Lady A is an American country music group that consists of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood. The group was formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006, and originally went by the name Lady Antebellum. The group changed its name to Lady A in 2020, amid the George Floyd protests, to avoid the association with slavery and the Antebellum South. However, the name change sparked a legal dispute with a black blues and gospel singer Anita White, who had been using the name Lady A for more than 20 years.
Lady A has released seven albums for Capitol Nashville: Lady Antebellum, Need You Now, Own the Night, Golden, 747, Heart Break, and Ocean. The group has also released one Christmas album (On This Winter's Night) and one album for Big Machine Label Group: What a Song Can Do (Chapter One). The group's albums have produced several hit singles on the country and pop charts, such as "I Run to You", "Need You Now", "Just a Kiss", "Bartender", "You Look Good", and "What If I Never Get Over You" . The group's most successful song is "Need You Now", which won four Grammy Awards in 2011, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Lady A's name suggests a group obsessed with tradition. But in fact, the trio is one of the most progressive in Nashville. "Lookin' for a Good Time," a bouncy bar song with crunching guitars, deserves to be on a mixtape with Deep Blue Something and Matchbox Twenty, while the slightly more ominous "Bartender" bumps a banjo riff off a syncopated R&B beat. On ballads like "Just a Kiss," Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott wrap their voices together and then let them fall apart as a sweeping string section scores their affair. Click to Listen.
Lady A has been praised for its harmonious vocals, catchy melodies, and diverse musical styles. The group has also been recognized for its collaborations with other artists, such as Darius Rucker, Jim Brickman, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and Thomas Rhett . The group has won several awards and accolades, including seven Grammy Awards, nine Academy of Country Music Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, and six Billboard Music Awards.
Lady A is one of the most popular and influential groups in country music today. The group has sold more than 18 million albums and 34 million singles worldwide. The group has also performed at various venues and events, such as the Grand Ole Opry, the CMA Fest, the CMT Music Awards, and the American Music Awards.