Jason Isbell
Michael Jason Isbell (/ˈɪzbʊl/;[2] born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007.[3][4][5] Isbell has won six Grammy Awards.
"Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit" redirects here. For the album, see Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (album).
Jason Isbell
Michael Jason Isbell[1]
February 1, 1979
Green Hill, Alabama, U.S.
Musician
- Vocals
- guitar
- piano
1995–present
- Lightning Rod
- New West
- Southeastern
- Thirty Tigers
The 400 Unit
Outside of music, Isbell has appeared in roles in the television series Squidbillies and Billions, as well as the films Deadwood: The Movie and Killers of the Flower Moon.
His most recent album with his band The 400 Unit, Weathervanes, was released in June 2023.
Early life[edit]
Isbell was born in Green Hill, Alabama, two miles (3 km) from the Alabama/Tennessee state line,[6] the son of interior designer Angela Hill Barnett and house painter Mike Isbell.[7][8] Isbell's mother was only 17 years old (and his father 19 years old) when he was born[9] and is the subject of a song, "Children of Children".[10] Isbell's parents divorced, and he has two much younger half-siblings.[2]
Isbell grew up in North Alabama. His grandparents lived on a farm down the road next to the school that Isbell attended; they looked after him while his parents were at work. His grandfather and uncle taught him to play various instruments,[11] including the mandolin when he was six years old, as it was easier for him to grip as a small child. They enjoyed gospel music, bluegrass music, and the Grand Ole Opry. In high school, he played trumpet and French horn.[2] Isbell's family would get together and play music every week, sometimes twice a week.[12][13] Isbell's paternal grandfather, who came from a musical family, was a Pentecostal preacher and played guitar in church. Isbell spent his childhood attending both the Pentecostal church and the stricter Church of Christ, which permitted only singing without musical instruments.[2][14]
Isbell started playing in a garage band and a country cover band when he was 14 or 15 years old with his friend, songwriter Chris Tompkins.[15] They played at the Grand Ole Opry when Isbell was 16.[2]
Isbell attended the University of Memphis,[16] studying English and creative writing. He dropped out, being short one credit, to go on tour.[2] In September 2023, after discussions with the University of Memphis about his career experience, he was awarded his bachelor's degree in English.[17]
Musical influences[edit]
Isbell has spoken about the importance of his northern Alabama roots: "I definitely don't feel like I would be the musician that I am, or the type of songwriter, had I not come from that particular place," he says now. "The soul music that came out of there, and a lot of the soul-influenced rock and roll and country music that came out of the studios in north Alabama in the 1960s and 1970s had a big influence on me."[64] Isbell said that working at FAME Studios was "everything" to him, that it was "a gateway towards the music that he wanted to play."[10] In addition to citing Neil Young as a big influence, Isbell is a fan of singer-songwriter Ben Howard and guitarist Blake Mills.[9]
Personal life[edit]
Isbell was previously married to Shonna Tucker, a fellow musician from the Muscle Shoals community and a former bass player for Drive-By Truckers. They were married in 2002 and divorced in 2007.[7]
Isbell was friends with Justin Townes Earle and played guitar on several of Earle's albums, including Harlem River Blues. Isbell and Shires both performed in a 2023 tribute concert to Earle after his death from a fentanyl overdose in 2020.
In February 2012, Shires, Isbell's manager Traci Thomas, and Ryan Adams initiated an intervention, leading to Isbell entering a rehabilitation treatment program at Cumberland Heights in Nashville.[7] Isbell has discussed getting sober extensively, saying he drank Jack Daniel's and did cocaine during his time with Drive-By Truckers in his late 20s—a time he does not remember very clearly.[65][66] Southeastern, Isbell's 2013 solo album, is reflective of his newfound sober lifestyle.[67]
Isbell moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2011 – where he has remained since.[22][68][69] He married singer-songwriter and violinist Amanda Shires, with whom he had worked on and off for a decade, in February 2013 – two days after they finished work on Southeastern.[70][71] Musician Todd Snider officiated their wedding.[2] The couple have a daughter.[72][73][74] On February 8, 2024, news was released that Isbell had filed for divorce from Shires in December 2023. [75]
Isbell has a tattoo on the inside of his left arm with a quotation from the lyrics of the Bob Dylan song "Boots of Spanish Leather": "Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled, from across that lonesome ocean."[70] He said that the quote "reminds him about the idea of salvaging things", that for him it "evokes the idea of loss as well as learning and growing from the experience".[10] During the 2015 Newport Folk Festival, Isbell cited Dylan as a huge influence on his writing.[76]
Isbell is politically left-wing, having advocated for gun control, abortion rights, LGBTQ and transgender rights.[77][78][79] In one instance of the former, Isbell posted the following to Twitter on the day of the 2019 Dayton shooting: "If you're on here arguing the definition of 'assault weapon' today you are part of the problem. You know what an assault weapon is, and you know you don't need one."[80] A Twitter user by the name of William McNabb responded to Isbell, asking what he as a "rural American" should use to kill the "30-50 feral hogs" in his yard. McNabb's tweet itself soon became an internet meme, with Twitter users widely mocking him for what was perceived to be an absurd hypothetical question that was quizzically worded.[81][82]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Americana Music Honors & Awards[edit]
The Americana Music Honors & Awards celebrate outstanding achievement in the genre of Americana. Isbell has won nine awards out of 19 nominations.