Lady Antebellum Taking Career Cues From Tim McGraw

Lady Antebellum has had a great series of opening slots, starting with Martina McBride and continuing with Kenny Chesney and current tourmate, Tim McGraw.

"No one could have scripted it any better for us," group member Charles Kelley tells The Boot. "Tim was one of the first people in country music I listened to, when I was 10 or 11 years old. Him and Vince Gill; then I got into the other stuff before and after them. So to be opening for him, it's one of those things where we feel like we've come full circle."

"And he just commands a stage," Hillary Scott adds. "He's such an entertainer; he has this presence about him. He literally looks at a woman in the audience and she falls to her knees. He definitely has that aura about him. He's really handsome off stage, but there's something about when he gets onstage, he's just mesmerizing. It makes your heart race for sure."

Hillary points out that Tim is also someone after whom they could easily pattern their own career. "He's proof of a career with great longevity and he's had loyal fans. There's something to be taken from that. We want to be a successful touring act with fans who are going to want to come see us perform [when we're] a little older and more wrinkled in 25 years."

The group says they've learned something from everyone with whom they've shared time on the road. "Martina McBride was the first major tour we were on and she spoiled us rotten," Hillary says. "She made sure we were taken care of, down to what was served in catering was such good quality. She wanted to keep everyone happy. Everyone has been very generous with letting us use their lights and stage, because they realize if they give us the opportunity to perform the best show we can, it will make the whole show a more enjoyable experience."

"Hits, hits, hits," Charles says is one of the things they've learned from everyone, especially Kenny. "He played uptempo song after uptempo song, and then he played No. 1 song after No. 1 song," Hillary adds.

"And he kept the crowd on their feet all the time," Charles continues. "He has an energetic show and people come to be entertained. It's a form of escape for them."

Lady Antebellum acknowledge they are working toward the time when they can headline. "We're getting ready for that, with shows like the one we did at the Ryman and a few others we're planning," Charles says. "We want to be doing this a long time. Plus, it's nice to have our second record out there, which gives us more of our own material to perform during our show."

While the group's new single 'American Honey' continues its rise up the charts, Lady Antebellum's No. 1 single on Billboard's Country Songs chart, 'Need You Now,' (from the chart-topping album of the same name) became the first country single since Faith Hill's 'Breathe' to reach the top of Billboard's Adult Pop Songs chart. Hillary, Charles and Dave Haywood found out that good news this week.