The band formerly known as Lady Antebellum have revealed they had a ‘private’ meeting with blues singer Lady A to discuss their controversial name change.
Lady Antebellum singers Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood announced last week that they were removing the word ‘Antebellum’ from their name after 14 years, due to the slavery connotations in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, and would now go by Lady A.
It then emerged that a blues singer has used the name Lady A for more than 20 years and she suggested that Lady Antebellum had not reached out to her before announcing their new name.
But now it looks as though the two have hashed it all out in a Zoom conference, with Lady Antebellum sharing a photo of their smiling faces during the chat.
In the caption, the Need You Now singers revealed ‘Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A. Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had.’
‘We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The hurt is turning into hope. More to come,’ they added, suggesting they might continue to use Lady A.
Last week, Lady A – real name Anita White – shared her disappointment that the band didn’t realise there was already an artist using the name, and said: ‘This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done.
‘This is too much right now. They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time.’
‘If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realise that their name had a slave reference to it.’
Lady Antebellum’s original name has been subject to controversy over the years due to its association with slavery.
The word ‘antebellum’ literally means ‘before the war’ and has commonly become associated with a time period before the American Civil War. The Antebellum South describes a way of life in the time before the North won the Civil War and abolished slavery.
Announcing their decision to drop ‘antebellum’, the country band explained: ‘Dear Fans, As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refuge…inclusive of all.
‘We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases Black women and men have always faced and continue to face everyday. Now, blindspots we didn’t even know existed have been revealed.
‘After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest Black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word “antebellum” from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start.’
Lady A went on to explain that they didn’t acknowledge the negative connotations with the name before the Black Lives Matter movement gathered momentum following the horrific death of George Floyd last month.
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