Michael Jason Isbell ( ; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Isbell began his career as a member of

Drive-By Truckers Drive-By Truckers are an American rock music, rock band based in Athens, Georgia. Two of five current members (Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley (American musician), Mike Cooley) are originally from The Shoals region of northern Alabama and met as ...

for six years, from 2001 to 2007. His first album with his backing band, The 400 Unit, was released in 2009. In 2013, Isbell released his solo commercial breakthrough, '' Southeastern'', which debuted at No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and appeared on ''Rolling Stone'''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album also featured his signature song, " Cover Me Up", which won Song of the Year at the

Americana Music Honors & Awards The Americana Music Honors & Awards is the marquee event for the Americana Music Association. Beginning in 2002, the Americana Music Association honors distinguished members of the music community. Six member-voted awards and several Lifetime A ...

. He would later win the same award for songs "If We Were Vampires" and "24 Frames". Isbell has won six

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s out of seven nominations. As an actor, Isbell has appeared in roles in the television series '' Squidbillies'' and '' Billions'', as well as the films '' Deadwood: The Movie'' and '' Killers of the Flower Moon''. His most recent album with The 400 Unit, '' Weathervanes'', was released in June 2023. His most recent solo album,'' Foxes in the Snow'', was released in March 2025.

Early life

Isbell was born in Green Hill, Alabama, two miles () from the

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

state line, the son of interior designer Angela Hill Barnett and house painter Mike Isbell. Isbell's mother was only 17 years old (and his father 19 years old) when he was born and is the subject of a song, "Children of Children". Isbell's parents divorced, and he has two much younger half-siblings. Isbell grew up in

North Alabama North Alabama is a region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Several geographic definitions for the area exist, with all descriptions including the nine counties of Alabama's Tennessee Valley region. The North Alabama Industrial Development Associ ...

. His grandparents lived on a farm down the road next to the school that Isbell attended; they looked after him while his parents were at work. His grandfather and uncle taught him to play various instruments, including the

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

when he was six years old, as it was easier for him to grip as a small child. They enjoyed

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...

bluegrass music Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass has roots in African America ...

, and the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

. In high school, he played

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

and

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...

. Isbell's family would get together and play music every week, sometimes twice a week. Isbell's paternal grandfather, who came from a musical family, was a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

preacher and played guitar in church. Isbell spent his childhood attending both the Pentecostal church and the stricter

Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...

, which permitted only singing without musical instruments. Isbell started playing in a

garage band Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

and a country cover band when he was 14 or 15 years old with his friend, songwriter

Chris Tompkins Christopher G. Tompkins (born Muscle Shoals, Alabama) is an American songwriter based in Nashville. Since 2002 he has co-written songs for pop, rock, and country artists Jimmy Buffett, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean ...

. They played at the

when Isbell was 16. Isbell attended the

University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

, studying English and creative writing. He dropped out, being short one credit, to go on tour. In September 2023, after discussions with the University of Memphis about his career experience, he was awarded his bachelor's degree in English.

Career

When Isbell was a teenager, many musicians took him under their wing. He got to know session bassist

David Hood David Hood (born September 21, 1943) is an American musician, hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, He is known for playing the bass guitar and trombone, and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Early life and education Hood was b ...

, father of

co-founder Patterson Hood, because David Hood was in the

Florence, Alabama Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner, and had a population of 40,184 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Florence is l ...

area and played around town on Friday and Saturday nights in local restaurants and bars. By this time, Patterson Hood and his future Drive-By Truckers co-founder, Mike Cooley, were older and had moved out of town. Isbell would go watch David Hood and others perform. After he eventually found the nerve to tell them he played the guitar, they invited him to join them onstage, which resulted in friendship and mentorship. Isbell submitted demos and eventually got a publishing deal with

FAME Studios FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios is a recording studio located at 603 East Avalon Avenue in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States, an area of northern Alabama known as the Shoals. Though small and distant from the main recording l ...

Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...

