The journey began in 1986 after brothers Rick and Joe Rogers visited the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Inspired by the beautiful surroundings, Rick named his newly formed group Carolina Starr.
Earlier iterations of the band included friends of the Rogers brothers. Jamie Cochran, guitar and vocals, was who invited the Rogers brothers to go to North Carolina and was highly influential in the band's early days providing direction by introducing many of the bands that shaped Carolina Starr's sound. Angelo D'Antoni, bass and vocals, was dedicated and helped provide a solid foundation during the band's first few years. Lee McDonald, drums and vocals, was also pivotal to the band's early growth by lending his talent for songwriting as well as vocals to the band. As the music progressed, so did the musicians. Rick played both mandolin and guitar and was the lead vocalist. Joe played lead guitar, banjo, mandolin, keyboard, and provided backing vocals. In 1988 Jason Morris joined as drummer replacing Lee, and two years later in 1990 Kenny Preo joined the group, after Jamie left to pursue other interests, adding guitar, bass, keyboard, and vocals. In 1992 Alan Herring joined, rounding out the lineup as the full-time bassist and keyboardist while adding tenor vocals. Angelo stayed on as a writing contributor on later projects.
Rick's vision for the band was a blend of bluegrass, country, and rock music. This foundation was rooted in the group and has become their signature sound. In the earlier days of Carolina Starr, the band was known for performing secular music at county fairs and private engagements. However, being born again Christians, the band felt called to use their talents to honor God by playing in church and sharing the gospel through song.
In 1996, Carolina Starr went on hiatus as the members each pursued personal music careers. This temporary pause lasted over a decade until the band reunited in 2008. Playing gospel music was always a big part of the group's repertoire, but it became clear that the band was permanently shifting away from the worldly music that they'd played for so long. Today, Carolina Starr solely focuses on Christian music and ministry.
