ARTIST

Big & Rich

Big & Rich formed in Nashville around 1998, when ex-Lonestar vocalist John Rich began collaborating with songwriter Big Kenny (real name: Kenny Alphin, a Music City cad who'd once led an outfit called luvjOi). The duo established a performers' roundtable at a local dive, and the event -- dubbed the Muzik Mafia -- soon gained a reputation for off-the-cuff eclecticism and notable special guests.

The Mafia nights continued over the next few years, running concurrently with solo material issued by both artists, until 2003, when Martina McBride recorded Alphin and Rich's song "She's a Butterfly" for her self-titled effort, and the duo landed a record deal of their own with Warner Bros.' Nashville outlet.

Big & Rich debuted in February 2004 with the "Wild West Show" single, its title track a bold and modern country-rocker displaying their unique high-low harmony vocals. When the "Horse of a Different Color" LP dropped later that spring, it salted its Nashville polish with Muzik Mafia irreverence.

Written by Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide