Big & Rich
John Rich and Kenny Alphin merged talents to create one of country music's most attention-getting duos – Big & Rich. The two met in 1998. John was fresh off a stint with the country group Lonestar, embarking on a solo country career. Meanwhile, Kenny had just launched a band called luvjOi on the heels of a failed solo record deal.
After three writing appointments scheduled for the duo went unmet, the two finally made an appointment at which they penned the song "I Pray for You," which John recorded as part of another solo endeavor that never saw the light of day. John and Kenny (a.k.a. "Big Kenny") persisted, became friends and continued as collaborators. Their weekly Tuesday night jam sessions at Nashville's Pub of Love became known as the Muzik Mafia.
As songwriters, they landed a cut on Martina McBride's self-titled album in 2003 with the song "She's a Butterfly." Soon after, they were signed to Warner Bros. Nashville as Big & Rich. The duo formally debuted in 2003 with the single "Wild West Show." In the spring of 2004, their debut album Horse of a Different Colorwas garnering attention. The album topped the Billboard country chart and produced the hit single "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy." In 2005, the duo released Comin' to Your City which included the poignant ballad "8th of November." The song's video was nominated for the Country Music Association's Video of the Year award in 2006.
Both Big Kenny and John have since pursued solo careers again. John co-wrote Gretchen Wilson's breakout hit "Redneck Woman" and her follow-up singles, "Here for the Party" and "When I Think About Cheatin'." His other hits as a songwriter include Jason Aldean's "Hicktown" and Faith Hill"s "Mississippi Girl." He also enjoyed solo success with his 2009 single "Shuttin' Detroit Down." Big Kenny released a solo album called The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy in 2009, which featured the single "Long After I'm Gone."
Big & Rich continue to tour and record as a duo.