Ruston Kelly
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 10: (L-R) Ruston Kelly and Tia Cubelic attend the 24th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 10, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Johnny Cash’s Pic Looks Down on Ruston Kelly Proposal at the Grand Ole Opry

Ruston Kelly just proposed to his partner, Tia Cubelic, and it doesn't get any more country music than this. 

Videos by Wide Open Country

The "Mockingbird" singer announced the update to his relationship status on his socials. Cubelic said yes backstage at the Grand Ole Opry before a show on Sep. 24. 

The Man in Black and Other Country Legends Were Looking Down on the Couple

Ruston Kelly posted a series of images and a video from the event. The caption read, "Backstage at the @opry last month, me and my best bud became best buds who are getting MARRIED."

In the video, he told the crowd, "The most important thing I think that happened to me right after that was meeting my now-partner, and I would say that she's my girlfriend, but she's not because I just proposed to her backstage."

"Her family's here, my family's here. And right under a picture of Johnny Cash, I had to pop the question."

The other pictures show off the ring Kelly got for Cubelic, and his emotional reaction when she said yes. Another portrait shows the couple's families together. 

Kelly released his new album, Pale, Through the Window, last month. The project continues in the style he describes as "dirt emo," blending alt-country and rock. According to a press release, Cubelic was an inspiration for the album. 

"His new fiancée was a driving force behind each and every track," it says. "Across 13 tracks, Kelly captures a season of radical change, newfound joy, and hard-won peace ..." 

The couple met in 2024 during a vacation in South Carolina. They discovered they lived minutes apart in Music City, and their romance bloomed from there.

This Isn't the First Marriage for Ruston Kelly

Kelly married Kacey Musgraves in 2017; they divorced three years later. Their split was amicable, according to a statement at the time. 

"We've made this painful decision together -- a healthy decision that comes after a very long period of trying the best we can," it reads. "It simply just didn't work. Though we are parting ways in marriage, we will remain true friends for the rest of our lives. We hold no blame, anger, or contempt for each other and we ask for privacy and positive wishes for us both as we learn how to navigate through this."