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{{Infobox Band
|Bild        = RascalFlatts.jpg
|Bildbeschreibung = Rascal Flatts, Crawford County Fair 2005
|Gründung     = 2000
|Auflösung    = 
|Neugründung  = 
|Genre        = Country
|Website      = 
|Besetzung1a  = Gary LeVox
|Besetzung1b  = Gesang
|Besetzung2a  = Joe Don Rooney
|Besetzung2b  = Gitarre
|Besetzung3a  = Jay DeMarcus
|Besetzung3b  = E-Bass
}}
Die '''Rascal Flatts''' sind eine US-amerikanische Country-Band.

Gegründet wurden sie von den Cousins Jay DeMarcus (* 27. April 1971 in Columbus, Ohio) und Gary LeVox (* 10. Juli 1970 in Columbus, Ohio). Später stieß Gitarrist Joe Don Rooney (* 13. September 1975 in Baxter Springs, Kansas) dazu.

== Bandgeschichte ==

Jay und Gary machten bereits im Familienkreis Musik, aber während DeMarcus sich 1992 der Christian-Music-Band ''East And West'' anschloss, ging LeVox einem bürgerlichen Beruf nach. 1997 ließ er sich überreden, ebenfalls ins Musikgeschäft einzusteigen. Als sie in der Begleitband von Chely Wright spielten, lernten sie Joe Don Rooney kennen. Als bei einem Auftritt von Jay und Gary ihr Begleitgitarrist ausfiel, sprang Joe Don ein, und die Rascal Flatts hatten sich gefunden.

=== Erfolge ===

Sie kamen beim Label ''Lyric Street'' unter und veröffentlichten 2000 ihr Debütalbum. Das Album ''Rascal Flatts'' und die erste Single daraus ''Prayin' for Daylight'' erreichten auf Anhieb Platz 3 der Country-Charts. Ihre musikalische Mischung aus Country, Pop und Rhythm and Blues machte sie auch für ein breiteres Publikum interessant und so konnten sie auch in den Pop-Charts Achtungserfolge landen.

Das Nachfolgealbum ''Melt'' war ihr erstes Country-Nummer-Eins-Album. Auch die Aufregung um kurze Nacktszenen im Video zur Single ''I Melt'', die sich erst nach Veröffentlichung einer bereinigten Version legte, tat ihrem Erfolg keinen Abbruch.

Mit dem dritten Album ''Feels Like Today'' konnten sie Platz 1 der Top 200, der offiziellen US-Album-Charts, erobern. Fast jede ihrer Singles erreichte die Top 10 der Country-Charts, fünf davon Platz 1, acht schafften es unter die Top 40 der Pop-Charts.

{{Infobox musical artist
|Name = Rascal Flatts
|Img = RascalFlatts.jpg
|Img_capt = Rascal Flatts in August 2005.
|Background = group_or_band
|Origin = Columbus, Ohio, USA
|Genre = Country pop
|Years_active = 1999-present
|Label = Lyric Street
|URL = [http://www.rascalflatts.com/ www.rascalflatts.com]
|Current_members = Jay DeMarcus<br />Gary LeVox<br />Joe Don Rooney
|Associated_acts = Dann Huff<br />Jeffrey Steele
}}

'''Rascal Flatts''' is an American Grammy Award-winning country music group founded in Nashville, Tennessee.<ref name="allmusic"></ref> Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox (lead vocals), Jay DeMarcus (bass guitar, vocals), and Joe Don Rooney (lead guitar, vocals).<ref name="allmusic"/> DeMarcus and LeVox are also second cousins.

Rascal Flatts has released five studio albums and a live compilation to date, all on Rascal Flatts'' and 2002's ''Melt'', have been certified 2&times; Multi-Platinum and 3&times; Multi-Platinum, respectively, in the United States, while 2004's ''Feels Like Today'' and 2006's ''Me and My Gang'' have received 5&times; Multi-Platinum and 4&times; Multi-Platinum certifications respectively. 2007's ''Still Feels Good'', their most recent album, is certified 2&times; Multi-Platinum.

