Grammy-winning country group Lady Antebellum is changing its name to Lady A, with members saying they are ‘regretful and embarrassed’ for not taking into consideration the word’s association with slavery.
The band, made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, made the announcement Thursday on their social media.
The statement said their name was inspired by the antebellum-style home where they shot their first band photos, and it reminded them of Southern styles of music.
The ‘antebellum south’ refers to the pre-Civil War period in the Southern United States between 1830-1860 when slavery was practiced.
It was known as a time of economic growth in the region, largely due to its heavy reliance on slaves.
The band, who has used the name since 2006, said they felt compelled to make the change after the past few weeks opened their eyes to ‘blindspots we didn’t even know existed’.
‘After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word “antebellum” from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start,’ they said.
‘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.
‘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.’
Scott, 34, Kelley, 38, and Haywood, 37, all grew up in the south and formed Lady Antebellum in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006.
Kelley and Haywood met in middle school in Augusta, Georgia before moving to Music City, where Scott was raised.
In what appeared to be in reference to the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd and the ensuing race protests, the band said they have ‘watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks.’
Adding: ‘Our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day.’
The group stated that the change of band name was their way of a commitment to ‘practice antiracism.’
They also addressed the timing of their decision, saying: ‘we can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it and take action.’
‘We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning – to grow into better humans, better neighbors,’ they added.
Our next outward step will be a donation to the equal justice initiative through Ladyaid. Our prayer is that if we lead by example…with humility, love, empathy and action.’
‘We can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children and generations to come.’
The group’s first self-titled album came out in 2008, and included the Grammy-winning No. 1 country hit I Run To You, then it achieved crossover success on the pop charts with the nine-times platinum Need You Now.
They won three Grammys for that song, including Record of the Year. They have also won numerous Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards during their nearly 14 year career.
Lead singer Hillary Scott is the daughter of country music singer Linda Davis, while guitarist Charles Kelley is the brother of pop singer Josh Kelley.
Scott previously revealed that said she was rejected from auditions for American Idol twice, not even making it past the first round, before forming the band.
The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman’s single Never Alone, before signing to Capitol Nashville and releasing six albums, the first three of which were all certified platinum or higher.
Their albums include Lady Antebellum, Need You Now, Own the Night, Golden, 747, Heart Break and Ocean, and one Christmas album, On This Winter’s Night.