Joe Don Rooney | |
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Rooney at a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2012
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Background information | |
Born |
Baxter Springs, Kansas, United States |
September 13, 1975
Genres | |
Instruments |
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Years active | 1992–present |
Labels | Lyric Street, Big Machine |
Associated acts | Rascal Flatts |
Joseph Don Rooney a.k.a. J.D. Rooney (Born on September 13, 1975 in Baxter Springs, Kansas and raised in Picher, Oklahoma) is an American musician and the lead guitarist and high octave harmony singer in the American country pop trio Rascal Flatts.
In addition to the Electric guitar, Rooney plays the acoustic and bass guitars, as well as mandolin & banjo. His influences include guitarists Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck.
Joe Don Rooney's first band formed in 1992 under the name Unclethumbtack. In addition to Rooney playing lead guitar and singing backup harmony, this band included Gregory Fitzgibbon (Singer-Songwriter and Bass guitarist), Erin Fitzgibbon (Singer-Songwriter and Acoustic guitarist), Colin Frayser (Drums), and Jason Winnie (Rhythm Guitar). Joe Don frequently jammed with family member musicians Justin Speer, Tracy Conder, and Jeramy Essary (to whom he later dedicated "I'm Moving On").
Joe Don married former beauty queen Tiffany Fallon on April 23, 2006. She was Miss Georgia USA in 2001 and 2nd runner-up for the Miss USA 2001 competition. She was also the 2005 Playmate of the Year. The couple was featured in the Playboy Cyber Club's celebrity photographer section, with the nude pictorial of Fallon being shot by Joe Don himself. The couple have three children: son Jagger Donovan Rooney (born May 31, 2008) and daughters Raquel Blue Rooney (Sept 7, 2010) and Devon Olivia Rooney (Sept 29, 2014).