.
* Making the band: Ms. Fairchild and Ms. Schlapman began singing together while students at Samford University. Ms. Fairchild moved to Nashville in 1994 and Ms. Schlapman followed in 1995. They invited Mr. Westbrook and Mr. Sweet to join them in a band in 1998. In the past two years, Ms. Fairchild and Mr. Westbrook married, and Ms. Schlapman and Mr. Sweet became parents.
* New label: In April, LBT signed with Capitol Records Nashville.
* Discography: “The Road to Here,” released in 2005, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Album and a second Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for “Boondocks.” In addition to “Boondocks,” three other singles broke the Top 20: “Bring It On Home,” “Good as Gone” and “A Little More You.”
“I’m With the Band,” their first single from new CD “A Place To Land,” celebrates the connection between fans and singers. Their current hit is “Life in a Northern Town,” a collaboration with Jake Owen and Sugarland, which the three artists performed while touring together.
n Fan comment: “They harmonize so well considering there are so many of them. They are all gifted. My favorite Little Big Town song is ‘I’m With the Band,’ and I like their new one with Sugarland, ‘Life in a Northern Town,’ because Sugarland is one of my favorite bands as well.” — Caren Travis of Ringgold, Ga.
Sources: FrontPage Publicity and Internet sites
Susan Palmer Pierce is a reporter and columnist in the Life department. She began her journalism career as a summer employee 1972 for the News Free Press, typing bridal announcements and photo captions. She became a full-time employee in 1980, working her way up to feature writer, then special sections editor, then Lifestyle editor in 1995 until the merge of the NFP and Times in 1999. She was honored with the 2007 Chattanooga Woman of ...
