‘Catch of the Day’ – Zac Brown Band – “Roots” [AUDIO]

Today our featured group has proven in the past to be very eclectic with their music abilities, but has also proven, especially with their current album, when it comes to being country, no one has them beat. A group that started as two guys and a dog touring in a van, now are one of the most successful groups in country music today.

The Zac Brown Band has always ridden down the road less traveled, from the very beginning, when Zac Brown traveled the southeast with drummer Marcus Petruska and Zac's dog Pete, laying the foundation for what the band would become. As the number of dates grew, Zac added a bass player, and in 2003 he founded his own record label, Home Grown Records, later renamed Southern Ground Records. A year later, Zac and his father opened a restaurant and music club in Lake Oconee, GA, called Zac's Place. The restaurant was such a quick success, that developer purchased from Brown, allowing the singer to not only buy a tour bus, but to finance his first album, Home Grown, which was released in 2004.

As the band grew, so did it's success. Jimmy DeMartini was added as the group's violinist in 2004 and in 2005 John Driskell Hopkins stepped in to take over bass playing duties. Hopkins was asked to join when the band was recording what would

become their first number 1 single "Toes" in his Brighter Shade Studios, and he stepped in to play bass. In 2006, after the release of their major label debut album, The Foundation, Brown reconnected with an old college friend, Coy Bowles, who would join the band as a guitarist and keyboard player, after sitting in with the band at a show in Atlanta.

In 2008, the group found themselves in need of a drummer, So Brown reached out to his old network of music friends, and through that network, found drummer Chris Fryar, who had just found himself in need of a band after leaving a previous group. He auditioned and soon became the newest member of ZBB. 2009 saw the addition of multi-instumentalist and vocalist Clay Cook, who had previously played for John Mayer, Shawn Mullins and the Marshall tucker Band. Brown and Cook had gone to high school together, though never knew each other. They actually met on a music cruise in 2003, Brown got the opportunity to see Cook and immediately knew he needed him in the band.

In 2012, the band added percussionist Daniel de los Reyes, who had previously toured with Earth, Wind and Fire, Gloria Estefan and others, and then in 2014, the band became complete (for now) with the addition of bass guitarist Matt Mangano. The addition of Mangano allowed John Driscoll Hopkins to expand on his roll of bass player to add other stringed instruments including banjo, baritone guitar, ukulele, double bass and others.

In the years since the release of its debut album Home Grown in 2005, The Zac Brown Band has released 6 studio albums, 2 live album, a greatest hits compilation and 2 EPs. 22 singles have been released from these projects and they have resulted in 17 top-10 and 13 #1 hits on the country charts. Their 2015 album Jekyl + Hyde also resulted in a #1 colaborative single with Chris Cornell on the rock chart, resulting in the band having simultaneous chart toppers on the rock and country charts, as "Beautiful Drug" sat atop the country chart the same week that "Heavy is the Head" sat atop the rock chart. At the same time, a third single, "Junkyard" was peaking at #32 on the pop chart.

We have the second single from the group's most recent album Welcome Home in our spotlight today. Brought to you by All American Super Car Wash of Lawton, the Zac Brown Band and "Roots" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you're gonna want to hear it again.

Text today’s key word to 580 353-1013 and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a $25  gift card from All American Super Car Wash of Lawton, bringing you the Catch of the Day on Oklahoma’s Best Country, KLAW101.

Today’s Key Word: “ROOTS”