Country Singer Charley Crockett Announces Engagement

Charley Crockett is engaged. The “I Need Your Love” singer and his girlfriend, Taylor Day Grace, shared the happy news on Monday. Crockett, 38, is a prolific performer, having released four albums in the past two years. His most recent, The Man From Waco, was released in September.

“The woman pulled me aside and sang me a song 3 years ago at The White Horse Saloon,” Crockett wrote on Instagram Monday, alongside a photo with Grace. “Last night, she finally agreed to marry me. Taylor Grace, I knew I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you darlin.’”

Grace shared a very similar photo on her own Instagram page. “I love you and you are my favorite person. I feel lucky to be able to spend the rest of our time with you,” she wrote. “Though paramount, today, words… they escape me. The only word I can think of is yes, forever yes.”

The news caps off a festive last two weeks for the couple. Between Christmas and New Year’s Day, they marked Grace’s birthday on Dec. 26. Crockett marked the special occasion by sharing a gallery of photos, while Grace shared a message about what she has learned about herself in recent months.

“I know less than I thought I did a few years ago,” Grace wrote on her birthday. “However, each year that passes I learn a lot more about myself. I could write some long inspirational statement about the year I had and what I think it all means, but the truth is I’m just speculating. I have no idea, but damn I am enjoying the ride and I hope I don’t have to get off any time soon… love y’all.” The couple also marked their anniversary on New Year’s Day.

Crockett was born in San Benito, Texas, and struggled for years to get his career off the ground. After traveling around the country, he returned to Texas and self-released his first album in 2015. He has released 11 studio albums, including two in 2021 and two more in 2022. His latest album, The Man from Waco, became his first album to chart on the Billboard 200, reaching 199. In December, he performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In 2021, he received the Emerging Artist of the Year honor at the Americana Music Honors & Awards.

“In those back-room bars where nobody was paying attention, I always saw something that other people didn’t, and that’s probably from all the years I spent drifting around and playing on street corners,” Crockett said of his early career struggles in a PEOPLE interview last year. “Where some people saw nothing but a brick wall, I saw a wide-open door.”

The singer-songwriter, who had lifesaving heart surgery in 2019 to fix a valve, knows he is lucky to devote his life to the music he loves. “I’ve had a tough go of it, but I truly believe that a higher power has looked out for me, and really done me some favors by continuing to let me put my music first,” he said. “Certainly, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I think in putting the music up front, the creators have allowed me to stay here.”