Entertainment
Grammy Nominee Maren Morris' Hubby Ryan Hurd Has A Pretty Impressive Résumé Too
It’s time for the 2019 Grammy Awards, which means artists and entertainers will thank those who’ve inspired them and helped them create, in this case, superior music. It’s a bit of a tradition to gush over one’s significant other, and we’ll probably see a lot of that happen tonight. And should she win, one country music star is sure to thank her hubby, who’s played a big role in her music career. So, who exactly is Maren Morris’ husband?
Ryan Hurd is more than just her arm candy; he’s also a successful singer-songwriter in his own right. And add to that a music video star, too. Even without looking up a photo of Hurd, you may recognize him if you’ve seen Morris’ music video for her hit song "Rich" — he’s the good-looking fugitive she takes back to town for a cash reward, according to Taste of Country.
The two weren’t actually married yet when the video was filmed, as Morris told Sounds Like Nashville. “I think a lot of people were thinking we would go super Vegas-y with [the video] but I think we just wanted to do something unexpected and Ryan has never been in a video of mine," she told the news outlet. "So I was like, ‘We’re getting married in a month. I think you owe me this,’ and so, he’s the cowboy in it and it was the most fun, easy shoot I’ve ever done.”
The ability to work together is a great place to start a marriage, for sure.
In fact, Morris and Hurd have been working together for years. They met at a writing session for Tim McGraw’s song "My Last Turn Home" and became fast friends, as Country Living reported, and after writing, they’d head out to a Nashville bar to blow off some steam. That habit became part of Hurd’s song "Love in a Bar," in which he croons about their first time saying “I love you” to one another while enjoying a drink and a burger, according to Country Living.
Hurd used music again to define their relationship, this time recording the song "Diamonds or Twine" and playing it for Morris the night he proposed, according to People.
Morris — who's racked up five Grammy nominations — announced the engagement on Instagram with a shot of her sitting on Hurd’s lap displaying her ring.
The engagement happened in July 2017, as People reported, which was about the same time that Hurd’s career was really starting to pick up. Though he’d toiled as a writer for other people’s projects for some time, in 2016 Rolling Stone included him on its list of New Country Artists You Need To Know.
“He's already written one of Blake Shelton's best singles, the Ashley Monroe duet 'Lonely Tonight,' Rolling Stone raved at the time. "As a relatively new songwriter in Nashville from the rather un-country Kalamazoo, Michigan, Hurd is sought after for his diversity, something that comes through loud and clear on his debut four-song EP Panorama."
Morris has also been known to gush over her love. Describing their March 2018 wedding, she said what made it special was the laid-back vibe that is a perfect reflection of their relationship.
“We’re just always joking around and, I think, sometimes, you can take your job too seriously, especially [being] under a magnifying glass as an artist, so it’s nice to be with someone who gets exactly what you’re doing and can talk you down if you’re having a bad day and is just right there with you,” she told Country Living.
So whether or not Morris wins at this year’s Grammy Awards, it sounds like she’s already won in finding her perfect companion.