The country band announced a farewell tour for January 2020, but that didn’t happen due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rascal Flatts could soon return to the highway.
Jay DeMarcus, Joe Don Rooney, and Gary LeVox were set to tour the country on a farewell curtain-call, “Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is A Highway Tour.” But “unforeseen” circumstances prevented them from performing.
Allison DeMarcus, Allison’s wife, said that COVID was the reason the band cancelled their farewell tour. She also explained that the pageant was cancelled because of COVID. She oversees the organization that provides scholarships grants for young women.
She jokingly said that Jay has started a new band called Generation Radio. But he will have to go back to making music. It’s what he loves and it’s not expensive.
The supergroup was founded in 2020 with the mission of “bring ’80s music and classic songs back to life.” It includes DeMarcus, a two-time Grammy Award winner; Jason Scheff (long-time lead singer for Chicago); and Steve Ferrone (drummer for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers).
Chris Rodriguez and Tom Yankton are also there, having played with Garth Brooks and Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Loggins and Reba McEntire.
The Flatts were faced with another hurdle when the “Bless the Broken Road”, hitmakers, announced that they would give it one more try before giving up. The pandemic that decimated live music venues meant that the train didn’t leave the station. Rooney quit unexpectedly and the train continued on to its destination. This decision still bothers LeVox, who spoke to Fox News Digital in October.
LeVox stated, “I wasn’t happy Joe Don quit,” adding that his departure from the band “kinda came out of nowhere.”
It was almost like I couldn’t understand it all. The pandemic that decimated everything was a disaster. It was horrible. It was a terrible decision that we did not get to take this farewell tour. It just feels like there is no closure to something we have been so fortunate with. It will always be in me.”
Rooney continues to be involved in the recording industry by collaborating with emerging artists. In September, Rooney was arrested in Nashville for DUI after his car ran into a tree.
Despite the difficult battle that the Flatts have seen in recent years Allison was positive.
She stated that she believes the band will reunite once more because they are all still friends and business partners and they have had such a strong run.”
The “Reel Foods” host, for her part is focused on the pageant scene. Fox News Digital shared the news with her that $150,000 will be awarded in scholarships during the national pageant week, which began May 4, in Jackson, Tenn.
It ends with the Miss Volunteer America Pageant on May 7, when 47 young women from all over the country compete for the top honors. The national titleholder will win $50,000 in scholarships, while the rest $100,000 will be awarded to runners-up, semi-finalists, semifinalists, and state titleholders.
Since April 1, 2022, the Volunteer Pageant system has produced state titleholders across the country. There have been over $500,000 worth of college scholarships awarded at the state level. Allison stated that her goal is for the pageant’s international success to award $1 million annually in scholarships.
She said, “We are almost there.” Let’s face the facts, education doesn’t get any more affordable. We are able to offer these young women experiences that will change their lives in a major way.
Allison said that she gets less sleep than she does with her ventures, but she had not slept in the days leading up to the pageant. Allison said, “I have so much amazing people around me that I can call on at a moment’s notice and they help me create so numerous opportunities for young girls to chase their dreams forward and their education.”
She has made her own pageant career as Miss Tennessee Teen USA 1994, Miss Tennessee 1999, Miss Tennessee USA 2002. However, she said that she couldn’t have imagined the path she would follow.
