Lady Antebellum rename as Lady A and explain their reasons in a heartfelt statement
The Antebellum Era refers to a period which relied heavily on slavery
Last updated 12th May 2021
Country music stars Lady Antebellum have now revealed they will be renaming themselves as Lady A. In a statement the band has explained they've come to the decision after many long conversations with their 'Black friends and colleagues'.
In the statement the band also reveal that their original name, 'reminded us of all the music born in the south that influenced us…Southern Rock, Blues, R&B, Gospel and of course Country.'
However, Antebellum is also used to refer to a period of time which included slavery in the Southern states of America, and the band has apologised for this. '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.'
The band continued, 'We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change. We hope you will dig in and join us.'
Explaining that they will now be known as Lady A, the band explained this is a name their fans have given them right from the beginning when they started out nearly 14 years ago.
The band ends their statement by saying, 'Our prayer is that if we lead by example…with humility, love, empathy and action…we can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children & generations to come.'.
This news comes after nearly two weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd. George was a 46-year-old black man, who was killed after being apprehended by a white policeman in Minneapolis. A video of the policeman with his knee on George's neck has been widely circulated.
On Tuesday 9th June, George Floyd's funeral was held in his hometown of Houston, where it was attended by hundreds of friends, family, civil rights activities and many others, including Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum and Ne-Yo.