The Kentucky Headhunters are an American country rock and Southern rock band consisting of Doug Phelps (lead vocals, bass guitar), Greg Martin (lead guitar, background vocals), and brothers Richard Young (lead and background vocals, rhythm guitar) and Fred Young (drums, vocals). They were founded in 1968 as Itchy Brother, which consisted of the Young brothers and Martin, along with Anthony Kenney on bass and vocals. Itchy Brother performed together until 1982, with James Harrison replacing Martin from 1973 to 1976. The Youngs and Martin began performing as The Kentucky Headhunters in 1986, adding brothers Ricky Lee Phelps (lead vocals, harmonica) and Doug Phelps (bass guitar, vocals) to the membership.
With the release of their 1989 debut album Pickin' on Nashville via Mercury Records, the band charted four consecutive Top 40 country singles. A second album for Mercury, Electric Barnyard, did not do as well commercially, and the Phelps brothers left after its release to form Brother Phelps. Kenney re-joined and Mark S. Orr took over on lead vocals for 1993's Rave On!! and a compilation album entitled The Best of The Kentucky Headhunters: Still Pickin' before the band exited Mercury. Orr left and Doug Phelps rejoined in 1996 as lead vocalist for the album Stompin' Grounds. He also led on the Audium Entertainment albums Songs from the Grass String Ranch and Soul, as well as Big Boss Man and a second compilation, Flying Under the Radar, on CBuJ Entertainment. After Kenney's departure, Doug once again became the band's bass guitarist by the release of its next album, Dixie Lullabies, in 2011.
The Kentucky Headhunters have released eight studio albums, three compilations, and twenty-three singles, of which the highest-peaking is a cover of the Don Gibson song "Oh Lonesome Me," which the band took to number 8 in 1990. In addition, the band has won three Country Music Association awards, an Academy of Country Music award and a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, won in 1990 for Pickin' on Nashville.