Amazing Rhythm Aces

Best known for the 1975 hit single “Third Rate Romance,” country rock band The Amazing Rhythm Aces was formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1974. Originally members of Knoxville, Tennessee-based band Fatback – not to be confused with funk / disco group the Fatback Band – the group originally featured Russell Smith (vocals / guitar), Jeff ‘Stick’ Davis (bass), David ‘Butch’ McDade (drums), and Mike Brooks (lead guitar). Under the guidance of musician / engineer / producer Barry ‘Byrd’ Burton, Smith, Burton, Davis, McDade, keyboardist Billy Earhart III, and pianist James Hooker regrouped as The Amazing Rhythm Aces and released their debut album, Stacked Deck, on ABC Records in 1975. The single “Third Rate Romance” was a Top 20 hit in the US but reached number 1 on both the Canadian Country Singles and Pop / Rock Singles charts. The group scored a Top 10 US hit with “Amazing Grace (Used to Be Her Favorite Song),” which reached number 9 on Billboard’s Country Singles chart. Their second album, Too Stuffed to Jump (1976), included the hit single “The End Is Not in Sight (The Cowboy Tune),” which won them a Grammy Award for Country Vocal Performance by a Group. The group’s popularity began to slip with the release of their third album, Toucan Do It Too, in 1977, and the albums Burning the Ballroom Down (1978) and The Amazing Rhythm Aces (1979) were their final releases on the ABC label. Signing to the Warner Bros. label, the group released one album – How the Hell Do You Spell Rhythum? – in 1980 before breaking up. Most of the band reunited for 1994’s Ride Again album, which featured new versions of some of the band’s most popular songs. Three years later, Out of the Blue (1997) featured the group’s first new material in over 15 years. The Amazing Rhythm Aces continued to tour and release new material, live albums, and compilations. The group’s lineup remained fluid over the years with Billy Earhart III remaining the group’s only original member. However, Billy Earhart died on May 13, 2025, at the age of 71, leaving the group’s future in doubt.

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