Cross Canadian Ragweed take their name from three of the members' last names: Grady Cross, Cody Canada, and Randy Ragsdale. Jeremy Plato is the band's fourth member.
After forming in Yukon, Oklahoma, they moved to the college town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, After the release of a self-titled album also known as the purple album, the band moved into the mainstream eye. Their 2004 offering Soul Gravy debuted at #4 on the Billboard charts.
The band frequently plays with Dierks Bentley and other stars of the Red Dirt music scene.