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Dan + Shay is a country duo that has been active in music since 2013 but really made its mark in recent years with a string of No. 1 hits, including “10,000 Hours,” a collaboration with Justin Bieber that dominated the airwaves in 2019. They’ve won two Grammy Awards, two CMT Awards, and three Academy of Country Music Awards. But not a lot of fans know about their lives behind the scenes.
Both men are married — Daniel Smyers, 32, is married to Abby Law, while James Shay Mooney, 28, is married to Hannah Billingsley. Ahead of the duo playing at the 2020 Super Bowl Music Fest and on the FOX NFL Pregame Special, here’s what you need to know about their wives.
1. Dan and Abby Met at an Animal Rescue Center
Talk about a heartwarming meet-cute and lifelong commitment to animal welfare. Dan and Abby met an animal rescue center in Nashville in 2013 and are now the proud owners of four rescue dogs named Chief, Joy, Ghost, and Macaroni. They love their puppies so much that they went for them as Halloween one year.
In fact, when the two became engaged on a trip to Hawaii in November 2016, Dan posted to Instagram that they were now going to “save all the animals together, FOREVER.” And when they got married, they put the Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue on their registry so that their friends and family could make donations in lieu of giving them gifts.
In 2018, Dan told fellow country artist Kix Brooks in an interview how important animal rescuing is to him and his wife, saying, “Animal rescue is super close to our hearts and it takes up a lot of our time. It can be emotional, it can be tough sometimes, but to help an animal find his forever home is a cool thing to do. Having a platform with music and having super passionate fans who help out, too, it’s cool when there’s a fundraiser and fans gear up and get behind it. It’s cool to be able to do something good with what we’ve been given and blessed with.”
2. Shay and Hannah Grew Their Romance Through Text Messages
Shay told People in 2016 when he and Hannah got engaged that they met through mutual friends in 2014 and for him, it was absolutely love at first sight. But Hannah had to be wooed… via text messages.
“From the very first time I saw her, I knew I wanted to marry her. She’s stunning. I finally convinced her to come to a show in Fayetteville, Arkansas,” said Mooney, adding, “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, so I had to lock it down. She’s my better — and much better-looking — half.”
Shay popped the question outside a country church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which had both of their families hidden inside to celebrate after he popped the question. Shay said he was so nervous, he’s not even sure what he blurted out to Hannah, he just knew that she said yes.
“I was so shaky and nervous I don’t even remember what I said, or if what I said made a lick of sense,” said Shay.
3. The Couples Got Married Within Five Months of Each Other
Dan and Abby were married on May 13, 2017, then Shay and Hannah followed suit on October 20, 2017. Additionally, Shay and Hannah welcomed their son, Asher James Mooney, on January 24, 2017. So needless to say, 2017 was a big year for the country duo and their spouses.
When Dan and Abby got married in Nashville, their rescue pups wore dog-sized tuxedos and dresses and stood up as part of the wedding party. The couple also had a lot of vegetarian and vegan options at their reception because they are both vegetarians, they told People.
Shay and Hannah were married outside on the Mooney family property in Arkansas with baby Asher James carried down the aisle sporting a tiny tuxedo, according to People. During the outdoor reception, Shay got choked up singing an original song he had written for his new wife. They then jetted off to Cancun, Mexico, for their honeymoon.
4. Abby Co-Founded a Philanthropic App
If you’ve ever been wondering how to make it easier to donate to charity, Abby’s app may be your solution. Alongside her partners Marco Wade and Andy Stanley, she cofounded GVE, app developed and launched through IndieGoGo crowdsourced funding that aims to unify “the way we give, volunteer and raise awareness” by “simplify[ing] your relationship with the charitable organizations you care about the most.”
The IndieGoGo page says that they’ve “built a platform where convenience, transparency, content, and technology propel nonprofits to new levels of awareness and growth resources for their cause.” In the app, you can “browse, discover and follow new causes, share experiences and volunteer opportunities with family and friends,” and “keep track of all of your donations in one profile.”
The platform offers “a number of ways to donate to causes you are passionate about! Recurring donations, one time donations and even a round-up function allowing your change from purchases to accumulate over time!”
5. Hannah is a Former Miss Arkansas USA
Shay did say that Hannah was so “stunning” that it was love at first sight, so it’s no wonder she has a history in beauty pageants. Hannah was Miss Arkansas USA 2013 and went on to compete in the national Miss USA pageant that same year, though she did not advance out of the general field to the quarterfinals.
But Hannah’s Miss USA profile reveals that she grew up on a cattle farm and as an adult, had her own small herd of cattle that helped earn income that paid for her college at the University of Central Arkansas where she studied Communication Disorders in the hopes of becoming a Speech Language Pathologist. She played basketball and softball growing up, evening winning state titles and competing at nationals. Finally, Hannah’s philanthropies include the Be Her Freedom campaign against human trafficking, Habitat for Humanity, Shoebox Ministries, the Children’s Miracle Network, Feeding Arkansas Kids and the Backpack Program. In 2012, she received the Miracle Maker Award from the Children’s Miracle Network.
In an interview for the Miss USA pageant, Hannah told Nick Teplitz that she’s addicted to pickles, the movie The Notebook makes her cry every time she watches it, her favorite accessory is earrings, and she doesn’t have any tattoos but if she got one it would be her middle name. In case you’re curious, Hannah revealed her middle name to Arkansas Bride during a feature about her wedding. Hannah’s middle name is “Love,” which was her mother’s maiden name.
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