, when he was 21. He worked with FAME for 15 years, through his solo album ''Southeastern''. Isbell also recorded pieces of his solo albums at FAME Studios, as well as the Drive-By Truckers' ''The Dirty South''.

Drive-By Truckers

In 2001, at age 22, Isbell joined the Drive-By Truckers while they toured in support of their album ''

Southern Rock Opera ''Southern Rock Opera'' is the third studio album by the American rock band Drive-By Truckers, released in 2001. A double album covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 1970s stadium rock, ''Southern Rock Opera'' ...

''. The band operated out of

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

, where Isbell lived while with the band. Co-founder Patterson Hood recalls that he met Isbell through Dick Cooper, a mutual friend from Muscle Shoals. Hood invited Isbell to join the Drive-By Truckers after he sat in with the group at an acoustic house party when guitarist Rob Malone did not show up. Isbell recorded and contributed many songs to the Drive-By Truckers for their next three albums, 2003's ''

Decoration Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States for National day of mourning, mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States ...

,'' 2004's '' The Dirty South,'' and 2006's '' A Blessing and a Curse.'' The title track of ''Decoration Day'' was revealed by Isbell in the 2014 ''

Live from Lincoln Center ''Live from Lincoln Center'' was a seventeen-time Emmy Award-winning series that broadcast notable performances from the Lincoln Center in New York City on PBS starting 1976. The program aired between six and nine times per season. Episodes of '' ...

'' concert to be a true story about his family members. For most of his time as a band member, Isbell was married to Shonna Tucker, who joined the band after Isbell as bassist. The two were part of the band's documentary, ''The Secret to a Happy Ending''. The two later divorced. On April 5, 2007, Isbell announced that he was no longer a member of the Drive-By Truckers. The following day, Patterson Hood confirmed the break on the band's official site. In his letter to the fans, Hood described the parting of ways as "amicable" and expressed the hope that fans would continue to support the Drive-By Truckers as well as Isbell's solo efforts. Isbell had been with the Drive-By Truckers for six years. Jimbo Hart and Jason Isbell

On June 15, 2014, Isbell teamed with Hood and Mike Cooley for a benefit at the Shoals Theater in

. The sold-out acoustic performance was the first time Isbell had performed with his former bandmates since they split in 2007. In August 2015, Hood joined Isbell onstage and played a couple of Drive-By Truckers songs together in Hood's new adopted hometown of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

Solo work

Isbell released his first solo album, '' Sirens of the Ditch'', on July 10, 2007. In 2012, Isbell supported singer-songwriter

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...

on his tour. Both played solo acoustic sets. On June 11, 2013, Isbell released his fourth solo album, '' Southeastern.'' Produced by

Dave Cobb Dave Cobb (born July 9, 1974) is an American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Take That, Rival ...

and featuring accompanying vocals by

Kim Richey Kimberly Richey (born December 1, 1956) is an American singer and songwriter. Early life Richey was born in Zanesville, Ohio, on December 1, 1956. She grew up in Kettering, Ohio, graduating from Fairmont East High school in 1973. Career Riche ...

and Isbell's wife, Amanda Shires, ''Southeastern'' received overwhelmingly positive critical reviews, earning a score of 87 on

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. ''Southeastern'' led to Isbell's clean sweep of the 2014 Americana Music Awards. ''Southeastern'' won Album of the Year, Isbell was named Artist of the Year, and the song " Cover Me Up" was named Song of the Year. It was later certified Gold by

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

in 2022.

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

rock critic Ken Tucker listed ''Southeastern'' at No. 1 on his top ten albums of 2013. Isbell's record received praise by artists like

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

and

John Prine John Edward Prine (; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humoro ...

