US Country Band, Lady Antebellum Changes Name to Lady A; Apologizes For Racially Insensitive Name

American country band, Lady Antebellum have announced they have changed their name to Lady A in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Grammy-winning group announced on Thursday via their Twitter page that they made the decision “after much personal reflection” and conversations with “closest black friends” as Antebellum refers to a period of time “which includes slavery.”

The word ‘antebellum’ which has connotations with the slavery era is used to refer to the period and architecture in the US South before the Civil War.

The Band members, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood, said in a statement they are “deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused”.

According to the group, they originally named their brand after the antebellum-style of a home where they took their first photos 14 years ago.

“When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the Southern ‘Antebellum’ style where we took our first photos … But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery. We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused.”

The Nashville trio are best known for their hit Need You Now, which reached number two in the US, and the top 20 in the UK, in 2010. They won five Grammys and had seven US top 10 albums, including three number ones.