Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires' relationship timeline
Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesJason Isbell And Amanda Shires were one of the biggest power couples in country music before ending their decade-long marriage in February 2024.
Isbell first saw Shires play in 2003 and met her at one of her performances the following year. The two shared a meet-cute as Isbell sat in the front row to watch her perform with a group called the Thrift Store Cowboys. “In retrospect that seems really creepy, I would never do that,” Isbell joked Rolling stone in October 2018.
Shires, for her part, asked Isbell to autograph a Polaroid photo, which Isbell told the outlet they had in the bathroom of their home.
The couple stayed in touch, started dating in 2011 and married in 2013. They expanded their family with the birth of their daughter Mercy in 2015.
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Over the years, Shires has shared the stage with Isbell as part of his band, The 400 Unit, in addition to releasing her own solo projects. The group took home their second Grammy for Best Americana Album Weather vanes days before news of the couple's divorce broke.
We weekly confirmed in February 2024 that Isbell had filed for divorce from Shires, two months before their 11th wedding anniversary.
Keep scrolling to see Isbell and Shires' relationship timeline:
2004
Shires told Rolling stone in October 2018 that she had never heard of Isbell or his former band, Drive-By Truckers, at the time they met. “I had two friends at that show and one of my friends said, 'That's Jason Isbell from the Drive-By Truckers band. He's famous.' I was like, 'Cool,'” she told the outlet.
For his part, Isbell was unaware that Shires' friend had blown him up, saying, “I wasn't that famous.” But in the Caledonia Lounge [2005]I think I was.
2011
The same year she and Isbell started dating, Shires appeared on her first album with The 400 Unit, Here we rest.
July 2012
After a few weeks on the road performing, Isbell returned home to surprise Shires by popping the question. “Happiest day of my life. @amandashires said yes!” Isbell tweeted at the time.
February 2013
The couple said “I do” after about two years of dating.
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May 2014
Shires recalled helping Isbell quit drinking and going to rehab in the early days of their relationship. “The last night before, because I think he knew he was going to rehab, he wanted to do all the drugs, drink everything, drink the moonshine, all that late-night stuff, it was crazy,” she explained in an interview with WNYC Studios. “It started out as a cool night, you know, and ended up as the worst night ever, ever, ever. At that point I had nothing to do with him anymore. Because I was so angry the next morning.
Isbell noted that he got sober “right before” he and Shires decided to move in together, stating that he knew their relationship was “in jeopardy” before he went to rehab.
“So as nervous as I was, and as scared as I was that she might not be there when I got out, I was still looking for a way to make it work,” he added. “And put a lot of energy into that. And part of me thought it would be okay. But I wasn't sure.”
September 2015
Isbell and Shires welcomed their first and only child together, daughter Mercy. “So happy and grateful to have Mercy Rose Isbell in the world. 📷,” Shires captioned a photo of her then-newborn daughter via X.
December 2017
Isbell talked about how he and Shires are balancing parenthood with their music careers. “As a team, our family is a collective effort and we really want to get the best out of everyone,” he said NPR. “I don't want to do anything that will stop Amanda from doing what she does best, because as long as we play to our strengths, the team becomes stronger and the family becomes stronger. If I said, 'I'd rather you stay home and watch the baby while I'm touring,' that wouldn't allow her to do what she does best.”
May 2020
Isbell detailed his and Shires' marital problems in an interview with The New York Times. “At one point I said, 'It would be easier if someone cheated.' Then we could say, “You did this,” or “I did this,” and “Someone must be really sorry,” he said. “But it was more like, 'We don't know each other right now. We can't speak the same language.'” The two eventually overcame a rough patch after Shires spent 10 days alone in a hotel.
That same month, Isbell shared a sweet photo of Shires picking flowers with their daughter in honor of Mother's Day. “Happy Mother's Day, @amandapearlshires. We are so lucky,” he wrote in the caption Instagram photo.
July 2022
Shires was inspired by the relationship problems between her and Isbell while writing her seventh studio album, Take it like a man. “We've all had turmoil within our respective marriages, and it definitely came from a place of vulnerability,” she shared Nashville scene. “That's how I would describe in one word how I chose each song for the record. You have the choice to be vulnerable or not. No matter how you treat yourself, it's all about choices.”
Isbell praised Shires' latest work via Instagram wrote at the time: “My brilliant wife @amandapearlshires has truly done an amazing job with her new album 'Take It Like A Man.' I'm proud to have helped and grateful to be part of her creative life. It's out today! Be happy and listen!”
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April 2023
The former couple's relationship ups and downs were one of the main focuses of the HBO documentary Jason Isbell: Running with our eyes closedwhich followed the making of Isbell and the 400 Unit's 2020 album Reunions.
February 2023
“Happy ten years, @amandapearlshires. Every day I wake up and fall in love with you all over again,” Isbell wrote alongside a slideshow of Instagram photos celebrating the milestone in his and Shires' relationship.
Shires celebrated the anniversary with its own birthday Instagram post, writing: “Cheers to all the laughing, talking, laughing, traveling, dancing, laughing, growing, laughing, learning, laughing, loving and making music, a family and a life together. I love you very much.”
February 2024
Us confirmed that Isbell filed for divorce in Tennessee in December 2023. The split news came the same month the duo were set to celebrate their 11th wedding anniversary.