Kacey Musgraves is one of the most beloved names in the music industry. An American country music singer, the 30-year-old appeared on the fifth season of USA’s Nashville Star, where she placed seventh. She has since skyrocketed, and last March, she released her third studio album to critical acclaim.
But who is the man supporting her every step of the way? What do we know about Musgraves’ husband, Ruston Kelly?
Read on.
1. They Began Dating Shortly After Having a Songwriting Date
GettyRecording artists Ruston Kelly (L) and Kacey Musgraves pose as they arrive for the 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
One night in 2016, Musgraves drove to the Bluebird Cafe to watch an ex-boyfriend (whom she was on good terms with) sing. Ruston Kelly was one of the artists who also took to the stage to perform.
According to Texas Monthly, Musgraves couldn’t see Kelly’s face, but she began crying once he started singing.
Kelly says of the interaction, “She was wearing a black dress, and of course she had that long black hair… I thought, ‘This is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.’ ”
Three months later, Musgraves invited Kelly over for a songwriting session. They ended up dating shortly after.
1. The Song ‘Butterflies’ Is About Kelly
Multiple outlets report that Musgraves wrote the song “Butterflies” after meeting Ruston Kelly.
In an interview about the song, Musgraves shared, “Butterflies is one of my favorite songs on the record… Everything from the lyrics down to the production really represents this floaty, dreamy feeling that I got as soon as he came into my life.”
She continues, “I had gotten off the road and tried to get back to my creative roots of just writing again just to write and explore new ideas. I had just met Ruston, so my world had been completely flipped upside down, so this is a great sonic representation of that.”
She has also said that her marriage inspired the album “Golden Hour”, which has been nominated at the 2019 Grammys.
3. They Married in October 2017
Kelly and Musgraves became engaged on Christmas Eve 2016. They married in October 2017 in an outdoor wedding in Tennessee.
They announced their engagement in an Instagram post captioned, “I didn’t say yes…I said HELL YESSSS!!” Musgraves captioned a festive snap of her stunning engagement ring whole posing in front of a tinsel-laced Christmas tree. “Last night, the best man I’ve ever met got down on one knee in my little pink childhood home..in the same room I played with my ponies and barbies and asked me the easiest question I’ve ever been asked. ❤ I finally know what everyone means when they say ‘you just know.’” To date, the post has over 58k likes.
The pair tied the knot after about a year of dating, according to US Weekly.
4. He Has Written Songs for Tim McGraw
According to his website, Kelly “writes and performs the kinds of songs that inspire novels and movies.” He has written songs for Tim McGraw, Josh Abbott Bond, and others, and has released a debut EP album called Halloween.
Last year, Kelly released his first full-length album, Dying Star, which, according to an interview with Rolling Stone, he says was inspired by how he felt after suffering from an overdose in 2015.
What’s next on his calendar? Kelly is about to tour with Brothers Osborne.
5. They Have Performed a Duet
While the two don’t seem to be working on an album together, they have collaborated in the past.
Above, you can watch the pair belting out “To June This Morning” by Jonny Cash.
In an interview with Hits Daily Double, Musgraves shared about her husband, “I love love. So much I’ve never expressed it inwardly in the songs. Now that I’m with someone who loves me no matter what my flaws are, it’s a whole other thing… And you see it even more clearly. Good God, people suck. But then my heart wrenches for people in every situation: How did they get like that? And maybe in the craziness of the societal and political landscape, being a voice for love is radical.”