Restless Heart

The harmonies are pure silver, polished to a high sheen. And, as easily as silver conducts electricity, their music has electrified audiences around the world for 25 years. Legendary country music group, Restless Heart, is celebrating their Silver Anniversary – 25 years of perfecting the art of entertaining.

As silver starts as a by-product of the mining of other minerals, Restless Heart came together in late 1983 as the by-product of a project by famed writer/producer Tim Dubois. He was looking for exceptionally talented studio musicians to record demos of songs he had written. The lustrous voices of that “demo band” rose quickly to the surface and Restless Heart signed a recording contract with RCA Records in 1985.

With the release of their first album that year, the vocal style of Restless Heart became instantly identifiable – an intertwining five part harmony led by Larry Stewart, with Dave Innis on keyboards, Greg Jennings on lead guitar, Paul Gregg on bass and drummer, John Dittrich. They brought a new, contemporary sound to Nashville, a sound with a touch of pop – the sound which so strongly influences the popular country acts of today like Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts and Little Big Town.

Gold became the standard for the group with the release of that self-titled album. Three more gold albums followed between 1986 and 1991. With an additional six albums released through the years, Restless Heart put 26 hits on the country charts with six #1 hits and nine others in the Top Ten. Cross-over success, rare in the music world, was also theirs with six songs making the adult contemporary charts, including taking the #1, #2 and #3 spots.

Success is rarely easy to manage. The controversies in creating a new sound, the endless concert trail, the demand for interviews and appearances, and lack of time with their families took a toll on the band. Larry Stewart left the group for a solo career in 1991 and Dave Innis left in 1993. With seven albums behind them, the group disbanded by 1996.

Four band members, minus Dave Innis, reunited briefly in 1998 to produce a second “Greatest Hits” compilation and tour with good friend, Vince Gill. In 2001, those same four members gathered in Greg Jennings’ home studio to record a special tribute for a long-time fan. The spark was ignited to bring the original group back together. An emotional phone call to Dave Innis put Restless Heart back on the road. Their first real gig as a reunited group was the 2002 Operation Season’s Greetings, an overseas military entertainment tour. They haven’t stopped touring since, averaging more than 100 shows per year, including an around-the-world military tour in 2007.

Today, driven by the musical force which brought them together 25 years ago and tempered by experience, Restless Heart continues to thrill old and new fans by doing what they do best, making great music and having fun.