4 Country Artists Who Got Their Start in Rock Bands

Country music might hold some similarities to rock music, but the genres are really quite different. So it might be surprising that these four country artists actually got their start by singing in rock bands first.

Vince Gill

A member of both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame, Vince Gill is one of the true living legends in country music. But before releasing his debut The Things That Matter solo album in 1985, Gill was part of the rock band, Pure Prairie League. He remained with Pure Prairie League for a few years, until joining Rodney Crowell’s band, the Cherry Bombs.

Fortunately for country music fans, Gill ultimately made the move to Nashville, becoming a country music icon. But he still remains part of rock music. Since 2017, he has been part of the Eagles, filling the spot left vacant when Glenn Frey passed away.

Martina McBride

Martina McBride has one of the most distinctive voices in country music. Known for her powerful vocals on songs like “Broken Wing”, “Independence Day”, and others. McBride first fronted a rock band, while still living in Kansas.

Called The Penetrators, the group performed all around Wichita. Although the band didn’t last, it did lead her to her husband, John McBride. The Penetrators needed rehearsal space, renting from McBride. Sparks flew, and the two married, later moving to Nashville to pursue their own careers.

Kristian Bush

Kristian Bush is not only a gifted singer and songwriter, best known for his work with Sugarland, but he’s also a country music producer. Working with Megan Moroney since the beginning of her career, Bush got his start with a band called Billy Pilgrim.

Based out of Atlanta, Bush formed Billy Pilgrim with Andrew Hyra. For ten years, beginning in 1991, Billy Pilgrim released several albums and singles, gaining in popularity as they performed. While Bush, who also performed on his own, was a regular at Eddie’s Attic in Georgia, he met then-rising singer-songwriter Jennifer Nettles. In 2004, Sugarland’s debut album, Twice The Speed Of Life was released.

Darius Rucker

In a now well-known story, Rucker left his award-winning Hootie & The Blowfish band to pursue a solo career in country music. The career, which includes platinum-selling albums, hit singles, and a Grand Ole Opry membership, is by any measurement a massive success.

Grateful, Rucker reveals that his first goal was always to make country music, after hearing Radney Foster’s Del Rio, TX 1959 album. Unfortunately, his Hootie & the Blowfish bandmates were focused on rock instead.

“I was like, ‘This guy just took me to a whole new level.’ I’d say, ‘Let’s try to play some country,’” Rucker recalls on Circle Country. “And you know, they didn’t want to. We put a couple of songs on the record, but nobody wanted to really. So, we went and did the rock and roll thing. But I always said I was going to do a country record if I ever got a chance. And one day, I got a chance.”