Confederate Railroad

Confederate Railroad, initially known as “Confederate RR,” was formed in 1987 in Marietta, Georgia. The founding members included Danny Shirley on lead vocals, Michael Lamb on lead guitar, Mark Dufresne on drums, Chris McDaniel on keyboards, Warren “Gates” Nichols on steel guitar, and Wayne Secrest on bass guitar. Before forming Confederate Railroad, members gained experience as a backing band for established outlaw country artists such as David Allan Coe and Johnny Paycheck. Danny Shirley had also released three solo albums on Amor Records, charting five times on country charts between 1984 and 1988.

The band’s career progressed significantly when they signed with Atlantic Records in 1992. This partnership led to the release of their self-titled debut album, which was certified 2x Platinum in the U.S. and generated six hit singles, including “Queen of Memphis,” their highest chart peak at number 2. The success continued with their second album, “Notorious,” released in 1994, which also achieved Platinum certification. Other notable singles from this period include “Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind” and “Elvis and Andy.” In 1993, Confederate Railroad was recognized with the Best New Group award at the ACM awards.

Following their initial success, Confederate Railroad released “When and Where” in 1995 and “Keep on Rockin'” in 1998, their final studio album under Atlantic. They later signed with Audium/Koch Records (now E1 Music), releasing “Unleashed” in 2001, which included the Top 40 country hit “That’s What Brothers Do.” The band continued to release music, including “Cheap Thrills” in 2007 and “Lucky to Be Alive” in 2016. In 2010, they released their first live album, “Confederate Railroad Live: Back to the Barrooms.” The band has toured extensively, and as of 2022, the touring lineup included Danny Shirley, Rusty Hendrix, Mo Thaxton, and Mark DuFresne.