When you see Little Big Town on stage, the harmony is basically perfect. It’s what they’re known for—that " Fleetwood Mac but make it country" vibe where four distinct voices lock into one. But for a long time, fans didn't realize that the chemistry between two of the singers wasn't just professional. It was romantic. Specifically, the married lead singer Little Big Town fans often ask about is actually a duo: Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook.
They’ve been married since 2006. That’s a lifetime in band years.
Honestly, the story of how they got together is kinda wild because it involves a lot of "what ifs" and a massive risk that could have imploded the entire group before they even hit it big with "Boondocks."
How It All Started (And Why It Was Messy)
The band formed way back in 1998. At the time, Karen was actually married to someone else. It wasn't some scandalous affair, though. Life just happened. Her first marriage eventually ended in divorce, and suddenly, the dynamic inside the band shifted.
You’ve got to imagine the tension.
They were spending 24 hours a day together in a van, trying to make it in Nashville, and suddenly two of the four members are single and catching feelings. Jimi has admitted in interviews that there was always "something underlying" there. They tried to ignore it. They really did.
"We didn't want to mess up the band," Fairchild told Us Weekly. It makes sense. If they started dating and broke up, the band was toast. Little Big Town isn't like other groups where you can just swap out a lead singer; their whole "thing" is the specific blend of those four specific people.
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The Secret Nashville Wedding
By 2006, they couldn't fight it anymore. They decided it was worth the risk. On May 31, 2006, Karen and Jimi got married in a tiny, private ceremony in Nashville.
They kept it a total secret.
For months, they didn't tell the public or the press. Why? Because their second single was finally blowing up on the charts. They didn't want the headlines to be "Bandmates in Love." They wanted people to actually listen to the music.
Interestingly, they weren't the only ones in the band dealing with major life shifts that year. Kimberly Schlapman, the group's other powerhouse female vocalist, also got married in 2006. Her story is a bit more bittersweet—she had lost her first husband, Steven Roads, to a sudden heart attack in 2005. The band basically carried her through that grief. She eventually found love again with Stephen Schlapman (whom she calls "Schlap").
Quick Snapshot: The Members' Status
- Karen Fairchild & Jimi Westbrook: Married to each other (2006).
- Kimberly Schlapman: Married to Stephen Schlapman (2006).
- Phillip Sweet: Married to Rebecca Sweet (2007).
Basically, 2006 and 2007 were the years everyone in Little Big Town officially settled down.
Living and Working Together 24/7
People always ask: "How do you stay married when you're literally never apart?"
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Karen is pretty blunt about it. She’s called it both a "very good thing and a very bad thing." If you have a fight about who left the dishes in the sink or a creative disagreement about a song, you can't exactly go to separate offices. You're getting on the same tour bus. You're standing three feet apart on a stage in front of 20,000 people.
But there’s a massive upside. They get to experience the highs of winning Grammys and CMAs together. Most touring musicians have to leave their families for months at a time. Karen and Jimi get to bring theirs along.
In 2010, they welcomed their son, Elijah Dylan Westbrook. He’s grown up on that tour bus. It’s a weird life, but for the married lead singer Little Big Town pair, it's the only one that works.
What Most People Get Wrong
One big misconception is that Karen is the "only" lead singer.
While she often takes the front spot on massive hits like "Girl Crush" and "Better Man," Little Big Town actually operates on a "rotating lead" system. Jimi takes the lead on plenty of tracks, as do Kimberly and Phillip.
The "lead singer" title is fluid.
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Another thing? People think being married makes the band exclusive. In reality, the members describe themselves as one big "four-way marriage." They make every decision together. If one person isn't feeling a song, they don't do it.
The Takeaway for Fans
If you're looking for the married lead singer Little Big Town loves to showcase, you’re looking at Karen and Jimi. Their relationship survived the "starving artist" years, a secret wedding, and two decades of the music industry's grind.
Insights for your next LBT deep dive:
- Check out the song "Your Side of the Bed"—it's a heartbreaking look at a crumbling relationship, which is ironic considering how solid the two singers are in real life.
- Look for their son, Elijah, in their social media posts; he’s basically the band’s unofficial fifth member.
- Don't forget that Kimberly and Phillip's spouses are just as much a part of the "inner circle," even if they aren't on the album covers.
If you want to understand why their harmonies sound so tight, it's because those voices have been talking to each other across breakfast tables and backstage dressing rooms for over 25 years. That’s not something you can fake with Auto-Tune.
Next Steps for You
- Listen for the Chemistry: Go back and listen to "Bring It On Home" or "Girl Crush" and pay attention to the way Jimi and Karen's voices wrap around each other.
- Follow the Story: Karen and Kimberly often share "behind-the-scenes" family life on Instagram, which gives a much more "human" look at the band than their music videos do.
- Explore the Discography: If you only know the radio hits, dig into the Nightfall or Mr. Sun albums to hear Jimi take the lead more often.