Getty Gabby Barrett and Cade Foehner attend the 54th annual CMA Awards at the Music City Center on November 11, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cade Foehner is the husband of powerhouse country singer Gabby Barrett and the father of their daughter, born in January 2021. And yes, these two singers are still together.
Texan rocker Foehner found fame on season 16 of American Idol and has since enjoyed relative success in the music industry. He co-wrote and played guitar on a number of songs on his wife’s debut album, Goldmine. Foehner has also released his own country-rock singles, including “Baby, Let’s Do This.”
Here’s what you need to know about Cade Foehner, Gabby Barrett’s husband:
1. Foehner Was a Rodeo Kid Before Finding Fame on ‘American Idol’ in 2018
Foehner always wore his hair long and shirt unbuttoned while rocking out to classic rock hits on the American Idol stage back in 2018. But he didn’t always exude the style and confidence of an established rockstar. In fact, Foehner was probably always covered in grime as a young rodeo champ — a far cry from his onstage persona years later.
In an interview with KQBB, a local Texas radio station, the Shelbyville, Texas, native revealed he had spent much of his childhood in the rodeo world until he broke his leg in the sixth grade riding a horse.
Turns out, the injury was a blessing in disguise. Foehner, who’d always had a passion for music, realized that he wanted more out of life than competing in rodeos. “I asked for a guitar for Christmas and picked it up, and then I just kind of fell in love,” he told KQBB. “And that’s kind of what sparked it all was falling in love with the guitar.”
2. Foehner Discovered His Passion for Music While Growing Up in the Bible Belt
Foehner is a religious man, per The Christian Post, so it’s no surprise he got his start in music on the church stage. “The first time I ever played in front of anybody was in the praise and worship band. That’s always played a part in developing me as a musician,” Foehner told The Christian Post. He not only learned how to sing and play guitar at his East Texas church, but he also developed a love for Christianity.
Foehner was known on American Idol for singing classic rock songs, like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” While he may gravitate towards rock music, he told The Christian Post that he believes “the whole purpose of any kind of music [for me] is to evangelize and to tell people about the Lord.” While competing on the show in 2018, the rocker was majoring in biblical studies, per Liberty University’s website.
Foehner is quite vocal about his Christian faith. His Instagram bio reads: “Sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ alone.” Following a performance of Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” on American Idol, he revealed that he’s a minister.
3. Foehner & Barrett Met & Fell in Love While Competing on ‘American Idol’
Foehner and Barrett first met and fell in love while competing in season 16 of American Idol in 2018, Barrett said in a July 2020 interview on Live with Kelly and Ryan. But it wasn’t love at first sight, at least not for Barrett. “I thought he was cute, but I didn’t think there was going to be anything that came out of it,” she explained to People following her engagement to Foehner in 2019. In her defense, she was a little busy placing third on American Idol while her future hubby was eliminated in the top five.
Though Barrett wasn’t feeling a love connection at first, she did feel enough to make the first move during filming, she shared in an interview with PopCulture.com. “So the thing was, I saw [Foehner] originally. He has a really cool look, my husband. … He has lots of hair, just super cool rocker dude, and I wanted to make a video with him of us singing together. And so I initiated it. I didn’t think he liked me at first, but then he texted me and I was like, ‘Oh I see what’s going on here,’ so it was a mutual thing, but I went after him first.”
Barrett and Foehner’s connection turned to love after the American Idol cameras stopped rolling. One year later, in 2019, the musical duo was engaged, per People. Foehner told the mag he didn’t want to waste any more time not being married to Barrett. “What’s the sense in sitting around and waiting around to be married? I’m ready to do this thing and when I’m 80 years old I’m going to look back at the time I wasted not being her husband.”
The music duo tied the knot that same year in a small, intimate ceremony in Garrison, Texas, People reported in October 2019. The wedding was officiated by the couple’s good friend, Jeremy Vuolo, who’s the husband of Counting On star Jinger Duggar.
4. An ‘American Idol’ Star Judge Had the Hots for Foehner
Barrett wasn’t the only girl crushing on Cade Foehner during season 16 of American Idol. Pop sensation and American Idol judge Katy Perry made it clear she was into Foehner after watching his live rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.” Fellow judge Lionel Richie had to physically hold Perry back as she attempted to run onstage to be closer to Foehner.
Perry, who appeared all hot and bothered for a couple of minutes, told the rocker from the judge’s table that she “saw some things that my minister parents had to shun” while watching his performance. Foehner consoled her by saying that he’s a minister. Perry flirtatiously responded: “You can preach to me anytime you want.”
So it’s no surprise Perry was visibly heartbroken when she found out in a later episode that Foehner was possibly dating Barrett, as seen in an ET recap of the American Idol episode. Following one of Foehner’s performances, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest joined him on stage and asked if he was singing the song to anyone in particular. “Possibly, yeah,” Foehner responded shyly. Perry interrupted and asked, “Who is she?” Seacrest hinted at it being someone backstage in the lounge, and cameras quickly cut to a frazzled Barrett covering her eyes and shaking her head in embarrassment. Turns out the rumors were true.
5. Foehner & Barrett Share a Baby Girl
Foehner and Barrett didn’t waste much time when it came to starting a family of their own. In January 2021, the musical duo welcomed a healthy baby girl, Baylah May, into the world.
Barrett shared the happy news with fans on Instagram: “Got to spend a very sweet week with our newest addition.. meet our girl🥰,” the singer wrote in the caption of a photo of her newborn baby wrapped in a blanket. Baylah May is now a regular on her mom’s Instagram feed.
Back when the duo first announced their pregnancy exclusively with People, Foehner shared that they “talked and prayed” about having kids. But it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic closed up much of the country in 2020 that the two decided that they wanted to start a family right away. Foehner told the mag, “We were expecting it to take a little while, and it seemed like the first try that it happened, so we were just so excited. We were blown away that it worked so quickly.”
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