Ryan Hurd: Maren Morris’s Ex-Husband, the Country Hitmaker Behind the Hits

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Maren Morris put her name back at the top of American search trends this week when she sang “The Middle” live on Dancing With the Stars’ Grammy Night on Tuesday 10 November 2026, a performance that drew sharp criticism from viewers online. The renewed spotlight on the Grammy-winning country star has also pulled attention back to the man she spent six years married to: Ryan Hurd, the singer-songwriter who wrote some of Nashville’s biggest hits before stepping out as an artist in his own right.

Hurd and Morris met in a writing room, married in Nashville, recorded a hit duet together, and split in 2023 before finalising their divorce in January 2024. He has since rebuilt his career on his own terms, releasing a second album in March 2025. This is the story of the songwriter behind the star.

Ryan Hurd — Quick Reference Profile

From Chicago to Kalamazoo: The Michigan Roots Behind a Nashville Songwriter

Ryan James Hurd was born in Chicago on 2 November 1986 and grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a Midwestern upbringing he still credits for his sound. He left Michigan for Nashville to study at Belmont University, where he read sociology and economics while chasing a career in music. The city gave him his break, but the Rust Belt stayed in his writing.

Hurd arrived in Nashville as a songwriter first and a performer second. He built his reputation in writing rooms, penning songs for other artists, and the work paid off quickly. His family background has stayed private: the names and details of his parents and any siblings are not publicly verified, and he has kept his early life largely out of interviews.

The Pen Behind the Hits: Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Lady A

Before most country fans knew his name, they already knew his songs. Hurd co-wrote “Lonely Tonight”, the Grammy-nominated duet that became a No. 1 hit for Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe in 2015. He also wrote Luke Bryan’s “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” and Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You”, along with cuts for Rascal Flatts, Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker and Dierks Bentley.

His own recording career started with the Panorama EP in 2015, and he signed as an artist with Sony Music Nashville in 2017. His debut album, Pelago, arrived in October 2021 and carried “Chasing After You”, his duet with then-wife Maren Morris. The song became his first top 10 hit on the country charts, reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, and went 2x Platinum. In October 2024 he signed with Big Machine Label Group, and his second album, Midwest Rock & Roll, followed on 21 March 2025. He co-wrote all 12 tracks on the record, a coming-of-age set produced by Aaron Eshuis, and a deluxe edition recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London arrived on 30 May 2025. He is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, and like other spouses of stars who built their own careers — Callum Turner has carved out an acting career beside Dua Lipa — Hurd’s name now stands on its own in Nashville.

Hannah Storm, another broadcaster’s wife who built her own career, shows the same pattern of a spouse standing on her own merits.

A Song, a Wedding and a Split: Ryan Hurd and Maren Morris

Hurd met Morris in 2013, during a songwriting session for Tim McGraw’s ballad “Last Turn Home”. The professional partnership turned personal, and the couple married on 24 March 2018 at The Cordelle in Nashville. Their son, Hayes Andrew Hurd, was born on 23 March 2020.

The pair separated in October 2023, with Morris filing for divorce, and the split was finalised in January 2024. Both have kept the details of the break-up private, and Hurd has said he chose not to make a break-up record about it, focusing instead on fatherhood and his music. He has spoken about touring less so he can spend more time with his young son.

Morris, meanwhile, returned to the spotlight this week with her Dancing With the Stars appearance. People reported that she joined Brandy, Monica and Sheryl Crow as live guest performers on the show’s Grammy Night, singing “The Middle” while Jenna Dewan and Tatyana Ali danced a cha-cha to it. Some viewers criticised her vocals on social media, but the performance put both her name and her ex-husband’s back into the conversation.

Ryan Hurd’s Money: Royalties, Records and a New Label Chapter

Hurd earns from two streams: songwriting royalties from hits recorded by other stars, and his own records and touring. The songwriting catalogue is the steadier earner, with No. 1 cuts for Shelton and Bryan still generating income years after release. His artist career added a second income line, first under Sony Music Nashville and now under Big Machine Records.

His personal net worth is not publicly verified. Low-quality celebrity finance sites publish conflicting figures, but no reliable outlet has reported a confirmed number, so this article does not repeat one. What is clear is that the Big Machine deal and the Midwest Rock & Roll album cycle, including the Abbey Road deluxe edition, mark his most active commercial period since the divorce.

Ryan Hurd — Career Milestones

Frequently Asked Questions About Ryan Hurd

How did Ryan Hurd meet Maren Morris?

They met in 2013 during a songwriting session for Tim McGraw’s “Last Turn Home”. They married on 24 March 2018 in Nashville, had a son in March 2020, separated in October 2023 and finalised their divorce in January 2024.

What is Ryan Hurd’s biggest song?

As a writer, “Lonely Tonight” for Blake Shelton and Ashley Monroe, which reached No. 1. As a performer, “Chasing After You”, his 2021 duet with Maren Morris, which reached the country top 10, No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went 2x Platinum.

What is Ryan Hurd’s net worth?

Not publicly verified. No reliable source has published a confirmed figure, and low-quality sites disagree, so this article does not state one.

Is Ryan Hurd still making music after the divorce?

Yes. He signed with Big Machine Label Group in October 2024 and released his second album, Midwest Rock & Roll, on 21 March 2025, followed by a deluxe edition recorded at Abbey Road on 30 May 2025.

Is it true Ryan Hurd wrote a break-up album about Maren Morris?

No. Hurd has said he deliberately did not make a break-up record about the split, choosing instead to focus on fatherhood and new music.