Introduction
Ruston Kelly (born July 31, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter. After landing a publishing deal with BMG Nashville in 2013, he got his first cut with Tim McGraw's song "Nashville Without You", which appeared on McGraw's album Two Lanes of Freedom. Following a record deal with Razor & Tie's Washington Square, he released his debut EP Halloween produced by Mike Mogis in 2017.
In 2018 Kelly signed with Rounder Records and released his debut studio album Dying Star to critical acclaim.
Personal life
Kelly struggled with drug addiction for years and decided to pursue a life of sobriety following an overdose in December 2015. Kelly said in an interview, "I went to rehab once, but it was all I could afford, so it was this kind of rehab in North Carolina."
Kelly met wife Kacey Musgraves after performing at the Bluebird Café in Nashville in March 2016. They married in October 2017.
Discography
EPs
- Halloween (2017)
Studio albums
- Dying Star (2018)
Tours
- Headlining
- Dying Star Fall Tour (2018–2019)
- Opening act
- Port Saint Joe Tour (for Brothers Osborne) (2019)
Songwriter discography
| Year | Artist | Album | Title | Co-writers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Tim McGraw | Two Lanes of Freedom | "Nashville Without You" | Kyle Jacobs, Joe Leathers |
| 2014 | Josh Abbott Band | Tuesday Night EP | "Tuesday Night" | Josh Abbott |
| 2015 | Front Row Seat | "Front Row Seat" | Brian Davis | |
| 2016 | Rob Baird | Wrong Side of the River | "Run of Good Luck" | Rob Baird |
| Hayes Carll | Lovers and Leavers | "Love Is So Easy" | Hayes Carll | |
| 2018 | Lucie Silvas | E.G.O. | "Just for the Record" | Lucie Silvas, Jarrad Kritzstein |