Rascal Flatts prepares to split

Hannah Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

The beloved country trio, Rascal Flatts, officially announced their 2020 Farewell: Life is a Highway Tour and plan to call it quits to the band after 2020. Members Joe Don Rooney, Jay DeMarcus and Gary LeVox have played music together for 20 years when the band was founded in 2000.

The performers haven’t revealed any definite reason for the split, however it is all on good terms. The band has been able to bring country music smooth-pop textures, arena-rocking energy and faithful positivity, impacting countless people along their journey. Some of their most popular songs include: Life is a Highway, What Hurts the Most, Bless the Broken Road, Back to Life, and I like the Sound of That.

Demarcus tells host Gayle King, “We make music and that’s what we do,” “We may do it again someday collectively. We’re not gonna sign some pact that says we’re never gonna tour again or anything like that. We all still love each other. But we do make music, and we’ll probably make some music maybe individually. Collectively, who knows what the future…”

The band has been able to create lifelong friendships supporting each other’s solo careers. Back in 2019, DeMarcus dropped a memoir focusing on his personal life rather than the band as a whole. LeVox and Rooney were able to support their bandmate with enthusiasm and excitement.

“You know what, I think it’s phenomenal,” Rooney said in mid-2019. “We’re really proud of Jay. To open up and share things with the outside world, that don’t know what’s going on with you and your inside world — it’s brave and it’s bold.”

Speculation among the media has come to believe that this isn’t a goodbye from Rascal Flatts. It is believed that we will still see more of these brilliant performers supporting one another in a new way.

“I don’t think we’ll ever be one of those bands that can’t play and [doesn’t] make music together somehow,” DeMarcus said at the time. “And it may be years from now, when we’re just doing the Opry a few times a year and [we’re] old men sitting on our porch, sitting around playing with guitars.”