Today, John Rich is best known as one half of the duo Big & Rich, but, in fact, his career in country music spans quite a bit further back. Before forming the duo with Big Kenny and producing radio hits such as as "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)," Rich heard his music on country radio with an entirely different act: the country group Lonestar

Rich played bass and sang with Lonestar from 1992 to 1998, eventually leaving to pursue a solo career before teaming up with Big Kenny and releasing their first album together, Horse of a Different Color, in 2004. So, the first time Rich heard himself on the radio came when Lonestar released a single called "Tequila Talkin'." Read on to learn all about the first time Rich heard the song play on country radio, and how hearing his songs on the radio still affects him to this day.

The first time I ever heard myself on the radio was back in 1994, with the band Lonestar. Remember that band? We had a song called "Tequila Talkin'." We were all piled into a minivan in Los Angeles, going to some kind of radio thing -- KZLA, that was the country station.

They said, "Here's a new band called Lonestar!" We were on the Sunset Strip, and man, it was so surreal. I think even to this day, anytime we hear any of our songs on the radio, we just look at it and go, "Wow, man. Crank it up!" I think every artist has that same feeling, every time.

See Big & Rich + More Country Stars Then and Now

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