Meet Kacey Musgraves’ Ex-Husband, Ruston Kelly, A Figure Skater, Inspired Her Album, ‘Golden Hour’

Kacey Musgraves is a well-known American singer and songwriter. Her career began back in the early 2000s when she decided to self-release three solo albums. Her major-label debut studio album, released years later in 2013, was titled Same Trailer, Different Park. It also won her the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. Since then, Kacey has released six more albums to date, including Golden Hour, Middle of Nowhere, and Star-Crossed.

At present, Kacey is in the limelight after revealing that she is coming to Milwaukee for the first time in 8 years and for her first headlining arena show in the town. The new tour will be for her latest album, Middle of Nowhere. Now with the spotlight on her, did you know that she was married to Ruston Kelly? If you are curious to learn more about Kacey Musgraves’ ex-husband, Ruston Kelly, here’s everything we know. 

Ruston Kelly loves figure skating

According to reports, Kacey Musgraves’ ex-husband, Ruston Kelly, grew up figure skating. He started the sport at the age of 10 and even managed to qualify for the Junior Olympics three times, as per Spin. During an interview, he humorously recounted the time, saying, “No joke, I was like Will Ferrell’s character in Blades of Glory.”

Ruston Kelly is a singer and songwriter

Ruston Kelly was born in South Carolina in 1988 to a musical family. While growing up, he had to relocate multiple times because of his father’s job, bouncing between places like Alabama, Belgium, and Michigan, as detailed by Rolling Stone. Coming to his musical roots, not many might be aware, but his father, Tim “TK” Kelly, is an uber-talented pedal steel guitarist.

Under his influence, Ruston began playing music and writing songs as a teenager. According to Style magazine, Ruston was just 17 years old when he made the big decision to move to Nashville in pursuit of a music career. Here, he signed with a label called BGM Nashville. In 2017, he released his first EP titled Halloween. He followed this up with the release of his debut album, Dying Star, in 2018. However, this was after he signed a deal with Rounder Records.

Ruston Kelly’s father released his debut album at the age of 66

As we already mentioned, Ruston Kelly’s father, Tim Kelly, is also a musician. However, because he was busy supporting his family, Tim had to put his musical dreams on hold. If a report by People is believed to be true, in 1971, Tim had won a national songwriting contest, following which he was offered a record label and management deal. However, instead of choosing that, he decided to work a nine-to-five job so that he could raise his children. 

It is interesting to note that Ruston’s father released his debut album, Ride Through the Rain, when he was 66 years old. Released a few years ago, in 2021, Ruston was the one who produced as well as featured in its lead single, Leave This Town. Speaking with People, Tim said, “Life kind of gets in the way of doing some of the things that you want to do, because you have to do them.” 

Ruston Kelly used to be a drug addict

During a candid conversation with The New York Times in 2023, Ruston opened up about his struggles with addiction. He revealed that he was addicted to cocaine and amphetamines. Finally, when he ended up in the hospital due to an overdose in December 2015, he decided to get clean, as per Rolling Stone. For those unaware, the title of Ruston’s debut album, Dying Star, reflects his journey toward hope and redemption. However, as you can expect, his path to sobriety wasn’t straightforward. During a 2019 interview with Dallas Observer, Ruston confessed that he had relapsed a number of times before he managed to find stability. According to him:

“It was a long process. Trial and error…I went to rehab once, but it was all I could afford, so it was this f—— Bible-beating kind of rehab in North Carolina.” 

Ruston Kelly met Kacey Musgraves for the first time while she was going through a breakup

Apparently, Ruston’s now-ex-wife, Kelly Musgraves, was going through a breakup with guitarist, Misa Arriaga when she met Ruston for the first time. When they crossed paths in March 2018 at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, Kelly immediately approached him and asked him to collaborate after being captivated by his music. She told HITS Daily Double in 2018: 

“I was sitting by myself at a table. Ruston played his first song, and I was just stunned by everything in it – the words, the melody, what he was saying. I was just sitting at this table, crying.”

Ruston and Kacey got engaged in the same year, on Christmas Eve in 2016. In October 2017, they tied the knot in a woodsy ceremony in Tennessee. At the time, Ruston even inspired her Grammy-winning album, Golden Hour. However, he had a hard time with addiction once again after his marriage. While he tried to get sober with the support of Kacey, things took a turn for the worse when he suggested that they separate, only to regret it later. After several attempts to reconcile, they officially divorced in September 2020, just two years after their marriage. 

What are your thoughts on Kacey Musgraves’ ex-husband, Ruston Kelly? Let us know. 

Also read: Tom Hanks And Rita Wilson Relationship Timeline, From Co-Stars To Supporting Her Amid Cancer Battle

Photos Credit: Ruston Kelly, Kacey Musgraves/IG