Mcbride & The Ride

McBride & The Ride, formed in 1989 in Nashville, TN, quickly established itself in the country music scene. The founding members include Terry McBride on lead vocals and bass, Ray Herndon on background vocals and guitar, and Billy Thomas on background vocals and drums. Their early career saw the release of three critically acclaimed albums on MCA Nashville: “Burnin’ Up The Road” (1991), the gold-certified “Sacred Ground” (1992), and “Hurry Sundown” (1993). These albums produced several hit singles, including “Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run,” “Sacred Ground,” “Going Out of My Mind,” and “Just One Night,” with “Sacred Ground” reaching No. 2 on the Billboard country charts. The band received a Top New Vocal Group or Duo nomination from the Academy of Country Music and a Vocal Group of the Year nomination from the Country Music Association in 1992. During this period, individual members also contributed to other artists’ projects; Ray Herndon became Lyle Lovett’s lead guitarist in 1985 and wrote songs for artists like Kenny Chesney, while Terry McBride wrote major hits for Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire. Billy Thomas worked as Vince Gill’s drummer and with Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, and Earl Scruggs.

After a period of successful releases and touring, the band underwent a controversial change in 1994 when Ray Herndon and Billy Thomas departed, and the group was briefly renamed Terry McBride & the Ride under MCA’s direction to focus on McBride. This new lineup released one album, “Terry McBride & the Ride” (1994), before the band initially disbanded in 1995. During this hiatus, individual members continued their careers, with McBride writing numerous hit songs for other artists and Herndon self-releasing a solo album. Thomas continued his work as a session and touring drummer, notably with Vince Gill and as a member of The Time Jumpers.

The original trio of McBride, Herndon, and Thomas reunited in 2000, releasing “Amarillo Sky” on Dualtone Records in 2002, which featured their final chart entry, “Anything That Touches You.” The title track, co-written by Big Kenny and John Rich, was later famously covered by Jason Aldean. Following another period of individual pursuits, the band re-established themselves for a second time in 2021. Their latest offering, the EP “Marlboros & Avon” (2023), produced by all three members, marks their first original music in nearly 30 years and continues to showcase their signature sound.