BR549

Before moving to Nashville and forming BR5-49, Chuck Mead played in a band called Homestead Grays, a roots-rock outfit based in his hometown of Lawrence, Kansas.^[2] Gary Bennett, meanwhile, fronted an informal band that played at Robert's Western World, a Broadway bar in Nashville, Tennessee, when he met Mead at a nearby bar.^[1] In 1993, the two formed a band, and completing the lineup were electric bassist Jim "Bones" Becker, then upright bassist "Smilin'" Jay McDowell (formerly of another band called Hellbilly), multi-instrumentalist Don Herron, and drummer "Hawk" Shaw Wilson.^[2] They assumed the name BR5-49 (from the telephone number of a used-car dealer in a running Junior Samples comedy sketch on the television series Hee Haw),^[1] and began playing several nights a week for tips at Robert's.^[6]

Original co-frontman Gary Bennett released his solo debut, Human Condition, in February 2006. In October 2010, Raucous Records released Bennett's follow-up album, My Ol' Guitar, co-produced by Kenny Vaughan and including several BR549 re-recordings.

Smilin' Jay McDowell has gone on to work in postproduction in the music video world. He was in charge of the video department for the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. He directed a DVD project for Gary Bennett titled Inside and Out.

Former bassist Geoff Firebaugh founded a rockabilly band named Hillbilly Casino that is a crowd favorite in downtown Nashville on lower Broadway.

Chris Scruggs released a solo album titled Anthem in 2009. As of 2015, he is the bassist and multi-instrumentalist in Marty Stuart’s backing band, the Fabulous Superlatives.

Chuck Mead released Journeyman's Wager in 2009 and toured with his Grassy Knoll Boys in support of the release; this was followed by the classic-country covers album Back at the Quonset Hut in 2012 and Free State Serenade in 2014. In 2006, Chuck began his association with the hit Broadway Musical Million Dollar Quartet beginning in Florida as the Musical Arranger and Musical Director; he has also worked with the cast at The Village Theatre near Seattle, Washington, The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and The Nederlander Theatre on Broadway in New York City. He is currently^[when?] working with the new cast in England as they prepare to open at The Noël Coward Theatre in City of Westminster.

Mark Miller was a founding member of the Ex-Husbands, formed in New York City in 1993 with lead singer Anders Thomsen and drummer Michael Smith. The band released two critically acclaimed albums on Tar Hut Records – a self-titled debut and the follow-up, All Gussied Up. Both made the Gavin Americana top 20 and the latter reached that chart's top 10. Miller released the solo record Dodsen Chapel in 2005.

Original bass picker Jim "Bones" Becker has now retired.

According to Trouser Press, while alternative country bands typically try to emulate the sound of prerock and roll-era country music, BR549's sound draws from postrock and roll styles, "when honky tonk, rockabilly, Western swing, bittersweet storyteller swill, and Sheb Wooley all commingled in search of proper homes in the evolving country landscape."^[9] BR549's sound encompasses alternative country,^[1][9] Western swing,^[1] Bakersfield sound,^[1] rockabilly^[1][9] and country rock.^[1][9] According to Trouser Press, the band "poised themselves as authentic defenders of the faith, but a name taken from a recurring Hee Haw skit and a predilection for campy vintage clothing threatened to make them alt-country’s answer to Sha Na Na."^[9] Steve Huey of AllMusic described their sound and appearance as "unabashedly retro", as the band's members dressed in "old, budget-friendly clothes".^[1]

• Chuck Mead – guitar, vocals
• Gary Bennett – guitar, vocals
• Shaw Wilson – drums, backing vocals
• Don Herron – fiddle, steel guitar, mandolin, Dobro, banjo
• Smilin' Jay McDowell – upright bass