3 Doors Down is a rock band that was formed in 1994 by three friends who had grown up together in Escatawpa, Mississippi (U.S.A.) and who all shared a common interest in rock music.

• Original lineup:
• Brad Arnold (vocals and drums),
• Matt Roberts (guitar),
• Todd Harrell (bass), and later, in 1996,
• Chris Henderson (guitar) joined the band.

They began playing locally, a mix of both cover songs and original songs. But eventually began to tour outside of Escatawpa, and it was during a trip to Foley, Alabama that they came up with their official name. When the three band members were walking through the town, they saw a building where some letters had fallen off its sign, and it read "Doors Down." Since at the time the group still consisted of three people, they added the "3" to create "3 Doors Down."