. The music video for the song "Traveling Alone" features the Jackson House, a historic home in

Moulton, Alabama Moulton is a city in Lawrence County, Alabama, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. Although it incorporated in 1819,Something More Than Free,'' was released on July 17, 2015, on Southeastern Records.

again produced the album, which was recorded at

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

Sound Emporium Studios Sound Emporium is a music recording studio located at 3100 Belmont Boulevard in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally founded by Jack Clement in 1969 as the Jack Clement Recording Studios, the studio changed ownership and was renamed Sound Emporium ...

with a full band. During the summer of 2015, Isbell was on a North American tour to promote the album, with four consecutive sold-out nights at the

Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (originally Union Gospel Tabernacle and renamed Grand Ole Opry House for a period) is a historic 2,362-seat live-performance venue and museum located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in the downtown core of Nashville, Tennesse ...

in Nashville at the end of October. In April 2016, Isbell appeared on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

live-music show ''

Later With Jools Holland ''Later... with Jools Holland'' (also known as ''Even Later... with Jools Holland'', and previously known as ''Later Live... with Jools Holland'' and ''...Later with Jools Holland'') is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jo ...

,'' singing "The Life You Chose", one of the tracks from ''Something More Than Free''. Isbell said that compared to ''Southeastern,'' ''Something More Than Free'' has a feeling of celebration, which reflects his upcoming fatherhood and a forward-facing momentum. One track on the record, "To a Band I Loved", is a love-letter to the band

Centro-Matic Centro-matic was an American band based in Denton, Texas. History Centro-matic started in 1995 as a side-project for Will Johnson. It released a few singles that year and grew into a full-fledged group in 1997. The initial 60 songs recorded ...

, a now defunct band from

Denton, Texas Denton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, Denton County. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the List of cities in Texas by population, 20th-most populous city in Texas, the List of Un ...

, Isbell played with back in his Drive-By Truckers days. ''Something More Than Free'' debuted at number 1 on

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...

's rock, folk and country record charts. Although Isbell had had critical success in the

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana music, a genre or style of American music * Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1981 film), an American drama film * ''Americana'' (20 ...

genre, this was the first time he received such high ranking across genres. The album was well received, winning two Grammy awards for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song ("24 Frames"). On May 11, 2016, Isbell, a four-time winner, was nominated for three more

: Album of the Year (''Something More Than Free''), Song of the Year ("24 Frames"), and Artist of the Year. He won the first two, while

Chris Stapleton Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American country singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Kentucky, Stapleton moved to Nashville in 1996 to study for an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pur ...

won Artist of the Year.

The 400 Unit

Isbell's band, the 400 Unit, was primarily made up of musicians from the

, area. , the band's lineup was: *

Sadler Vaden Sadler Vaden (born February 19, 1986) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, best known as a member of Jason Isbell's band, The 400 Unit. Biography Sadler Vaden was born on February 19, 1986, in Charlotte, North Carolina. H ...

, guitar, backup vocals – also of Drivin' N Cryin' * Anna Butterss, bass guitar, upright bass * Derry deBorja, keyboard, accordion, backup vocals – formerly of Son Volt * Chad Gamble, drums, backup vocals * Will Johnson, guitar, backing vocals, drums/percussion, gong The band's name comes from the 400 Unit, a colloquial name for the psychiatric ward of Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in

. It was originally called the 400 Unit because it was in a separate building from the main three-story hospital. After renovation in the 1980s, the ward was renamed as the Behavioral Health Center, also known as 1st North, and is located on the hospital's first floor. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's eponymous album was released on February 17, 2009, on Lightning Rod Records. ''Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit'' was Isbell's second solo release and his first release with The 400 Unit.

Matt Pence Matthew Louis Pence (born April 13, 1972) is an American recording engineer, producer, and drummer. He owns and manages The Echo Lab studio in Denton, Texas. Early life and education Pence is from St. Louis, Missouri. In 1990, Pence moved to Den ...

co-produced and engineered the record, as well as playing drums on the record. The band released their self-recorded and produced second album, '' Here We Rest,'' on April 12, 2011, on Lightning Rod Records. The song "Alabama Pines" was named Song of the Year at the 2012 Americana Music Awards. On March 13, 2017, Isbell announced a new album with the 400 Unit, '' The Nashville Sound'', which released in June of that year. The album was a critical success, with Isbell and the band winning the

Grammy Award for Best Americana Album The Grammy Award for Best Americana Album is an honor presented to recording artists for quality albums in the Americana music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors ...

and Isbell capturing the

Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song The Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song is an award category at the annual Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the American Roots Music ...

at the

60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongch ...

