The country trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum have changed their name to just Lady A, they announced on Thursday (June 11). Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood made the announcement on social media.
They addressed their fans before writing the letter that started, “As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge…inclusive of all. We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases Black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day.”
“After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word ‘antebellum’ from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start. ”
“When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the southern “antebellum” style home where we took our first photos. As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that influenced us…Southern Rock, Blues, R&B, Gospel and of course Country. But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before The Civil War, which includes slavery.”
Lady A then went on to apologize to anyone they hurt or made feel “unsafe, unseen or unvalued.” They promise to educate themselves moving forward and are also making a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative through LadyAID.
Read their full statement below.
