Singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson's proposal didn't go exactly how he thought it would. Here's the story of how Johnson's wife, Brittney, said "no" when he first asked for her hand, and how he turned that no into an "I do."
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In a recent interview, Johnson talked about how he fell for Brittney Eakins from the get-go and knew he wanted to marry her after their second day of knowing each other. The two met initially at Governor Tate Reeves' inauguration in Mississippi, and apparently, Johnson was immediately head over heels. That's when he brought up marriage - on day two of knowing her.
"She said, 'Not right now,' the singer-songwriter admitted. "I knew from the beginning I wanted to marry her. I knew what she was. She's just a sweet, down-home, brilliant southern lawyer."
Johnson explained how they met, sharing that there was "an epic rain" that day at the ceremony. He ended up convincing Brittney to join him for lunch the next day, where she initially turned down his possible proposal.
"They ended up moving the inauguration ceremony indoors. I was standing against the wall so the governor and his security detail could get by, and Brittney ended up on the wall right beside me." He explained, "The next day, we went over to Walker's Diner with Randy Houser and the governor's brother, Todd. We had lunch, and she came and joined us for lunch. I was walking her to her car when we got done and asked, 'Can we go ahead and get married and have some kids, and if it works out, we'll start dating?'"
A Wedding To Remember
Popping the question was simply Johnson's way of letting Brittney know he already knew she was the one for him. As it turns out, his instincts were pretty strong, because even though Brittney turned him down, the pair did eventually get married, five years later.
On May 20, 2025, the couple would wed in a beautiful ceremony at Graystone Quarry in Franklin, Tennessee. With over 350 guests in attendance, including Zac Brown, Randy Travis, and Colt Ford, the two confessed their vows and finally did what Johnson had been wanting to do for the past five years.
I guess what they say is true, when you know, you really do know.
Photo By: Getty / Astrida Valigorsky