. In October 2017, Isbell was announced to be the official artist-in-residence at the

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

. The following year he made a guest appearance on

's album '' The Tree of Forgiveness''. Isbell also contributed the ballad "Maybe It's Time" to the soundtrack of the 2018 film '' A Star Is Born'', where it was performed by actor

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and three Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Acade ...

's character, Jackson Maine. ''

Reunions Reunion may refer to: * Class reunion * Family reunion Reunion, Réunion, Re-union, Reunions or The Reunion may also refer to: Places * Réunion, a French overseas department and island in the Indian Ocean * Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado, ...

'', the band's next album, was announced in February 2020 and released on May 15 of that year. Isbell once again worked with producer

on the album which featured guest vocals by

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...

as well as Jay Buchanan of

Rival Sons Rival Sons is a Rock music, rock band formed in Long Beach, California in 2009 and also affiliated with Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of Jay Buchanan (lead vocals), Scott Holiday (guitar), Dave Beste (bass guitar) and Michael Miley (d ...

. The album announcement was made alongside the release of the first song of the album, "Be Afraid", which peaked at an Isbell career high number 5 on the

Adult Alternative Songs Adult Alternative Airplay (also known as Triple A or Triple A Airplay, and formerly Adult Alternative Songs and Triple A Songs) is a record chart currently published by ''Billboard'' that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative radi ...

chart. The album's second single, "Dreamsicle" peaked at number 20 on the same chart. On November 5, 2020, Isbell announced on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

that if

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

won the state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

in the

2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...

, he would record a charity album featuring covers of songs by Georgia artists, such as

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

and

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins Will ...

. After it was projected that Biden had won the state, he reaffirmed his pledge and said work would begin on the album shortly. The album, entitled '' Georgia Blue'', was formally announced on September 14, 2021, with release dates of October 15 for the digital version and November 26 for CD and vinyl. Isbell and the 400 Unit also contributed a cover of the Metallica song "

Sad but True "Sad but True" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released in February 1993 as the fifth and final single from their 1991 self-titled album. The music video for the single was released in October 1992. Music "Sad but ...

" to the charity tribute album ''

The Metallica Blacklist ''The Metallica Blacklist'' is a various artists Cover version, tribute album featuring covers of every track from Metallica's Metallica (album), 1991 self-titled album (commonly known as ''The Black Album''). The collection was assembled in con ...

'', released in September 2021. In June 2023, Isbell and the 400 Unit released the album, ''Weathervanes,'' on Isbell's own Southeastern Records label. The album, produced by Isbell, includes the singles "Strawberry Woman", "Cast Iron Skillet", and "Miles". In February 2024, Isbell was nominated and won two

Grammys The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

, for Best Americana Song: "Cast Iron Skillet" and Best Americana Album: ''Weathervanes''.

Acting

Isbell's first acting role came in 2016 when he guest starred in the animated TV series '' Squidbillies'', providing the voice of pastor Kyle Nubbins. The show has featured other Americana singers in cameo roles, including

Elizabeth Cook Elizabeth Cook (born July 18, 1972) is an American country music singer and radio host. She has made over 400 appearances on the Grand Ole Opry since her debut on March 17, 2000, despite not being a member. Cook, "the daughter of a hillbilly s ...

Todd Snider Todd Daniel Snider (born October 11, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter whose music incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, alt country, and funk. Early career Snider was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up in nearby Beaverton, wher ...

