Chart Rewind: In 2002, Diamond Rio Turned a ‘Beautiful Mess’ Into a Hot Country Songs No. 1

On Sept. 28, 2002, Diamond Rio ’s “Beautiful Mess” began a two-week run at No. 1 on Billboard ’s Hot Country Songs chart, marking the group’s fourth leader.

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The song was written by Sonny LeMaire (of Exile), Clay Mills and Shane Minor. It was released as the lead single from Diamond Rio’s album Completely , which also generated the act’s fifth and most recent No. 1 single, “I Believe.”

In April 1990, Diamond Rio (formerly known as The Grizzly River Boys, then The Tennessee River Boys), signed with Arista Records Nashville. The group then was comprised of lead vocalist Marty Roe, Gene Johnson, Jimmy Olander, Brian Prout, Dan Truman and Dana Williams.

In June 1991, Diamond Rio’s debut Hot Country Songs entry, “Meet in the Middle,” hit No. 1 – making the act the first group to reign with a rookie single. The band has notched 19 career top 10s, including its other leaders “How Your Love Makes Me Feel” in 1997 and “One More Day” in 2001. The group has tallied 29 top 40 entries, through the No. 30 hit “God Only Cries” in 2006.

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Said Oleander to Billboard in 2014 of Diamond Rio’s early ‘90s breakthrough, “I see these guys in these fantastic coiffed mullets and I remember the idealism that we had — ‘We’re going to do this. We’re going to reinvent that’ — and all that stuff. I’d do the same all over again.”

In 2022, Diamond Rio underwent its first lineup change in 33 years, as drummer Prout retired and was replaced by Micah Schweinsberg (formerly of gospel act The Crabb Family). Later that year, vocalist/mandolinist Johnson announced his departure from the group to focus his efforts in bluegrass.

Currently on the road, Diamond Rio makes its next stop in Wharton, Texas, on Sept. 29.

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