blues singer Lady A says Lady Antebellum can be Lady A too

As you may recall, country pop group Lady Antebellum announced they were dropping “Antebellum” from their name, writing in a statement they were “deeply sorry” and did not originally “take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before The Civil War, which includes slavery.” The trio announced they would be continuing on as Lady A, but then it turned out Seattle blues singer Anita White had already been going by Lady A for 20 years.

Well, the two parties talked via a Zoom call and are apparently both going to be known as Lady A. “Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A. Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had,” wrote country pop band Lady A on Monday, sharing a picture of the Zoom call. “We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The hurt is turning into hope. More to come.”

Anita White told CBS News that though she was “furious” when she first found out, “I accepted that apology and forgive them for that misstep, but at the same time, we need to work to make a better change….I don’t want people out there spewing hate just because they made a misstep. And yes, I was angry about it, but I’m over it now.”

If you’re wondering how this will work for streaming services, both Lady As now have their own Spotify page (though the group formerly known as Lady Antebellum’s comes up first as Top Result). White told CBS that she’s thankful for the “free press,” adding, “I had an audience and a fan base before this. I have CD’s out before this. I’ve toured before this…This will only make it better.”

Meanwhile, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers has apologized for his band’s name, saying, “I’m not sure changing it now serves any higher purpose, but I’m certainly open to suggestions.”