Who Is Jewel's Ex-Husband? All About Ty Murray

Jewel and Ty Murray divorced in July 2014 after six years of marriage and 16 years together

Jewel and Ty Murray were married for six years.

The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter wed the world champion cowboy in August 2008, welcomed their first child together in July 2011 and announced their divorce in July 2014.

Following their separation, Jewel (whose full name is Jewel Kilcher) emphasized the couple’s plan to have a “loving” split while keeping their son their top priority. A few months later, Murray gave an update on their relationship post-divorce.

“I do feel like we are friends," he told PEOPLE in October 2014. "That’s really important to me on a lot of levels. We’re all in a really good spot and we’re all getting all our needs met.”

Several years later, the professional cowboy tied the knot for a second time, marrying Paige Duke in November 2017. The pair welcomed their first child together in September 2018.

"Your grace, beauty, strength, love and kindness is so inspiring to me and your whole family," Murray wrote on Instagram in celebration of Paige's birthday in March 2023. "I love you more than everything. Your grace, beauty, strength, love and kindness is so inspiring to me and your whole family."

Here's everything to know about Ty Murray.

Related: Are Kevin Costner and Jewel Dating? Pair's P.D.A. Sparks Romance Rumors

He's a world champion cowboy

Ty Murray is a fifth-generation cowboy and a nine-time World Champion. "I love horses and have always loved horses and believe that they are the sweetest, most magnificent and misunderstood creatures on the planet,” he said in a December 2023 interview with Cowboys and Indians.

While he currently tends to his ranch and beloved horses in Stephenville, Texas Murray was raised in the Arizona desert, where he grew up riding calves as a child.

At age 12, Murray rode his first bareback horse in a local rodeo. Since competing at his first National Finals Rodeo in 1989, his meteoric rise — including becoming the youngest all-around world champion in PRCA history at age 20 — landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records, ultimately snagging seven world champion titles between 1989 and 1998.

Related: Jewel Reminds People They Are Not Alone for the Holidays

He's also a professional bull rider

In addition to Murray's history-making accomplishments as a cowboy, breaking records in bareback and saddle bronc rising, he's also broken records as a professional bull rider. Outside of competition, he cofounded the Professional Bull Riders in the early 1990s and served as president of the organization in the early 2000s.

Like his cowboy achievements, Murray's racked up various accolades for bull riding. Two bull riding championships and seven all-around titles, are among the many he's garnered over career. In August 2023, he was inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.

"You know, obviously breaking the record and winning my seventh all-around championship was such a big deal in my life because it’s basically what I dedicated my life to,” Murray told a local news outlet of the honor.

He continued, “To be able to have it as such a defining moment that it’s celebrated and to have people cheering for you and millions watching on tv around the world and those sort of things make it really extra special.”

He wed Jewel in 2008

Murray and Jewel were together for a decade before quietly marrying at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas in August 2008. In 2010, the former couple opened up about their relationship in an interview on the Country Music Awards red carpet.

"We've been together a long time and we're best friends. We both just keep working to make that stronger too," Murray said when he and Jewel were asked by MaximoTV about their New Year's resolution in December that year.

When asked "what makes a lasting relationship in Hollywood." Jewel weighed in, "I think it's wanting the same thing, wanting to stay together, wanting a marriage and believing in that."

She added, "I don't think we have big egos and we're not real vain, and so we get to roll up our sleeves and figure out how we grow and change and how to stay best friends. It's fun."

He and Jewel divorced in 2014, but remain friends

In July 2014, Jewel announced on her now-defunct blog that she and Murray were divorcing after six years of marriage and 16 years together. In a post titled, "Dear World," she explained their amicable "thoughtful and tender undoing.”

“For some time we have been engaged in private and difficult, but thoughtful and tender undoing of ourselves,” she wrote. “Ty and I have always tried to live the most authentic life possible, and we wanted our separation as husband and wife to be nothing less loving than the way we came together.”

“Due to the spirit in which we have gone about this separation, we trust we can remain dear friends who hold each other in high esteem, which is so important to us as parents – we wish only what is best for our son," she concluded.

He shares one child with Jewel

Amid their marriage, Murray and Jewel had one child, son Kase Townes Murray, together on July 11, 2011. The singer had an unexpected emergency C-section, but welcomed a “mellow and chill” baby boy into the world upon his birth.

Watching his son come into the world, Murray told PEOPLE at the time, “I felt like somebody went to a cabinet, pulled out a perfect baby and handed him over. It’s overwhelming.”

As for how he got his name? The cowboy explained to PEOPLE that he was inspired by his best friend, as well as one of Jewel’s favorite singer-songwriters, Townes Van Zandt. “We had a name list a long time ago, before we were even married,” he said. “I like one syllable names.”

Added Jewel, “It’s a strong name. We like it.”

In September 2023, the Grammy-nominated "Foolish Games" singer spoke with PEOPLE at Project Angel Food's annual Angel Awards gala, where she opened up about parenting her now-almost teen son.

"Everybody told me that every year gets better and I was like, 'That's impossible.' So far it's true," she said of motherhood.

"I think traveling right now for us, he really loves traveling, so we're just going all over the world together and again, I just feel lucky," she shared. "It's beyond a privilege to get to do this. I'm just enjoying every single second I have with him."

Related: Jewel Says Son Kase, 12, Has a 'Beautiful Voice' but He's 'Not Obsessed' with Music (Exclusive)

He was on Dancing With the Stars

Murray competed on season 8 of Dancing With the Stars in 2009. In fact, Jewel was also cast that year, marking the first time a husband and wife would complete on the show in the same season.

However, the singer withdrew from the competition die to an injury she sustained during rehearsals. Murray, who was partnered with professional dancer Chelsie Hightower, was eliminated in the tenth week. He placed fourth overall.

He's married to Paige Duke

Murray married Paige Duke in November 2017. She's a cookbook author and former sideline reporter for Elite Rodeo Athletes (ERA) on Fox Sports.

The pair tied the knot in a western-inspired wedding at the Quarry at Carrigan Farms in North Carolina. Duke often posts photos of her husband and kids to Instagram, where she penned a sweet tribute in celebration of Murray's birthday shortly after their union.

"Happy birthday to my 'main squeeze', my love, 😍 my husband, my cowboy! You’re the most amazing partner and dad! Kase is so blessed to have you as his role model to guide him in life," she began.

She continued, "I love the try you put into everything you’re passionate about, including being a husband and a father. I love you!! I picked out @springsteen song 'Tougher than the rest' for Ty to walk down the aisle too and it’s true! “If you’re looking for love, honey I’m tougher than the rest...”

After their marriage, Murray and Duke welcomed one child, daughter Oakley, together in September 2018. To no surprise, both their kids were put on horseback at a young age.

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