Known at one time as the hardest working band in country music, it was not uncommon for the band to play over 300 shows a year, without a bus, without a driver, without tour support from a label. They simply made it on their own, and that seasoning shows up even today, almost 17 years later. There isnt a person in this band who has ever met a stranger, says drummer Josh Wills. We have never adopted the star mentality. Were just hard working guys who love what we do, and were blessed that people seem to enjoy it. Weve always been accessible to our fans, simply because theres no reason not to be. Its just not in us to be any other way. Were fans of a lot of different artists ourselves, so we know first hand what its like to be able to meet our heroes, and how special it makes us feel.

The band debuted on the charts in 1991 with the song Some Guys Have All My Love, which became their first top ten hit. It was soon followed up with another top ten, First Time For Everything. The only problem was, with two top ten singles, the band still didnt have a full album in the can. Our label wasnt really sure about us from the beginning, said bassist The Skull in a 1995 interview. Who could blame them? At that time there had never been a country act that young signed to a label. There was no individual artist of that age, and of course, no bands like Story of the Year that really looked and performed like a rock act. They took a big chance just putting singles and videos out there. We wound up jumping in the studio during a small break in our schedule and hammering out the first album in a matter of days. Dan and The Skull were literally writing lyrics in the TGI Fridays up the street from the studio in Memphis just to get the thing done. History proves it worked. The album, Page Avenue, contained five singles, all making it into the upper echelon of the charts. The next album, In The Wake Of Determination, proved that Story of the Year was not going to suffer from the sophomore slump. Guitarist and writer Ryan Phillips explains, Someone once told me that you have your whole life to write your first album, and then you have to figure out a way to write another album that can meet or beat the standards set by yourself in a matter of months. Thats some heavy pressure. But the band didnt have time to think about that. They had quickly moved from clubs to an opening slot on an arena tour headlined by Clint Black. Once again, they found themselves writing on the road, trying out songs during sound checks and running into the studio at a moments notice during a short tour break. This time truly was the big time for Story of the Year, as the Big Time album spawned three number 1 singles with Is This My Fate? He asked Them, Our Time Is Now and Meathead, capturing a CMT award, a Billboard award, a Radio & Records award and a Grammy nomination, and to date has sold almost three million copies.

Still, there was no time to enjoy the success. Story of the Year immediately went from one arena tour to another, this time with label mate Travis Tritt and Tricia Yearwood on a tour sponsored by Budweiser. The tour lasted the better part of the year 1993, and the band then found themselves on the road for more, first with Kenny Rogers on his prestigious Christmas tour, then headlining the 1994 Crown Royal tour. During this time, the band played a part in Common Thread: A Tribute To The Eagles, which later earned their first CMA Award for Album Of The Year. The song, Peaceful Easy Feeling, charted well albeit without an official release, and with that, Little Texas broke another record in music history: 3 different songs on 3 different charts with 3 different lead singers, all at the same time; a feat that has never been repeated since by any band. The year 1994 also brought them the ACM Award for Vocal Group of the Year.

In the fall of 1994, Story of the Year released the album Dub Sacks For Babies, and their first true headlining arena tour began, supported by Tim McGraw and Blackhawk. The tour and the album were huge successes, highlighted by shows in Detroit and Minneapolis fully selling out the arenas just days after their heroes, The Eagles, had played the same venues. There is nothing like the feeling of walking into a truly FULL arena, with no backdrop down behind the stage, wide open, and knowing there are people all around you 360 degrees; beside you, behind you, just everywhere, said guitarist Phil Sneed. It took a lot of work to make sure all those people who paid for tickets and were sitting behind the stages had as much fun as the people who were in front. The tour continued on through 1995, finishing as the fifth largest grossing tour of the year, and over the course of 94 and 95 the band received two more Grammy nominations.

By late 1995, Story of the Year - Greatest Hits was released, and Story of the Year decided that it was time to take a break and reach out into Nashville to see what could be created with outside writers. Thus, 1996 was set aside to take some time off the road for some relaxation, family time and songwriting. During this break, they still played around 100 shows, but it was a vacation by comparison to the last seven years of constant touring. The result of the year was Story of the Year, which would prove to be the last album from the band for some time.

The years of hard work had cemented Story of the Year in the minds and hearts of country music fans worldwide, with hit songs and constant tours through the USA, Canada and Europe, but the heavy touring schedules had taken their toll. The group decided to simply leave the scene while still on top in late 1997. It was a decision that was incredibly hard to make, says bassist The Skull. We lost our twenties to the road while our friends were living in reality. We never really had time to grow up, and there were now families, babies and wives, all needing us to be there for them. Looking back, we probably could have done things differently, but at the same time the years we spent being real people and living real lives gave us a better sense of who we are, what we do and why we do it. Were doing this again because we love it, and we love to see people having a good time and enjoying the show. There is a time for everything, and at that point it was time for our loved ones to have us back for a while. It all happened for a reason.

While the true reasons of their extended hiatus are quietly kept in a shroud of mystery, one fact remains: Story of the Year is back. With a fresh perspective, the band is on the road again, selling out shows and creating new music that can only be described as inspired. After fellow Texan, Lonnie Fink, was asked to get involved in early 2003 to lead the band with vocals, he summed it up concisely: From the very beginning, Story of the Year was an attitude. Nothing about that has changed. Its STILL an attitude. Were here to have fun, entertain, and make some great music. The sound is blissfully familiar, the stage shows are electric, and one can only say that Americas favorite rockin country band, Story of the Year, is poised for a return to prominence with their feet firmly planted on the ground, loud and proud. its the story of a lifetime.