Country music and sports may, on the surface, not seem to have all that much in common but athletes and artists share some of the same experiences. From busy touring schedules and performing for millions of people to red carpet events and always being in the spotlight, musicians and athletes have a unique understanding of each others’ worlds.
It should be no surprise then that when it comes to relationships, the ladies of country music and professional athletes make beautiful music together, so much so that several country music stars have said “I do” to their famous athlete beaus.
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Here are eight country music women who are married to professional athletes.
Jessie James Decker and Eric Decker
The “Lights Down Low” singer Jessie James Decker has been married to retired Tennessee Titans wide receiver Eric Decker since 2013 and the couple have two children, daughter Vivianne and son Eric, together. In 2015, Decker told Bustle that a text from a friend was the catalyst for her relationship with the football star.
“He was in Arizona training, and I got a text from my girlfriend who said, ‘I’m having dinner with this guy I’m seeing, and this other guy just showed up, and he’s stunning,’” Decker said. Her friend sent a photo. Decker’s response?
“Show him a picture of me, and see if he’s into it.”
These days the couple lives in Nashville with their kids. In August 2018, Eric Decker announced his retirement from the NFL.
Ashley Monroe and John Danks
Singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe married Chicago White Sox pitcher John Danks in 2013. Danks proposed to the Pistol Annies singer after a show on the group’s 2012 tour. Fellow country star Blake Shelton officiated the ceremony while Monroe’s best friend, Miranda Lambert, served as her maid of honor.
On Christmas Day 2016, Monroe took to Twitter to share an ultrasound photo announcing that she and Danks were expecting their first child. The couple welcomed son Dalton William Danks on July 28.
Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher
One of the most well-known couples in the music and sports world is Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher. The couple met backstage at a meet and greet for one of her shows in 2008, and got engaged in 2009, marrying on July 10, 2010.
Fisher, who had been a center for hockey’s Ottawa Senators, was traded to the Nashville Predators in 2011 in order to be closer to Underwood and played for the team until his retirement from the NHL in 2017. The couple has one son together, and are expecting their second baby.
Kimberly Perry and J. P. Arencibia
The Band Perry’s Kimberly Perry married professional baseball player J.P. Arencibia in 2014. They filed for divorce in March 2018.
While Perry had a connection to baseball through her uncle Dayn Perry, it was music that brought the couple together. One of Arencibia’s friends arranged for the then Toronto Blue Jays catcher to meet Perry in 2012 after he saw the video for “If I Die Young.”
During the meeting, Arencibia managed to get Perry’s phone number and the pair started dating shortly after. Arencibia later told the Tennessean that after seeing the “If I Die Young” video he “had this moment where he felt like that was going to be a part of his future.”
Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko
While Nashville star Hayden Panettiere and heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko aren’t married just yet, the engaged couple have been together since 2010 after having met a year previously at a mutual friend’s book launch party. The couple have one child together, daughter Kaya born in 2014.
Panettiere has said that when she met Klitschko, the first thing she said to him was “you’re huge,” to which he responded, “you’re tiny.”
On August 3, 2017 Klitschko announced his retirement from boxing.
The couple announced their split in August 2018.
Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich
After two years of dating, Dancing With The Stars pro Julianne Hough and former NHL player Brooks Laich tied the knot. Thanks to Hough’s busy schedule, the two have not started a family, but hope to soon.
“Honestly, every day is better than the day before,” Hough told PopCulture.com in March. “Even if it’s not the best day, it’s still better.”
“It’s just a great journey,” Laich added. “Just looking back on where we started and the pockets of life we’ve gone through.”
Jana Kramer and Mike Caussin
Jana Kramer’s third husband is Mike Caussin, a former NFL player. The two married in 2015 and almost split a year later after Caussin was admitted to rehab. However, they renewed their wedding vows in December and have been together ever since.
The couple have a girl, Jolie Rae Caussin. In July 2018, she announced she and Caussin are expecting another child, a boy.
Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks
This might be stretching the definition of “professional athlete,” but Garth Brooks did sign spring training contracts with the New York Mets in 2000 and San Diego Padres in 1998 and 1999. He later signed another deal with the Kansas City Royals in 2004, even getting a hit during his last spring training game. Therefore, Trisha Yearwood is married to someone who was once, a professional athlete.
Brooks and Yearwood have been married since 2005. Brooks was previously married to Sandy Mahl from 1986 to 2000, and are parents to three daughters.
