Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter and actor who has won four Grammy Awards for his solo career and his work with the band The 400 Unit. He was also a member of the Southern rock band Drive-By Truckers from 2001 to 2007. He is known for his blend of Americana, folk, and country music, as well as his honest and personal lyrics.
Isbell was born on February 1, 1979, in Green Hill, Alabama, to a young couple who divorced when he was a child. He grew up surrounded by music, learning to play various instruments from his grandfather and uncle, who were both Pentecostal preachers and musicians. He also played trumpet and French horn in high school. He started performing in local bands when he was 14, and even played at the Grand Ole Opry when he was 16.
Isbell attended the University of Memphis, where he studied English and creative writing, but dropped out one credit short of graduating to pursue his music career. He later received his degree in 2023 after the university recognized his professional achievements. He joined Drive-By Truckers in 2001, after impressing Patterson Hood, the son of session bassist David Hood, who had mentored Isbell since he was a teenager. Isbell contributed to three albums by the band, and also married their bassist, Shonna Tucker, in 2002. However, both his marriage and his tenure with the band ended in 2007, partly due to his struggles with alcoholism.
Isbell launched his solo career in 2007, releasing his debut album, Sirens of the Ditch, which featured guest appearances by some of his former bandmates. He formed his own backing band, The 400 Unit, named after a psychiatric ward in Florence, Alabama, where some of his friends had been treated. He released three albums with the band, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit (2009), Here We Rest (2011), and Live from Alabama (2012), which showcased his diverse musical influences and his storytelling skills.
In 2012, Isbell met singer-songwriter and violinist Amanda Shires, who became his musical and romantic partner. They married in 2013, and have a daughter, Mercy Rose, born in 2015. Shires encouraged Isbell to seek treatment for his alcohol addiction, and he has been sober since 2012. His sobriety inspired his critically acclaimed album, Southeastern (2013), which was his first solo album without The 400 Unit. The album won him two Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song for "Cover Me Up".
Isbell continued his success with his next two albums, Something More Than Free (2015) and The Nashville Sound (2017), both of which won him another two Grammy Awards for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song, for "24 Frames" and "If We Were Vampires", respectively. He also collaborated with other artists, such as John Prine, Ryan Adams, Josh Ritter, and Sheryl Crow. He also ventured into acting, appearing in the TV shows Squidbillies and Billions, and the movies Deadwood: The Movie and Killers of the Flower Moon.
Isbell's most recent album with The 400 Unit, Weathervanes, was released in June 2023. The album features songs that reflect on the social and political issues of the time, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the 2020 US presidential election.
Isbell has been praised for his ability to write songs that are both personal and universal, and that capture the spirit and the struggles of the American South. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and respected singer-songwriters of his generation.
