Before “Prayin’ for Daylight”, Start of Rascal Flatts, and Many More

Once in our life, we experience relationship break ups; or to make it lighter, left for a reason. We curl up in bed and spend lonely days and nights. More frequently, we listen to sad mellow songs, because somehow they get away with our feelings. Yes, we can still be upset. But, why not try to listen to an upbeat break up song? Don’t you think it will lighten the mood? Ironic. Mourning in joy, maybe?

Timely, “Prayin’ For Daylight” by the country-rock group, Rascal Flatts, is the song for you.

Before Their First

Rascal Flatts’ launch was at Fiddle and Steel Guitar Bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Gary Levox and Jay DeMarcus re second cousins both belonging to a musical family. Also, DeMarcus was producing Michael English’s album ‘Gospel’’ that time. He called LeVox, and persuaded him to come to Nashville and arrange for some harmonies. They fixed the album together, and became English’s tailback band. On the other hand, DeMarcus was a lead to Chely Wright’s band, where he met Joe Don Rooney, the guitarist in that band. DeMarcus and LeVox invited Rooney to join them when their part-time guitarist could not make it one night. That night, the three sang the hit “The Church on Cumberland Road” by Shenandoah.

That was the start of a bond. Calling themselves Rascal Flatts.

Best of Their First

“Prayin’ for Daylight” was their lead-off single in their first titled album ‘Rascal Flatts’. In the early 2000, the group prepared its entrance on the three-song demo. Lyric Street had Rascal Flatts sign a contract and immediately issued the song.. It reached No. 3 on the Billboard country charts aGary LeVox recollected that it was originally just a demo, which was on hold for somebody else. He added,

“And our producers at that time said, ‘Hey, you know what … let’s just take this song and work with it, see what we can do.”

Later did they know, it was the start of a life changing decision for them. Completely, it helped land the trio their first record deal. Singer Mila Mason, recommended the group to record producers Mark Bright and Marty Williams, who played Lyric Street records A&R Doug Howard a three-song demo that get them contracted to Lyric Street in the late 1999. Howard, Lyric Street executive, said in an interview with HitQuarters,

“The vocals and harmonies, it was all there—I was just blown away. The lead singer has such a unique and compelling voice”.

The music is cheery, but the storyteller expounds that since his lover left him, he has been incapable of sleeping. He pleads her to come back so he could end the lonely nights of prayin’ for daylight.