Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio celebrated their 25th anniversary winter of 2014 with the launch of a live album of their greatest hits.
Dan Truman, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Marty Roe formed the band in 1984.
Truman and Roe’s original bluegrass group was named the Tennessee River Boys. Jimmy Olander and Gene Johnson joined the group a year after. Brian Prout and Dana Williams joined later. They changed the band’s name to Diamond Rio. The name Diamond Rio came from truck manufacturer Diamond Reo, a merger of two truck manufacturers, Diamond T and Reo (the latter of which became misspelled in the band’s name).
Tim DuBois, a record executive at Arista Records, discovered the band and signed them to a record deal in May 1989. Due to serious health issues afflicting three of the band members (Olander, Williams, and Johnson), the band debuted their first single in 1991. “Meet in the Middle” reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts, making Diamond Rio the first country music group in history to reach the top spot with a debut single. “Meet in the Middle” was followed by 32 more chart singles throughout the band’s career, including four more number ones: “How Your Love Makes Me Feel” (1997), “One More Day” (2001), “Beautiful Mess” (2002), and “I Believe” (2003).
Diamond Rio has recorded nine studio albums, two Greatest Hits compilations, and an album of Christmas music. The band has sold over 10 million albums earning three platinum and five gold records. Diamond Rio won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year award four times, two Academy of Country Music Awards in the top Vocal Group of the Year category, and thirteen Grammy nominations. The band has been inducted into the Grand Ol’ Opry.
Follow Diamond Rio
Recent Posts
Mormon Artists Taking Nashville Tennessee by Storm
The city of Nashville, Tennessee, is best known as Music City or the “Music Capital of the World.” From its earliest beginnings, the common thread that has connected the life and soul of the city and people of Nashville, Tennessee, is music. In the late 1700s, after...