Big and Rich

Big and Rich are a popular country music duo who formed in 1998. The founding members, John Rich and Kenny Alphin (known as Big Kenny), came together after writing lyrics for other country music artists. Their collaboration eventually led to a record deal.http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wzfexqyaldde~T1

Former Nashville Star contestant Jared Ashley filed suit against John Rich in May of 2009, claiming that Rich assaulted him. Rich turned himself into police on May 28th and was charged with assault and harassment. He was released on $2,000 bail. Rich denies the assault allegations.http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b126384_countrys_john_rich_charged_in_nashville.html

Ken Alphin (more commonly known as Big Kenny) and John Rich form the country duo Big and Rich. http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/big_rich/bio.jhtml John Rich used to be in the country group Lonestar. Rich, the son of a preacher, was dating a girl back in 1998 who wanted to go see some guy named Big Kenny who was playing in a Nashville club. Rich decided to tag along, met Big Kenny, and their lives and country music was changed forever. http://www.bigandrich.com/bio The second song they wrote together, called 'I Pray For You', was to be Rich's first single from a solo album he was about to put out. Unfortunately, for Rich, though, his record label dropped him before the album could be released. http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/big_rich/bio.jhtml

Big and Rich's initial big break came in 2003, when country singer Martina McBride recorded 'She's a Butterfly' for her self titled album. Big and Rich were signed to Warner Bros. Nashville soon after. http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/big_rich/bio.jhtml

Big Kenny and Rich, started to have a Tuesday night jam session at a local establishment called the Pub of Love. These casual sessions, which also included other singer-songwriters, gained the moniker Muzik Mafia. This was back in 2001 and included country stars such as Gretchen Wilson and Cowboy Troy and many others. http://new.music.yahoo.com/big-rich/biography/

By spring of 2004, Big and Rich released their debut album ‘Horse of a Different Color’, and from the opening track, ‘Rollin’,” it was obvious that Big and Rich were not your typical country act. With the rock n roll chugging riff, the song segues into a middle part performed by Cowboy Troy, a country/rap artist who lends his hip-hop chops to the song.

‘Horse of a Different Color’ hit number one on the Billboard country charts and made it all the way to number six on Billboard 200. http://www.billboard.com/artist/big-rich/592506#/artist/big-rich/bio/592506

• 2004: Horse of a Different Color"
• 2005: Comin' to Your City"
• 2007: Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace"

• 2004: "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)"Allmusic: Big and Rich Singles
• 2004: "Holy Water"Allmusic: Big and Rich Singles
• 2005: "Big Time"Allmusic: Big and Rich Singles
• 2005: "8th of November"Allmusic: Big and Rich Singles
• 2007: "Lost in This Moment"Allmusic: Big and Rich Singles ·

"I was raised in Amarillo, Texas, which is in the panhandle of Texas and is flat as a board, windy, farmers, cowboys - real ones!" —John Richhttp://magazine.angrycountry.com/article.php?story=20050315164326110

"I was raised a corn fed - farm raised country boy... my dad is a cattle farmer; so I was brought up working on a farm, since as young as I can remember." —Big Kennyhttp://magazine.angrycountry.com/article.php?story=20050315164326110

Big and Rich have three original albums under their belt. After ‘Horse of a Different Color’, they released Comin’ To Your City in 2005 and followed that with Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace in 2007. They also released a greatest hits package in 2009. http://www.bigandrich.com/music/Album?page=1

Their musical output reaches far past the Big and Rich band, though. Besides writing and/or producing for a wide range of artists including Gretchen Wilson, Faith Hill, and Randy Owen, (former frontman for the country group Alabama), they’ve also recorded their own solo albums, as well. http://www.johnrich.com/index.php?page=articles

In 2009, John Rich released an album called Son of a Preacher Man, while Big Kenny followed suit with The Quiet Times of a Rock n Roll Farmboy later on the same year. http://www.bigandrich.com/music/Album