Country Music Star Announces Engagement Following Iconic Nashville Proposal at Renowned Venue

Country music sensation Ruston Kelly has announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Tia Cubelic, marking a new chapter in his life.

On Wednesday, the 37-year-old artist, who was once married to fellow musician Kacey Musgraves, shared the joyous news with his fans through social media.

Ruston, fresh off the release of his fourth album, “Pale, Through the Window,” in September, chose the iconic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville as the setting to propose to Tia. It was a fitting choice for the singer-songwriter who is deeply rooted in the rich traditions of country music.

He took to Instagram to share the happy news, posting professional photographs captured just moments after Tia accepted his proposal. His caption read, “Backstage at the @opry last month, me and my best bud became best buds who are getting MARRIED.”

A video from his performance at the Opry on September 24 further reveals the moment he shared the engagement news with the audience, adding a personal touch to the special occasion.

The snippet began with him ending an anecdote as he stated, ‘…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.’

The crowd burst into cheers and screams as he continued, ‘Her family’s here, my family’s here. And right under a picture of Johnny Cash, I had to pop the question.’

A press release for Ruston’s latest album attributes the songs to his new romance.

‘His new fiancée was a driving force behind each and every track. Across 13 tracks, Kelly captures a season of radical change, newfound joy, and hard-won peace, pairing deeply personal lyricism with an expansive sonic landscape,’ it reads. 

It continues, ‘Produced by longtime collaborator Jarrad K and recorded live with his touring band at Chateau Noir, the album merges shimmering synths, sweeping pedal steel (performed by his father Tim “TK” Kelly), emo-tinged guitars, and Kelly’s raw vocal intensity.’

‘We couldn’t be more excited to share this news!’ said the future husband and wife in a statement shared with People.

Ruston previously shared with the outlet in September, ‘To me, I just write about whatever’s going on in my life, and I definitely am writing from a place of gratitude and love and feeling pretty solid.’

Tia, also a musician, plays violin on the track House in the Country, and she also lended background vocals to several songs.

The lovebirds met while vacationing in South Carolina in June 2024, and later discovered they both lived in Nashville.

Ruston and Kacey wed in October 2017, but by July 2020 they announced their breakup.

In 2021 Kacey told Rolling Stone the marriage ‘just simply didn’t work out.’

‘It’s nothing more than that. It’s two people who love each other so much, but for so many reasons, it just didn’t work. I mean, seasons change. Our season changed,’ she elaborated.

She admitted: ‘Part of me questions marriage as a whole, in general. I mean, I was open to it when it came into my life. I embraced it. I just have to tell myself I was brave to follow through on those feelings.’

Kacey pointed to longtime, never-married couple Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell — who have been together since 1983 — as an example of people ‘doing something right’ in love.

The Texas-born songstress noted, ‘I think I live best by myself. I think it’s OK to realize that.’