They have 30 No. 1 hits, have sold 30 million albums and are
the soundtrack to every Friday night honkytonk, first kiss and
broken heart for the last 30 years. Fans sing the words to every
song in every set – and while many people have yet to know
their name, just about everybody can sing their songs.
THE FRONTMEN – comprised of three former lead singers,
Larry Stewart (Restless Heart), Richie McDonald (Lonestar) and
Tim Rushlow (Little Texas) – is country music's hottest new
supergroup. The men have already mastered the stage,
succeeded on radio and nightly take sold-out audiences on a
rollercoaster of 90’s nostalgic smash hits then transcend their
past hit parade with fresh new and original songs that are
unmistakably THE FRONTMEN today!
The group recently put their massive catalog of hits to work,
including "The Bluest Eyes in Texas," "Amazed” and "God
Blessed Texas," on tour with Alabama and kick-started the
Harley-Davidson crowd in Deadwood, South Dakota, at the 81st
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
"The thing about the three of us is we are better together than
each of us was by ourselves," McDonald said. "The beauty of
the show is that people can come and just sit there for two hours
and go, 'I sang along with every single song. I loved every one
of them.'”
“There is a common thread that runs through the songs we have
all recorded over the years that just fits like a glove,” Rushlow
added. “It is quite powerful and certainly is the soundtrack to all
of our lives.”
THE FRONTMEN's magic formula harkens back to some of the
biggest Rock groups of the 60’s and 70’s like The Doobie
Brothers, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles where multiple lead
singers like Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Don Henley have
separate careers but join to together to create a sum bigger than
its parts. They are a new act with a fresh sound but also an
arsenal of hits.
Tony Conway, manager of Alabama, had this comment about the
group: “The Frontmen is a group of some of the best voices in
the history of Country Music. Larry, Tim, Richie have each been
responsible for some of the greatest songs ever released. When
you take their stellar vocals on hits from Restless Heart, Little
Texas and Lonestar and put them together on one stage, you
have the originals along with being the best of the best, and a
new supergroup in the world of country music.”
"We have a great time," Larry Stewart says. "There's no egos.
We just enjoy doing it. It's easy for us to work together. We
know what to expect. It must've been meant to be.”
Stewart's Restless Heart launched in 1984 with their self-titled
debut album and went on to collect eight No. 1 hits and singalong
favorites, including "The Bluest Eyes in Texas," "I'll Still
Be Loving You," "Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right),"
"Wheels," "Fast Movin' Train" and "A Tender Lie." They were
named Top Vocal Group by theAcademy of Country Music in
1989.
Rushlow's Little Texas kicked off in 1991 with Top 10 hits
"Some Guys Have All the Love” and "First Time for
Everything," then followed up with its debut album of the same
name. Subsequent hits include"God Blessed Texas," "Kick a
Little," "My Love," "What Might Have Been" and "Amy's Back
in Austin." Little Texas won the Academy of Country Music's
Top Vocal Group in 1993.
McDonald joined Lonestar in 1992, and the group achieved nine
No. 1 songs, including: "No News,” "Come Cryin' to Me,"
"What About Now," "I'm Already There," "My Front Porch
Looking In," "Mr. Mom” and "Amazed" -- an eight-week No. 1
song and the most popular country song of 1999. "Amazed" was
the Academy of Country Music's Single and Song of the Year in
1999, and Lonestar was the Top Vocal Group for the ACM and
the Country Music Association in 2001.
During periods of downtime over the years, and THE
FRONTMEN organically built a concept they've been working
toward for more than a decade. McDonald and Stewart first
connected when they played a radio show in Louisiana.
McDonald broached the idea with Stewart: three lead singers,
one band and nothing but hits. Rushlow joined soon after, and
the trio went on an extended international tour of military bases.
The soldiers’ reaction affirmed what they already thought –
people want to hear their songs.”
It's these iconic songs that have been a part of people's lives over
the past 20 or 30 years, and we saw the effect that it had on these
men and women fighting for our freedom," McDonald said. "We
knew we had to do it.”
THE FRONTMEN played sporadic shows together over the
years while each continued with their various bands. When the
pandemic struck, McDonald reevaluated how he wanted to
spend his time. Stewart had recently stepped away from Restless
Heart, and Rushlow shifted focus to THE FRONTMEN. With
that, their side project became their main gig.
"We jumped in with both feet," McDonald said. "I always tease
Larry during the show and tell him, 'I grew up listening to your
music.' He'll laugh and say, 'Man, you make me feel really old.'
Larry and Restless Heart really opened the door for Lonestar and
Little Texas. We really respect one another. It's just a blast to be
on stage every night to sing our hits and, and to harmonize with
one another.”
Each man has a turn in the spotlight splitting vocal duties but all
three sing non-stop throughout the entire set showcasing
harmonies that only this combination of talent could achieve.
"Splitting the lead singing up keeps our vocal chords in tip top
shape for all the harmonies in the set," Stewart said. Audiences
receive a night of boot-scootin,' heart-popping nostalgia.
In 2023, THE FRONTMEN signed a major record deal with
BBR Music Group / BMG Nashville. Stewart, McDonald and
Rushlow, all major hit songwriters, released their debut album,
THE FRONTMEN, in early 2024 with multi-genre musical
heavyweight producer Mickey Jack Cones helming the project.
The Frontmen’s debut self-titled album features nine original
songs, as well as three Lonestar, Little Texas and Restless Heart
No. 1 hits, re-recorded Frontmen-style. The trio tag team lead
vocals throughout.
GRAMMY-nominated Cones had this to say about the group:
“Larry, Richie and Tim are icons in the industry whose voices
helped shape country music we know it. Not only are they three
of the most phenomenal vocalists in the genre, they are even
better humans. I couldn’t be more honored and enamored to be
working with them.”
With brand new fresh music and a combined massive catalog of
hits, and THE FRONTMEN are off to the races… again!