The Rascal Flatts represented an iconic era in country music for over twenty years. Iconic hits like “Life is a Highway” and “My Wish” still come to mind when people think of chart-topping country music.
In early 2020, the band announced that they would be embarking on their Farewell: Life is a Highway tour to celebrate two decades of music. The tour was supposed to take the band from coast to coast, playing their greatest hits for the fans that they meant so much to.
Unfortunately, the tour was canceled due to the pandemic and the band was unable to play their final shows together. At the time, they gave no particular reason for ending their time together as a band. However, the former lead singer Gary LeVox opened up to People in 2021 about the band’s split.
According to LeVox, Joe Don Rooney’s departure from the band pushed the trio toward a breakup. He went on to say that he was disappointed that they had to cancel the tour and shared “I can’t stand the fact that it just feels there’s no closure with something that we’ve been so blessed with. That will always be in my heart.”
More recently, Rooney’s divorce depositions from 2021 were made public. The depositions included conversations from both Ronney, LeVox, and bassist Jay DeMarcus not only about the divorce, but about the band’s split.
People reports that Rooney wanted to leave the band in order to spend more time with his family. In his deposition, DeMarcus shared that all of the bandmates had quit at one point or another, and Rooney just had the guts to point out they were all burnt out and needed time for themselves and their families.
“[Rooney] shared with us that he wasn’t sure he had the energy or the emotional energy to deal with some of the things we had been dealing with on an ongoing basis,” said DeMarcus.
Despite the split, fans continue to take to the internet to share their enjoyment of the band’s music. And if you ever miss them, their rendition of “Life is a Highway” in Cars is only a stream away.