Confederate Railroad was founded in 1987 by
Danny Shirley, Michael Lamb, Gates Nichols (May 26, 1944 – August 14, 2009), Over time, they also worked as a road band for
David Allan Coe and
Johnny Paycheck. Shirley had previously been signed to the Amor
record label as a solo singer, charting five times on the country charts between 1984 and 1988. After several years in the Atlanta area, the band signed with
Atlantic Records in 1992 and released its
self-titled debut album. The album produced six hit singles and was certified 2× Platinum in the U.S. In order of release, these singles were "She Took It Like a Man," "Jesus and Mama," "
Queen of Memphis," (their highest chart peak, at no. 2) "When You Leave That Way You Can Never Go Back," "
Trashy Women," and "She Never Cried."
Notorious was the band's second album. Released in 1994, it was certified platinum as well. The album was led off by the no. 9 "
Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind," followed by the no. 20 "Elvis and Andy," and finally "Summer in Dixie," which failed to make Top 40. Also in 1994, Shirley and
Mark Collie co-wrote and sang guest vocals on
Billy Ray Cyrus's "Redneck Heaven," an album cut from his 1994 disc
Storm in the Heartland. One year later, the band released its third album, 1995's
When and Where. This album failed to sell as well as its predecessors, and was less successful on the charts as well. Lead-off single "When and Where" reached No. 24, while the other three singles – "Bill's Laundromat, Bar and Grill," "When He Was My Age," and "See Ya" all failed to reach Top 40. A
Greatest Hits package followed in 1996. In 1998, the band released its fourth and final studio album for Atlantic, titled
Keep on Rockin'. Its only two singles were "The Big One" and "Cowboy Cadillac," both of which failed to reach the Top 60 on the country singles charts. After another compilation titled ''Rockin' Country Party Pack
(which produced another chart single in "Toss a Little Bone," previously from When and Where''), the band exited Atlantic. One year later, Confederate Railroad signed to Audium/Koch Records (now
E1 Music) for its fifth studio album,
Unleashed. It was led off by the no. 39 "What Brothers Do." Although this was the band's first Top 40 country hit since "When and Where" in 1995, the other singles – "She Treats Her Body Like a Temple" and "White Trash with Money" – both failed to reach Top 40. The band did not record again until 2007's
Cheap Thrills, an album of
cover songs. This album was led off by a cover of "
Please Come to Boston," which failed to chart. Confederate Railroad signed a record deal with E1 Music in 2010 and released their first-ever live album called "Confederate Railroad Live: Back to the Barrooms." Since 2019, the band has missed bookings and had concerts cancelled because of concerns over the band's name and their logo's inclusion of two
Confederate flags. In cancelling their planned performance at the
Ulster County Fair, organizers said the event must represent "the values of all members of our community" and that "showcasing of a symbol of division and racism runs counter to that principle." The Confederate flag is a racist symbol, representing a
war to continue slavery and
racial segregation in the United States. The band said the cancellation was "very disappointing". Shirley says the flag represents history and Southern heritage. Shirley blamed
Governor J. B. Pritzker's cancellation of the band from the
DuQuoin State Fair lineup on
political correctness, which he says is focused on the band's name. The governor's office said that state resources could not be used "to promote symbols of racism," specifying the Confederate flag in the group's logo. Shirley suffered a broken back on April 1, 2021. In 2022, the band toured the US as a 4-piece band with Shirley on lead vocals and guitar, Rusty Hendrix on lead guitar, Mo Thaxton on bass and occasional lead vocals, and Mark DuFresne on drums. ==Musical stylings==