Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Meet Anne Murray: Her Story of Love and Family

Anne Murray's Marriage and family
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Dubbed as America’s Canadian sweetheart, Anne Murray has been a woman of success who achieved record-setting sales and earned an impressive award tally throughout her 45-year music career. But despite her successful run in the industry, she still experienced many lows.

In 2008, she revealed every bit of her swift ascent to the top to her personal hardships and even her long-term affair with TV producer Bill Langstroth in her tell-all memoir All of Me

Who is Anne Murray?

RELATED: Where is Anne Murray now? A Peek at the Singer’s Current Life

Most popularly known for her breakthrough single “Snowbird” back in 1970, Anne Murray was born as Morna Anne Murray on June 20, 1945 in Springhill, Nova Scotia, Canada. She is the daughter of town doctor James Carson Murray and nurse Marion Margaret Burke and was raised alongside her five brothers – Stewart, Daniel, David, Harold, and Bruce. 

At a very young age, Anne already expressed interest in music, and then she started taking voice lessons at the age of 6. Aside from that, she also studied the piano. 

After graduating from high school, she attended Mount Saint University in Halifax for a year. Then she continued her education at the University of New Brunswick, where she finished her degree in Physical Education in 1966. 

Later on, she auditioned for the CBC musical variety TV show Singalong Jubilee, but unfortunately, she was not offered a singing position. Two years later, she was invited to take a second audition for the show, where she was finally cast. She worked on the show over the course of summer before she turned to a more stable career as a high school instructor for physical education.

All of Me: The Forbidden Love

RELATED: Anne Murray Songs Delighting Millions Through The Years

Bill Langstroth first met Anne Murray when she auditioned for his TV show on CBC Singalong Jubilee. At the time, Bill was still married to Shirley Dennison and father to two young children, David and Margot. He became her boss and the two worked together. 

But one trip to Charlottetown – marijuana and a kiss – changed everything and started a secret affair that would last for years. According to Murray, during those years, he was so unhappy in his marriage while she, on the other hand, was falling in love so fast. And she was powerless to do anything about it even though she knew he was her boss and fifteen years her senior. 

They kept their relationship a secret for years while Langstroth remained married. The early years of the affair proved to be very difficult for her. Not to mention that it also led to rumors about her sexuality and even attracted a ‘legion of gay fans.’

Finally, Langstroth married Murray in 1975 after divorcing Dennison. The couple welcomed their first child William a year later, and then three years after, they had Dawn. But after 22 years of marriage, the two separated in 1997 and then divorced in 1998. Langstroth died in 2013. He was 81.

Meet Anne Murray’s Family: Parents and Children

Anne Murray lost her father in 1980 due to complications from leukemia. He was 72. While her mother died on April 10, 2006 at the age of 92, after suffering from a series of strokes. 

As for her children, Dawn followed in her footsteps in music as a singer-songwriter. The mother-daughter duo has recorded several songs, including their 1999 duet of “Let There Be Love” for Murray’s What a Wonderful World album. Then in 2008, Dawn featured again for another duet titled “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” for Murray’s Anne Murray Duets: Friends & Legends album. But aside from being a musician, she is also a painter. You can take a peek at her collection on her official website

Now, Anne Murray has settled back in her home province of Nova Scotia, where she happily rekindled relationships with family and friends. While she won’t be putting out a show anytime soon, she’s happy just sitting down with her old guitar and revisiting a few old songs just to find out if she could still carry out a tune. And of course, just for the fun of it. 

Latest Stories

John Foster performs Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe” on American Idol as his emotional mom watches from the audience with a supportive sign on Mother’s Day.

John Foster Sings Brooks & Dunn’s “Believe” for His Mom and Brings Her to Tears in the Audience

It takes guts to sing a Brooks & Dunn song on national TV, especially one like “Believe.” But it takes something even heavier to pull it off on Mother’s Day, ...

Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban side by side as fans debate Stapleton's powerful ACM performance of "Blue Ain't Your Color" and whether it outshined the original.

Chris Stapleton Took On Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” but Who Sang It Better

Keith Urban may have recorded it first, but Chris Stapleton just might’ve claimed it for good. When Stapleton took the stage at the 2025 ACM Awards and delivered a smoldering ...

Maren Morris appears in a recent interview, attempting to clarify her stance on country music after previously signaling a departure from the genre.

Maren Morris Now Claims She Never Said She Was Leaving Country Music

Maren Morris wants you to know she never said she was leaving country music. Apparently, all that talk about burning it down was just a misunderstanding. In a new interview ...

Alan Jackson grows emotional during his 2025 ACM Awards speech after performing “Remember When” and receiving the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award named in his honor.

Alan Jackson Breaks Down Thanking His Wife at the ACMs After Lifetime Achievement Win

Alan Jackson has never been one for theatrics. His music has always spoken about love, life, and family in plain, honest language. But on Thursday night at the 2025 ACM ...

Brooks & Dunn share a laugh backstage as they reflect on their journey from million-dollar royalty checks on a bus to breaking records again at the 2025 ACM Awards.

Brooks & Dunn Remember the Day They Got Their First Million-Dollar Check on the Bus

Long before they were legends, Brooks & Dunn were just two guys chasing a country music dream. And like a scene straight out of a Nashville fairytale, they still remember ...

Gretchen Wilson attends the 2025 ACM Awards red carpet, re-emerging after years away due to health struggles and marking the start of her country music comeback.

Gretchen Wilson Reveals the Health Struggle That Took Her Away From Country Music

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Gretchen Wilson in the spotlight, but now we know why. The “Redneck Woman” singer has kept a low profile for the better part ...

Maren Morris appears on a talk show couch expressing her thoughts, shortly before calling out pop artists for "cosplaying" as country singers—a statement stirring irony given her own history with the genre.

Maren Morris Calls Out Pop Stars “Cosplaying” as Country and Yes the Irony Is Real

File this one under “you can’t make this up.” Maren Morris, who all but broke up with country music just two years ago, is now calling out pop stars for ...

Lainey Wilson poses with a horse in a star-studded outfit, capturing the same down-home authenticity and bold flair that earned her Entertainer of the Year at the 2025 ACM Awards.

Lainey Wilson Won Entertainer of the Year and There’s a Damn Good Reason

Another year, another win. Lainey Wilson walked out of the 2025 ACM Awards with the Entertainer of the Year trophy for the second time in a row, and while some ...

Morgan Wallen performs for a packed stadium crowd in an earlier concert moment—just months before his ACM Awards shutout sparked major fan backlash in 2025.

Morgan Wallen Fans Say There Was “Zero Reason He Shouldn’t Have Won” After ACM Snub

The 60th ACM Awards went off in Frisco, Texas, with big performances, big speeches, and big wins. But not for Morgan Wallen. And his fans are not keeping quiet about ...

Old Dominion captured here in a past promo photo, just before breaking Rascal Flatts’ record with their eighth straight Group of the Year win at the 2025 ACM Awards.

Old Dominion Snatched a Record Rascal Flatts Held for Over a Decade

It finally happened. Old Dominion broke a record that most thought would stand forever. At the 2025 ACM Awards, the Nashville-based five-piece won Group of the Year for the eighth ...