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Grammy-winning singer-songwriters Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires have ended their marriage after nearly 11 years. Isbell filed for divorce on December 15, 2023, in Williamson County Chancery Court, just outside of Nashville, according to court records obtained by People magazine.
The news comes as a shock to many fans who admired the couple’s personal and professional partnership. Isbell and Shires married in 2013 after Isbell’s battle with addiction and subsequent sobriety journey.
Since being married in February 2013, Isbell and Shires, who have an 8-year-old daughter named Mercy, have been a musical force. Shires plays guitar for Isbell’s country supergroup The Highwomen and performs fiddle and backup vocals for her band, the 400 Unit.
Isbell said on Instagram, “Every day I wake up and fall in love with you again,” to commemorate their 10th anniversary in February 2023. Despite this, the couple has been transparent about the strain that the publication of Isbell’s album Reunions in 2020 brought in their marriage.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a quasi-famous person like Jason or me, everybody’s relationships are the same; there’s ups and downs and there’s good and bad and you just try to deal with it,” she told the outlet in 2022. “Life’s not easy, marriage isn’t easy, but aren’t we lucky to be able to live?”
Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires frequently collaborated musically and toured together. Their personal and creative connection resonated with their audience, making their separation unexpected. Neither have publicly commented on the divorce, but their representatives confirmed the filing without further details.
Isbell recently released his critically acclaimed album Weathervanes in August 2023, while Shires is a founding member of the acclaimed all-female country group The Highwomen.