, and the Drive-By Truckers, among others. In 2019, Isbell had a cameo as a guitar-playing wedding guest in the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

film '' Deadwood: The Movie''. '' Billions'', another TV series known for giving cameo roles to musicians, featured Isbell in a 2021 episode, with Isbell playing himself viewing an art exhibit. In 2021, Isbell was cast in

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

's epic Western crime drama film '' Killers of the Flower Moon'' (2023) as Bill Smith, a victim of the

Osage Indian murders The Osage Indian murders was a serial killing event that took place in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States, during the 1910s–1930s. Newspapers described the increasing number of unsolved murders and deaths among young adults of the Osage Nat ...

. Bill Smith was the white husband of an Osage woman who was a victim in the murder conspiracy that led to the deaths of many Osage. Isbell's role in the film was announced on April 6, 2021, and marks his major on-screen acting debut; fellow country singer

Sturgill Simpson John Sturgill Simpson (born June 8, 1978) is an American country music singer-songwriter and actor. As of June 2024, he has released eight albums as a solo artist. Simpson's style has been met with critical favor and frequent comparisons to ou ...

was also announced as being part of the cast.

Musical influences

Isbell has spoken about the importance of his northern Alabama roots: "I definitely don't feel like I would be the musician that I am, or the type of songwriter, had I not come from that particular place," he said in 2012. "The soul music that came out of there, and a lot of the soul-influenced rock and roll and country music that came out of the studios in north Alabama in the 1960s and 1970s had a big influence on me." Isbell said that working at FAME Studios was "everything" to him, that it was "a gateway towards the music that he wanted to play." In addition to citing

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

as a big influence, Isbell is a fan of singer-songwriter

Ben Howard Benjamin John Howard (born 24 April 1987) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and composer. His self-released debut extended play (EP) ''Games in the Dark'' (2008) was followed by two more EPs, '' These Waters'' (2009) and '' Old Pine'' ...

and guitarist

Blake Mills Blake Mathew Simon Mills (born September 21, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. He is known for production and guitar work on albums and singles by many artists, including Fiona Apple, ...

Personal life

Isbell was previously married to Shonna Tucker, a fellow musician from the

Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...

community and a former bass player for

. They were married in 2002 and divorced in 2007. In February 2012, Amanda Shires, Isbell's manager Traci Thomas, and

initiated an intervention, leading to Isbell entering a rehabilitation treatment program at Cumberland Heights in Nashville. Isbell has discussed getting sober extensively, saying he drank

Jack Daniel's Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey produced at Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which has been owned by the Brown–Forman Corporation since 1956. Packaged in square bottles, Jack Daniel's "Black Label" Tennessee wh ...

and did

cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

during his time with Drive-By Truckers in his late 20s—a time he does not remember very clearly. ''Southeastern'', Isbell's 2013 solo album, is reflective of his newfound sober lifestyle. Isbell moved to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

in 2011 – where he has remained since. He married the singer-songwriter and

violinist The following lists of violinists are available: * List of classical violinists * List of contemporary classical violinists * List of jazz violinists * List of popular music violinists * List of Indian violinists * List of Persian violinists * Li ...

Shires, with whom he had worked on and off for a decade, in February 2013 – two days after they finished work on ''Southeastern.'' Musician

officiated their wedding. The couple have a daughter. On February 8, 2024, news was released that Isbell had filed for divorce from Shires in December 2023. Isbell is currently in a relationship with artist Anna Weyant, who created the artwork to his tenth studio album, '' Foxes in the Snow'', and inspired many of its tracks. Isbell was friends with

Justin Townes Earle Justin Townes Earle (January 4, 1982August 20, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. After his debut EP, ''Yuma'' (2007), he released eight full-length albums. He was recognized with an Americana Music Award for Emerging Artist ...

and played guitar on several of Earle's albums, including Harlem River Blues. Isbell and Shires both performed in a 2023 tribute concert to Earle after his death from a fentanyl overdose in 2020. Isbell has a tattoo on the inside of his left arm with a quotation from the lyrics of the

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

song "

Boots of Spanish Leather "Boots of Spanish Leather" is a ballad written and performed by Bob Dylan, recorded in New York City on August 7, 1963, and released in 1964 on his album '' The Times They Are a-Changin. It features Dylan solo on the acoustic guitar, playing the ...

