Country Pop Bites: Diamond Rio – April 1

Did you know that on this day in Country Music History in 2002 Arista released Diamond Rio's "Beautiful Mess" to radio?

It may be April Fools, but it is true! Check out the video!

Here are 5 interesting facts about Diamond Rio.

• The band was originally composed of Marty Roe (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy Olander (guitar, banjo), Gene Johnson (mandolin, vocals), Dan Truman (keyboards), Dana Williams (bass), and Brian Prout (drums).
• Roe had already been touring professionally since age 12, when he was a member of Windsong, and Olander had previously worked with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Foster & Lloyd.
• The band first got together at Nashville's Opryland theme park, and spent the first part of the '80s performing bluegrass music there under the name the Tennessee River Boys.
• The future members of Diamond Rio joined one by one, and in 1986, they left Opryland to try their luck as a touring band. Dana Williams was the last official member to join in 1989, upon which point the band changed its name to Diamond Rio (taken from the side of a truck) and landed a contract with Arista.
• When they debuted in 1991 with the hit “Meet in the Middle,” Diamond Rio became the first group in the history of country music to have a debut single reach No. 1.