Chris Janson's Wife Kelly Lynn Played a Significant Role in Her Husband's Rise to Fame

"Buy Me A Boat" country singer Chris Janson owes his career to the support and encouragement of his wife, Kelly Lynn, who is also his manager.

Singer/songwriter Chris Janson's career, started in 2010, the same year he married Kelly Lynn. Chris Janson's wife is his manager and co-wrote songs with him when he was starting out.

Kelly Lynn has been there every step of the way, helping him build his career and raise a family. Chris Janson shares four children with his wife, two of whom are from Kelly Lynn's previous marriage.

Country singer Chris Janson was born in Perryville, Missouri, on April 2, 1986. At 18, he got into his car and moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his dream of becoming a recording star.

At 23, Chris co-wrote and recorded two duets with singer Holly Williams, the daughter of Hank Williams Jr. A year later, he released his first single, "Til a Woman Comes Along," which debuted at #56 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Over the next few years, Chris went on to write songs with and for Tim McGraw, Lee Brice, and Justin Moore. But even though critics acclaimed Chris' music, he had yet to break through as a country star.

In 2015, he self-released the song "Buy Me a Boat," which debuted at #33 on Hot Country Songs and went to #4. The single's success led to the release of an album titled "Buy Me a Boat." It was all thanks to Chris' wife, Kelly Lynn.

Chris Janson Fell in Love with His Future Wife at First Sight

When he first saw Kelly Lynn Roland, Chris Janson was in a bar with Guns N' Roses' bass player Duff McKagan. He was struck by her beauty and said to McKagan:

"I'm going to marry her."

McKagan scoffed at Chris, but fate took a hand. As it turned out, Kelly Lynn worked for a Nashville record label, and Chris had a meeting with her to pitch his songs.

He later invited her to his cabin so they could work on a song together, and they fell in love sitting on a swing on his porch. They married on July 4, 2010, three years after Chris first saw Kelly Lynn in a Nashville bar.

Kelly Lynn had been married before, and she had two grown-up children. Chris revealed his feelings about his ready-made family and wife in the song "Holdin' Her." He said:

"I didn't know what life was about until I got married and walked into a house that was already a home with kids in it — my bonus kids."

Kelly Lynn became Chris' manager and worked with him on the song "Better I Don't," along with Grammy Award-nominated country songwriter Pat Bunch.

Kelly Lynn brought her extensive experience as a publisher, songwriter, and A&R consultant into play when she became her husband's manager.

Kelly Lynn Is Chris Janson’s Manager Who Pushed Him to Release His Breakout Single

Kelly Lynn encouraged Chris to release his single "Buy Me a Boat" on iTunes. She believed the song would be a hit and decided to invest in it. She said:

"I invested my own personal money and released it myself. I even paid for a music video. That was a big risk. It definitely paid off and changed my life in a very positive way."

Chris and Kelly Lynn sent "Buy Me a Boat" to a few friends prior to the release on iTunes, and one of then was radio personality Bobby Bones, who played the song a few times during his show, and his audience loved it.

"Buy Me a Boat" went to #1 on iTunes, and Chris Janson was a hot property. Kelly Lynn negotiated Chris' contract with Warner Music Nashville in 2015 and launched his breakthrough album.

Kelly Lynn's shrewd management has taken Chris' career to the next level, and she organizes everything, including every detail of his tours. She said:

"I've had other people come to me and ask me if I would manage them. The answer is no. I only will do it for my husband because I truly believe in his talent so much. I'll do whatever I can to show the world that he's a superstar."

Thanks to Kelly Lynn, Chris now flies from concert to concert instead of enduring long hours of travel on tour buses. His brilliant manager discovered they could make up the expense by using the time they saved on more concerts, and the family could be together.

For Chris and Kelly Lynn, being apart is not an option, and she travels with him whenever she can, even during the hard-working country star's most extended tours.

Chris has confessed that he and Kelly Lynn spend almost every moment he is not on stage together.

Kelly Lynn and Chris Janson Try to Teach Their Kids the Value of Hard Work

At the time of their marriage, Kelly Lynn's two children became like Chris' own kids, but two years later, he held his baby in his arms. Their daughter Georgia was born in 2012.

In 2014, Chris announced that he and Kelly Lynn were expecting their second child together in early April, maybe even on the country singer's birthday, April 2. Chris said:

"When we got married, I took on two wonderful kids, and that was awesome. Soon after came my first blood, a sweet little girl. Now having a boy on the way, there's a sense of completion to our family. These kids are truly gifts, we are thankful, and I love being a dad."

Their little boy was born a little earlier than expected on March 20, 2014, and Chris announced his arrival on Twitter, sharing his name, Jesse Bo. Chris spoke of his faith and his family in the same breath:

"The Lord is so good. If you don't know Jesus, I recommend you get to know him. And if you don't have any precious babies, get one, or some ... It changes your whole world."

Faith is something that Chris and Kelly Lynn share alongside their love for each other and their children. In February 2023, Kelly Lynn shared a sweet snap of Chris saying goodbye to Georgia and Jesse Bo on Instagram and captioned it:

"When daddy's headed to the studio & the kids are going to school. I had to snap a pic of this precious moment. Daily prayers 🙏🏽. @thechrisjanson ❤️ #letthembelittle #protect #pray #love"

The couple has a uniquely close and loving bond with their children. Chris has revealed that whatever the cost, he does all he can to be home every night, even if he has to fly dozens of hours from the other side of the country.

In October 2018, Kelly Lynn shared a video clip on Twitter of her daughter Georgia dancing in their home while Chris sang "Georgia" on the piano. She captioned the clip:

"When her daddy sings her song. He sang this to her the day she was born. Perfect Sunday morning."

More recently, in December 2022, Kelly Lynn shared a snap on Instagram of herself, her husband, and their two children at the beach. Georgia and Jesse Bo are looking all grown up.

One thing Chris and Kelly Lynn are determined to do is to raise their children with a strong work ethic. So even though Chris can undoubtedly afford a boat now (and a plane), it doesn't mean the children are spoiled. Kelly Lynn explained:

"Chris and I have worked hard to get here, and I want them to do the same thing one day. I can't just hand them stuff."

That means that even though their mom is an extremely successful manager and their dad is a country star, Georgia and Jesse Bo still have to clean their rooms and do their chores just like any other kids.

What makes their lives different is that Georgia and Jesse Bo crisscross the United States with their parents on tour whenever their school schedule allows.

Chris Janson and Kelly Lynn’s Romance Is Still Going Strong after Many Years

After more than a decade, Chris and Kelly Lynn seem to be as in love as ever. On their twelfth wedding anniversary in 2022, Chris shared a photo of himself and his wife on a boat and captioned it:

"12 years of AWESOME marriage to my best friend and most smoking hot girl I've ever seen. Love love love you @thekellyjanson and really grateful for everything you do in all our lives."

Chris has confessed that he and Kelly Lynn spend almost every moment he is not on stage together. Kelly Lynn has inspired many of Chris' songs, including "Holdin' Her," and "Done."

His song "All I Need Is You," released in early 2023, is no exception. In the song, he acknowledges that his wife is his inspiration and the most important thing in his life.