Country Group Changes Its Name, Apologizes

Lady Antebellum is now known as Lady A
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 11, 2020 12:20 PM CDT
Grammy Winners Change Group's Name, Apologize
Dave Haywood, from left, Hillary Scott, and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum at 2019 CMT Artists of the Year in Nashville. The group is now known as Lady A.   (Photo by Al Wagner/Invision/AP, FIle)

Fans of the country group Lady Antebellum must take note of a big change: The Grammy-winning trio has changed its name to Lady A, reports Pitchfork. The move is the result of the George Floyd unrest, the band explains in an online post. "When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the Southern ‘Antebellum’ style home where we took our first photos,” per the post. "But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery. We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen, or unvalued.”

The group out of Nashville is made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood. They first hit it big in 2008 with the Grammy-winning song "I Run to You," then hit it even bigger with another Grammy winner, "Need You Now," notes the AP. Because of the Floyd protests over the last few weeks, the group says its eyes have been opened to “blindspots we didn't even know existed" and to "the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced." (More country music stories.)

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