To date, they have also released twenty-one singles on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Cars'', also entered the country music charts from unsolicited airplay.

==History==

Rascal Flatts began near Columbus, Ohio. Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus were second cousins from a musical family. Jay took his voice and instrumental skills (he plays guitar, bass, keyboards, mandolin, and others) to Nashville in 1992, earning his first record deal as part of a Christian group called East to West. In 1997, he finally convinced a reluctant Gary to leave behind his job with the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and follow his musical dreams as well.

Jay landed a gig in Chely Wright's band, and there he met Joe Don Rooney, who had nurtured his own dreams and talent in Picher, Oklahoma. Jay and Gary were working in a Printer's Alley nightclub, and when their part-time guitarist couldn't make it one night, Jay invited Joe Don to sit in. A few bars into the first song, they knew they had something special. They recorded some demos, which caught the favorable attention of Lyric Street Senior VP of A&R Doug Howard and led to musical history.

Through the years since, they have played on the [Grand Ole Opry], appeared on the soundtrack of CARS by recording the song “Revolution" for the Evan Almighty soundtrack. All have settled into happy married life--Gary has two daughters, Brittany, 7, and Brooklyn, 3--and all are committed to sharing their good fortune. To cite just one charity, they have donated $1.4 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.<ref>''[http://www.rascalflatts.com/site.php?content=biography RascalFlatts.com]''</ref>

Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts performed together at the 2007 Grammy Awards ceremony.<ref>No byline (2007-02-09), "Performances dwarf the awards". ''USA Today''</ref>

''Me and My Gang'' had the highest US debut of 2006, with 722,000 units in April.<ref>Christman, Ed (2006-10-07), "Million-Unit Question". ''Billboard''. '''118''' (40):7</ref>  The album spent 15 weeks as the number one album on the Billboard Country Chart and was the second-best selling album of 2006 (behind ''High School Musical'') with sales totalling 3.5 million by year's end.<ref name=tucker>Tucker, Ken (2007-08-25), "CAN RASCAL REPEAT?" ''Billboard''. '''119''' (34):20-22</ref>

Rascal Flatts appeared on Reba McEntire's album ''Duets'', which was released in 2007.

The name "Rascal Flatts" was suggested by someone who had a garage band by that name in the 1960s. "Rascal Flat" is the name of a geological formation near Catoosa, Oklahoma.

The band has an uncharacteristically young demographic (18-25) for country music (where the average listener is 44 years old). In September 2007, ''Weekly Reader'' Research (''Weekly Reader'' being a children's general-interest magazine) conducted a poll of more than 2,000 children and Rascal Flatts ranked as the sixth-most-popular act among ages 10-12.<ref>Mansfield, Brian (2007-09-28), "Young fans keep Rascal Flatts humming". ''USA Today''</ref>

==Touring==
Rascal Flatts has enjoyed financial success as touring artists.  They first had their own headlining tour beginning in Fall 2002, and by 2005 they were among the top 25 tours of the year, grossing $26.3 million in 777,384 tickets sold, according to Billboard Boxscore.<ref name=road>Waddell, Ray; Tucker, Ken (2007-08-25), "RASCAL ON THE ROAD". ''Billboard''. '''119''' (34):22</ref> Their follow-up tour in 2006 grossed $46.2 million, drawing more than a million people to 79 shows.<ref name=road/>  Rascal Flatts has the third-highest US country tour in 2007, grossing $34 million from 588,009 tickets sold.<ref>"THIS YEAR'S HIGHEST-GROSSING TOURS". ''People'', :16</ref> The group grossed $16.8 million dollars from their summer tour alone.<ref>Jones, Steve (2007-10-11) "Police excel at crowd control". ''USA TODAY''.</ref>

Rascal Flatts's shows are heavy on special effects, including videos, pyrotechnics and laser lights.<ref name=road/>

==Recording==
Nielsen reported that the band were the top selling artist in 2006: "Rascal Flatts was the biggest selling artist, with nearly 5 million physical album sales and nearly 4 million digital track sales."