Lubbock music legend McDonald leads The Frontmen in Cactus fundraiser

They have 30 No. 1 hits, have sold 30 million albums and are the soundtrack to every Friday night honkytonk, first kiss and broken heart for the last 30 years. Fans sing the words to every song in every set – and while many people have yet to know their name, just about everybody can sing their songs.

The Frontmen – comprised of three former lead singers - Lubbock native Richie McDonald (former lead singer of Lonestar), Larry Stewart (the voice of Restless Heart) and Tim Rushlow (formerly of Little Texas) – is the hottest new supergroup in country music. They have already mastered the stage, succeeded on radio and take sold-out audiences on a nightly rollercoaster of nostalgic ’90s hits - then transcend their past hit parade with fresh, new original songs.

The trio will be live at the Cactus Theater on Friday, Oct. 6. Doors open at 6:50 p.m. and show begins at 7:30 p.m.

The group recently put their massive catalog of hits to work, including “The Bluest Eyes in Texas,” “Amazed” and “God Blessed Texas,” on tour with the legendary group Alabama and kick-started the Harley-Davidson crowd in South Dakota at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

“The thing about the three of us is we are better together than each of us was by ourselves,” McDonald said in a news release from Cactus Theater. “The beauty of the show is that people can come and just sit there for two hours and go, ‘I sang along with every single song. I loved every one of them.’”

The Frontmen’s magic formula harkens back to some of the biggest rock groups of the ’60s and ’70 like The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles - where multiple lead singers like Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey and Don Henley enjoyed separate careers but join to together to create a sum bigger than its parts. They are a “new act” with a fresh sound - but also an arsenal of solid gold hits.

Stewart’s group Restless Heart launched in 1984 with their self-titled debut album and went on to collect eight No. 1 hits and sing-along favorites, including “The Bluest Eyes in Texas,” “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” “Why Does It Have to Be (Wrong or Right),” “Wheels,” “Fast Movin’ Train” and “A Tender Lie.” They were named Top Vocal Group by the Academy of Country Music in 1989.

Rushlow’s powerhouse group Little Texas kicked off in 1991 with Top 10 hits “Some Guys Have All the Love” and “First Time for Everything,” then followed up with its debut album of the same name. Subsequent hits include “God Blessed Texas,” “Kick a Little,” “My Love,” “What Might Have Been” and “Amy’s Back in Austin.” Little Texas won the Academy of Country Music’s Top Vocal Group in 1993.

McDonald joined Lonestar in 1992, and the group achieved nine No. 1 songs, including: “No News,” “Come Cryin’ to Me,” “What About Now,” “I’m Already There,” “My Front Porch Looking In,” “Mr. Mom” and “Amazed” -- an eight-week No. 1 song and the most popular country song of 1999. “Amazed” was the Academy of Country Music’s Single and Song of the Year in 1999, and Lonestar was the Top Vocal Group for the ACM and the CMA in 2021.

During periods of downtime over the years, and The Frontmen organically built a concept they’ve been working toward for more than a decade. McDonald and Stewart first connected when they played a radio show in Louisiana. McDonald broached the idea with Stewart: three lead singers, one band and nothing but hits. Rushlow joined soon after, and the trio went on an extended international tour of military bases. The soldiers’ reaction affirmed what they already thought – people want to hear their songs.

“It’s these iconic songs that have been a part of people’s lives over the past 20 or 30 years, and we saw the effect that it had on these men and women fighting for our freedom,” McDonald said. “We knew we had to do it.”

This very special show is presented as the second fundraiser to support the historic Cactus Theater in its marquee upgrade. Lubbock acting legend Barry Corbin returned home in late May for the first event designed to support the ongoing upgrades at the landmark, a renovated 1938 theater located at 1812 Buddy Holly Ave. in the Depot District.

“Thanks to the first fundraiser, the new marquee is in place - but we are working hard to raise the funds needed to pay off the balance of this much-needed upgrade - beyond normal ticket sales - and the opportunity to present this special show in that effort is a dream come true. We’ve had a tremendous run of shows all year and have introduced many new acts on our stage - but this monster concert with The Frontmen could easily be called the concert event of the year because of its combined star power and number of chart-topping hits,” theater owner Darryl Holland said in the release.

“I saw these guys showcase in Nashville two years ago when they were just getting this concept rolling and I knew we had to do everything possible to bring this show home to Lubbock. I’m very grateful to Richie McDonald and the guys for making it happen. We’re proud to present this hometown music legend and thank all ticket purchasers for their support of this show. I promise everyone - this show will be one of the best concerts ever presented at the Cactus,” Holland said.

Tickets for the show are $100 for the first six floor rows (A-F); $80 for floor rows G-M; $60 for standard balcony seats; and $250 for balcony box seats, which include concessions and a pre-show meet-and-greet event.

Tickets are available online at cactustheater.com or in person at the Cactus box office, 1812 Buddy Holly Ave. Hours for the box office are 3-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday. Official ticketing provider for Cactus Theater events is Eventbrite.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock music legend McDonald leads The Frontmen in Cactus fundraiser