Today's Catch of the Day comes from a duo whose resume' includes writing and producing for acts like James Otto and Gretchen Wilson, solo top 40 singles, soundtracks for movies such as Footloose and a founding member of Lonestar. And, oh yeah, they are also founding members of the Musik Mafia.

Big & Rich perform at NBA All-Star Game
Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images
loading...

Kenny Alpin and John Rich, better know as Big & Rich, came together in 1999 as songwriters, after Alpin left Hollywood Records as a solo artist and Rich was "asked" to leave Lonestar, a band he helped found in 1992 as Texassee.

Rich played bass and was a second lead vocalist behind Richie McDonald. In 1998, just after the release of Lonestar's second albumCrazy Nights, Rich was fired by the band for unspecified reasons.

Big & Rich - 2013 CMT Music Awards
Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Wonderwall
loading...

Shorty after, the pair met in a club and began writing songs together. Some of the first songs to come out of the pairing were "Amarillo Sky" which would soon after be recorded by McBride and The Ride (Jason Aldean would later cover the song and take it to #5 on the Country charts) and "She's A Butterfly" which would be recorded by Martina McBride. Even though they were still recording as solo artists, the pair founded the consortium know as the Musik Mafia (an acronym for Musically Artistic Friends in Alliance), which consististed of Alpin and Rich, along with Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy and James Otto (Rich's brother in law).

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
loading...

The roundtable would write, perform live and produce as a unit, catching the attention of Warner Brothers Nashville Records, who would release Big & Rich's debut album Horse of a Different Color. The album produced 3 top 20 singles, including the pair's breakout, signature song "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy", which they debuted at the 2004 ACM Awards.

loading...

 

In 2014, 5 albums and 10 years later, Big & Rich released their latest project, the album Gravity. The album has already produced one top 10 single, "Look At You." The second single from Gravity is today's Catch. Your Catch of the Day for today is Big & Rich with "Run Away With You", new music you haven't heard, but you will be hearing again...

More From KLAW-FM