": "Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled, from across that lonesome ocean." He said that the quote "reminds him about the idea of salvaging things", that for him it "evokes the idea of loss as well as learning and growing from the experience". During the 2015

Newport Folk Festival The Newport Folk Festival is an annual American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the Newport Jazz Festival. The festival was founded by music promoter and Jazz Festival founder Geor ...

, Isbell cited Dylan as a huge influence on his writing. Isbell is politically

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...

, frequently expressing his support for

gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms and ammunition by civilians. Most countries allow civilians to own firearms, bu ...

, abortion rights, policing reform, LGBTQ and transgender rights. In one instance of the former, Isbell posted the following to

on the day of the

2019 Dayton shooting On August 4, 2019, 24-year-old Connor Betts shot and killed nine people, including his brother, and wounded 17 others near the entrance of the Ned Peppers Bar in the Oregon District of Dayton, Ohio, United States. Betts was fatally shot by re ...

: "If you're on here arguing the definition of '

assault weapon In the United States, ''assault weapon'' is a controversial term applied to different kinds of firearms. There is no clear, consistent definition. It can include semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magazine, a pistol grip, and sometime ...

' today you are part of the problem. You know what an assault weapon is, and you know you don't need one." A Twitter user by the name of William McNabb responded to Isbell, asking what he as a " rural American" should use to kill the "30-50 feral hogs" in his yard. McNabb's tweet itself soon became an

internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

, with Twitter users widely mocking him for what was perceived to be an absurd hypothetical question that was quizzically worded. Isbell performed at the

2024 Democratic National Convention The 2024 Democratic National Convention was a United States presidential nominating convention, presidential nominating convention in which delegates of the Democratic Party (United States), United States Democratic Party voted on their party ...

on August 19, 2024.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Extended plays

Singles

*"Bury Me" - AAA: 25

Music videos

Producer credit

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Americana Music Honors & Awards

The

celebrate outstanding achievement in the genre of Americana. Isbell has won nine awards out of 19 nominations.

Country Music Association Awards

The

CMA Awards The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards or CMAs, are presented to country music artists and broadcasters to recognize outstanding achievement in the country music industry. The televised annual presentation ceremony f ...

celebrate outstanding achievement in country music. Isbell has received one nomination.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum , Country Music Hall of Fame

Daytime Emmy Awards

The

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

are American accolades bestowed by the

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

–based

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), also known as the National Television Academy until 2007, is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of televisio ...

in recognition of excellence in American

daytime television Daytime is a block of television programming taking place during the late-morning and afternoon on weekdays. Daytime programming is typically scheduled to air between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., following the early morning ...

programming. Isbell has received one nomination.

Grammy Awards

The

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

celebrate outstanding achievement in music. Isbell has won 6 awards out of 7 nominations.

Americana Music Honors & Awards , UK Americana Awards

The UK Americana Awards celebrate the best roots music released in the UK and internationally. Isbell has won three awards out of five nominations.

Home media

* Weissman, Barr, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Shonna Tucker, Brad Morgan,

John Neff John B. Neff (September 19, 1931 – June 4, 2019) was an American investor, mutual fund manager, and philanthropist. He was notable for his contrarian and value investing styles as well as for heading Vanguard's Windsor Fund. Windsor becam ...

, and Jason Isbell.
The Secret to a Happy Ending: A Documentary About the Drive-By Truckers.
' New York: ATO Records, 2011. (DVD of 2009 documentary)

References

External links

JasonIsbell.com
(official website) * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Isbell, Jason 1979 births Living people People from Lauderdale County, Alabama American male singer-songwriters American country rock singers American country singer-songwriters American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters New West Records artists Americana Music Honors & Awards winners Grammy Award winners Drive-By Truckers members Guitarists from Alabama 21st-century American singer-songwriters Country musicians from Alabama 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers Thirty Tigers artists Singer-songwriters from Alabama Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit members