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Gary LeVox reveals there’s more to the story of Rascal Flatts’ breakup than fans knew

By Carena Liptak Oct 8, 2021 | 4:30 PM


Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Headed into 2020, Rascal Flatts made an announcement that left fans stunned: After 20 years together, they planned to call it quits.

The trio intended to go out on a high note and planned a massive farewell tour that was supposed to keep them busy through the year, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel those dates, and at this point, they haven’t announced any plans to reschedule.

In a new interview with People, lead singer Gary LeVox admits he’s disappointed that the band’s final year together fizzled out the way it did. “I hate the way that it ended. I hate that we didn’t get to do this farewell tour. I can’t stand the fact that it just feels there’s no closure with something that we’ve been so blessed with,” he says.

But that’s not the only thing that upsets Gary about Rascal Flatts’ breakup, the singer goes on to say. When they first announced the split, the band mates presented a united front, saying that all three of them — Gary, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney — mutually agreed that it was time to pursue separate endeavors. Now, Gary reveals, things weren’t quite that simple.

“I wasn’t happy that Joe Don quit,” he states. “It kind of came out of nowhere. It was like, ‘Let me try to wrap my head around this.’”

In the wake of the split, Gary moved on. He’s since released music as a solo artist, including a faith-based EP called One on One. After adjusting to life without Rascal Flatts, the singer says he’s happy to be doing what he’s doing these days.

“I’m just going to stay on my path,” the singer says of his current career focus. “I know what I’m supposed to do, and I love it.”

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