Jason Aldean’s III Kings Step Into the Spotlight

Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy and Rich Redmond may be known as Jason Aldean's rhythm section, but around Nashville the trio are known as the III Kings -- top notch producers and musicians who are constantly in high demand. Over the past decade, Kurt, Tully and Rich have worked in all genres of music, with artists including Bryan Adams, Jewel, Lila McCann, Michael Peterson, Robbie Nevil, Emily West and Lucy Woodward.

When Rich Redmond's father bought his son a blue-sparkle snare drum at age eight, he had no idea how it would change the boy's future. After graduating from Texas Tech and the University of North Texas with a master's degree in music education/percussion, Rich began teaching while playing in a Top 40 band in Dallas.

"Then, at 26, I had my quarter-life crisis," Rich tells The Boot. "I was doing McDonald's jingles and teaching ... I said, 'I've got to get out of here!' I heard about an audition for Trisha Yearwood, and that's kind of what got me to Nashville. I was looking to tour and record with nationally recognized artists."

Upon arriving in Music City, Rich crossed paths with a well-respected lead guitarist by the name of Kurt Allison who was playing in his father's band, The Blues Other Brothers.

"That band was an over-300-shows-a-year band, so I didn't have an address or a home for probably 11 years," says Kurt.

Kurt hired Rich to play in their band and the pair quickly became the best of friends. Not much longer down the road, Kurt introduced Rich to another musician friend, bassist Tully Kennedy who moved to Nashville from New York around the same time.

"I decided at that point I need to either move on or I need to stay in New York and continue to make music there forever, which you can only do so much there," Tully says. "My uncle was a staff writer at Warner/Chappell Music [publishing company] in Nashville. I moved to town at 21 with about $300 to my name."

Just a few years later, Kurt, Tully and Rich started working with a new kid on the block, Jason Aldean, all while touring and recording with country band Rushlow, fronted by former Little Texas lead singer, Tim Rushlow.

"We worked really hard, and that really strengthened our relationship on and off the stage during that time," notes Rich.

In 2004, Kurt, Tully and Rich came off the road with Rushlow and went back into the studio to work on the debut album from Jason Aldean on Broken Bow Records. Their first single and video for 'Hicktown' -- which the three band members appear in -- became an instant hit for the young singer from Macon, Ga.

"I guess our Rushlow demise worked out for the best," Tully says. "What we find cool is we did build a lot of great relationships from that band. I don't think any of the three of us would trade that experience in. We met a lot of radio people, and when Jason came out, it was a good ice-breaker when we would go to all these stations with him. We kind of knew who they were, and they knew us. It all works out for a reason. It's been a good ride, and things are continuing to get better for us and for everybody."

Kurt, Tully and Rich played on records for other acts as well, and also earned a reputation as one of the top rhythm sections in town to hire for artist showcases.

"I think one of the great things that we did with each other from the beginning was when someone would get hired for a gig, they'd make it a really strong point to make sure that they hired the other two as well -- like a package," Kurt says. "I think all three of us held pretty strong to that."

"It seemed like we were always doing showcases for people because there was that built-in band sound," says Rich. "You could take a very inexperienced or average-sounding artist and make them sound very seasoned because of our experience. It was a pretty cool thing to do."

"It was also one of those things where you can't force it to happen," Tully adds. "I think a lot of people try to do that, and they realize they can't because you can't just go inside and do it. This happened over ten years. Our sound developed from years of touring and recording together."

In addition to being Jason's recording and studio band, Kurt, Tully and Rich, who now refer to themselves as the III Kings, have recently added another musical element to their lives by forming a production company in Nashville called New Voice Entertainment. The 'Kings' are working with many of Broken Bow's newer artists including Ash Bowers, husband and wife duo Thompson Square, Blake Wise and Krista Marie.

"Individually, we all feel like we're strong players, but not nearly as strong as we are as a team," says Kurt. "That's the point that we want to continue to drive home now that we're producing is we always do things better together."

With a decade of teamwork under their belts, the III Kings have experienced the most successful year of their careers in 2009. In addition to the release of Jason's first live DVD (which was certified gold soon after its release), Jason's 'Wide Open' album reached platinum certification and spawned two No. 1 singles -- 'She's Country' and 'Big Green Tractor' -- which spent a combined total of six weeks at the top of the charts. Their ninth single with Jason, 'The Truth,' is currently climbing the Top 10 on the country chart.

"We went through the good times and the bad times together," Rich says. "In an environment of rotating, invisible bands in the back wearing black, we've really held our ground. We're proud of that."

"There have been a lot of people who have tried to emulate what we've done, and it lasts about two months," Kurt adds. "What will happen is that drummer will get hired to do a gig where they can't hire the bass player and guitar player. Then, there's the end of that team. We really held strong in our belief that the three of us were stronger than one."

For more information on the III Kings, visit their MySpace page. Rich Redmond can be also found online through his website, Facebook and Twitter pages.