Country group Lady Antebellum changes name to Lady A

NASHVILLE, TENN. » Grammy-winning country group Lady Antebellum is changing its name to Lady A, with members saying they are regretful and embarrassed for not taking into consideration the word’s associations with slavery.

The band, made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, made the announcement Thursday on their social media.

The group’s first selftitled album came out in 2008, and included the Grammy-winning No. 1 country hit “I Run To You,” then it achieved crossover success on the pop charts with the ninetimes platinum “Need You Now.” They won three Grammys for that song, including Record of the Year. They have also won numerous Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards during their nearly 14 year career.

The statement said that they chose the name after the antebellum style home where they shot their first band photos, and it reminded them of Southern styles of music. Antebellum means before a war and the term has been widely associated with the pre-Civil War period in the United States when slavery was practiced.