For Lonestar, the show must go on - with Gracin

McDonald decided to have surgery to repair a disc problem in his back, but needed more time for recovery than anticipated. When Lonestar�s first dates were at hand, the band found a temporary replacement in friend and fellow musician Gracin.

�We had a couple of shows coming up, and Josh was on the bill with us,� explains Lonestar's Dean Sams, �and when we told him about our situation, he said, �Hey, I�ve been a Lonestar fan since I was a kid! I could fill in for Richie on the shows we have together.��

�The first thing I said was, �That�d be great,� and then I said, �okay, let�s not bring up that kid thing again,�� he laughed.

Gracin and Lonestar practiced for about 90 minutes and then played a fundraiser in Corpus Christi for the South Texas Academic Rising Stars. �Some of the songs Josh wanted to sing are songs we haven�t played in awhile, so it was really fun to mix it up,� said guitarist Keech Rainwater.

�We had a blast and raised some money for a good cause at the same,� allowed guitarist Michael Britt.