Confederate Railroad was founded in 1987 by Danny Shirley, Michael Lamb, Gates Nichols (May 26, 1944 – August 14, 2009), Chris McDaniel, Wayne Secrest (April 29, 1950 – June 2, 2018), and Mark Dufresne. The six members began playing at bars in and around Atlanta, Georgia and Augusta, Georgia. Over time, they also worked as a road band for David Allan Coe and Johnny Paycheck. Shirley had previously been signed to the Amor record label as a solo singer, charting five times on the country charts between 1984 and 1988.