Episode
Larry Stewart of Restless Heart: The Frontmen, 80s/90s Country, AI & The Future Of Music :: Ep 39 Circling the Drain Podcast
- Podcast
- Circling The Drain
- Published
- May 20, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3433
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/9eae48ae
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Summary
Larry Stewart, the voice of Restless Heart and member of The Frontmen, joins Circling The Drain to talk about breaking through in 80s and 90s country, early resistance from Music Row, touring with Alabama, and how one phone call changed his life. Larry shares the origin stories of Restless Heart and The Frontmen, the realities of road life, raising a family while constantly touring, and why today’s country boom feels bigger than ever. The crew also digs into modern country (Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Ella Langley), how AI is already reshaping the music business, why live shows are more important than ever, and what it really takes to stay married 40+ years in this industry. If you love 90s country, harmony-driven bands, and real behind-the-scenes stories, this one’s loaded. 02:24 Six straight number ones, becoming “road dogs,” and the Wheels era 03:36 Why radio embraced Restless Heart before the industry did 04:37 How a Belmont kid working at the Country Music Hall of Fame became the lead singer 05:45 Recording the first album, getting married, signing to RCA, and “the rest is history” 08:06 Harmony magic: how five voices created the Restless Heart sound 11:20 Where the songs came from and the role of Tim DuBois and Alabama 12:24 First big tour with Alabama, stage fright, and playing for 15–18,000 a night 14:13 Band chemistry, breakups, reunions, and outlasting most marriages 16:39 Growing up in Kentucky, gospel roots, piano, and choosing music over baseball 20:44 From JUCO ball to Belmont: the crazy path that led Larry to Nashville 25:20 Naming Restless Heart and the terrible band names that didn’t make the cut 25:27 How The Frontmen started with a lobby conversation and a wild idea 26:54 Randy Owen, early Frontmen shows, and taking the act to the troops 2…