The 1990s ushered in a golden age of country music, with stars like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw hitting mainstream audiences and bringing the genre to new heights.
The decade also saw a country-pop crossover with hits like LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live”, as well as the rise of arena-style concerts and theatrical performances à la Garth Brooks.
While a seemingly constant stream of country artists released music well into the next decade, a handful disappeared from the scene altogether and left to live quiet lives away from their adoring fans.
Join HELLO! as we explore some of these artists who surprisingly disappeared from public life.
Ricochet
This country band was formed in the early ’90s and consisted of Heath Wright on vocals and guitar, Jeff Bryant on drums, Junior Bryant on the fiddle and mandolin, Greg Cook on bass and vocals, Teddy Carr on steel guitar and Eddie Kilgallon on keyboard and vocals.
The group hailed from Oklahoma and released their self-titled debut album in 1996 a year after signing with Columbia Records. Their hit song “Daddy’s Money” shot to number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Ricochet’s blend of traditional country and contemporary sound brought them success, and they followed their first album up with Blink of an Eye in 1997.
Over the years, several band members left for various reasons and they largely faded into obscurity, though they continue to tour and release music today, granting them a lasting presence in the industry.
Ricky Van Shelton
© Getty ImagesThe Virginian native rose to fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s after moving to Nashville to pursue a country music career in 1984. He signed a deal with Columbia two years later and went on to release nine albums until his retirement in 2006.
Known for his chart-topping singles like “Somebody Lied”, “Life Turned Her That Way” and “I’ll Leave This World Loving You”, Ricky enjoyed immense acclaim at the peak of his career and achieved platinum status for four of his albums.
His success began taking a turn in the mid-’90s with the rise of a contemporary country sound. He continued to release music, including a gospel album, until 2006, when he announced that he was officially retiring.
Lila McCann
© Ron Galella Collection via GettyLila looked poised to become a star in the ’90s with hits like “Down Came a Blackbird”, “I Wanna Fall in Love” and “With You”. Originally from Washington, she grew up following her father’s country music band around and occasionally joining them on stage.
After years of performing locally, she released Lila in 1997 and became the name on everyone’s lips with the highest-selling debut album for a country artist that year.
She then released 1999’s Something in the Air, which was certified gold; Lila followed that with her third album, Complete, before parting ways with her label. The star signed with another label and released a string of singles before leaving in 2008 and going independent.
Despite appearing in a slew of TV shows like Walker, Texas Ranger, Lila largely disappeared from public life in the ’00s and pursued a photography career instead. She released an EP in 2017, Paint This Town, marking her return to the scene, but has since become a real estate broker and married her wife in 2019.
Tracy Byrd
© RedfernsTracy rose to fame in the early ’90s thanks to his traditional country sound and hits like “Holdin’ Heaven”, “Watermelon Crawl” and “The Keeper of the Stars”.
Born and raised in Texas, Tracy released his self-titled debut album in 1993 and went on to drop ten studio albums throughout his prolific career. Four of his albums hit gold certification, while one received a double-platinum honor.
After enjoying modest success in the ’00s, he went on hiatus between 2010 and 2013 to be with his family and rest after years of touring.
Tracy returned to the scene in 2016 with All American Texan, which helped to re-establish his presence in the industry. He has several upcoming concerts scheduled in the US amid his tour and enjoys a loyal fan base.
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