"It's no secret that Alabama may be one of the greatest states for country music to originate from, and the sextet Heartland certainly justifies the present allegation. The country musicians (including a fiddle player, four guitar players and a drummer) hail from Huntsville, Alabama, home of textile mills, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and, now, country music legends. Heartland's insightful songs and mainly uplifting music fit right in with other country stars, and the band's classic rock-inspired music makes for a refreshing twist to modern country songs.Heartland's music resonated in the hills of Huntsville long before the band achieved full-blown recognition as country artists, but it is the group Alabama that Heartland has to thank for opening the doors to success. Heartland was invited in 1997 to play at June Jam, the annual concert held every year by country big-names Alabama, and the publicity the group gathered through concerts like this and from playing other live shows led Heartland to great success - in Alabama, that is. The group released an album in 2001, Back to the Heartland, which was a stepping stone to the record deal that would shortly follow. After the group's debut album, Heartland signed with indie label Lofton Creek Records and began recording songs. ""I Loved Her First,"" the band's first hit single, was released in 2006, and as the name Heartland steadily grew in the world of country music, so did the group's list of accomplishments.The album I Loved Her First followed Heartland's hit single of the same title, and the album reached number one on the Top Independent Albums in 2006, with the single peaking at number one for Hot Country Singles and Tracks. Since 2006, Heartland has performed on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, co-hosted part of the 2006 CMA Awards Show, and released one more single, 2007's ""Once a Woman Gets a Hold of Your Heart."""