Four time Grammy-winner, For King and Country (featuring brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone) is performing at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Thursday, February 29, 2024 at NRG Stadium at 6:45 p.m. With more than ten GMA Dove Awards, a Billboard Music Award, nine No. 1 songs, eight albums, and multiple sold out nationwide tours, if you wait too long to buy your rodeo tickets, the show may be sold out.
Originally born in Sydney, Australia, Joel and Luke Smallbone moved to the United States for their dad’s job. Upon arriving, their dad lost the job and without enough money to get back to Australia and no shelter or food in America, the family was overwhelmed with kindness from neighbors who helped them get on their feet. Joel and Luke often cite others’ generosity in those years as the inspiration for their band which formed in 2012.
Joel Smallbone, the oldest of the duo, is not only a part of the band, but has also acted in several movies. These include Journey to Bethlehem (Antipater), Priceless (James Stevens) and his newest and unreleased film, Unsung Hero (David Smallbone). Unsung Hero, which will be in theaters on April 26, 2024 shows the difficulties the Smallbones faced in starting their new life in the U.S. Joel now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is married to Moriah Peters who is also a singer and actress. As a child, Luke had little to no interest in singing. He had aspirations of becoming an athlete instead. This changed however, due to an injury in sports, which pushed him closer to music. In 2010, Luke married Courtney Helm, the inspiration behind one of the band’s songs, “Burn the Ships,” which talks about Courtney’s brief addiction struggle. The couple now lives in Nashville, Tennessee on a farm with their four children: three boys and one girl. The second of the three boys, Phoenix Smallbone, recently became the newest member of the band’s Christmas tour, playing the role of Little Drummer Boy.
Despite the band’s constant travels on the road, their five siblings and parents continue to support the band by joining them from show to show. Though not always traveling with the band, the duo’s wives have been featured in certain For King and Country songs such as “Pioneers” and “Without You.”. While the band began playing small scale concerts to crowds of a couple hundred people, today they play to sold out venues all across the world with successful tours such as What Are We Waiting For, Burn the Ships, and A Drummer Boy Christmas. With this success came collaborations with famous recording artists such as Dolly Parton, Jordin Sparks, Gabby Barrett, Timbaland, Tori Kelly, and Kirk Franklin.
For King and Country’s shows, with an average of over twenty thousand attendees, have become a crowd favorite. Though the band’s music genre is largely considered to be Christian, it’s not your grandma’s worship music. With confetti cannons, a live band, stage stunts, strobe lights, unique instruments and performers suspended in the air, and in person interactions with the duo themselves, the band works hard to provide a fun experience for everyone. Additionally, during concerts, For King and Country takes time to raise awareness of and support for organizations such as Compassion International at their concerts because of how the kindness of others impacted and saved their own family when they were in need all those years ago.
With their performance just two weeks away, don’t wait to buy your tickets. Although the band claims it is not their first rodeo so to speak, it’s okay if it’s yours.
Sources:
International, Compassion. “Sponsor a Child.” Sponsor a Child, Compassion International, www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/?irgwc=1&irclickid=RHl3C9QCkxyPWKf3QD3k3R5cUkHwYXTt3yJhR00&utm_source=impact-radius&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=15682_3426829&utm_content=Online+Tracking+Link_1275694&referer=639122&gad_source=1. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
Rodeo, Houston Livestock. “The Official Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Website.” Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – HLSR, 8 Feb. 2024, www.rodeohouston.com/.
Smallbone, Joel. “About Us.” For KING & COUNTRY, for KING & COUNTRY, www.forkingandcountry.com/pages/about-us. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.
Watts, Cindy. “For King & Country Gives Thanks for Family, Early Trials.” The Tennessean, Nashville, 27 Nov. 2014, www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2014/11/27/king-country-rebecca-st-james/70106770/.
