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

Things You Might Not Know About Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild

10 Facts about Karen Fairchild
by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

Karen Fairchild is definitely one of today’s leading female vocalists. Together with Kimberly Schlapman, they started Little Big Town, one of the most popular country groups whose four-part vocal harmonies set them apart from their mainstream country peers.

Let’s get to know more about her below!

1. She’s an Indiana Native

Karen Fairchild was born on September 28, 1969, in Gary, Indiana, USA. Though there was no information about her parents, she’s thanking them for how they raised her and gave her confidence. “There were so many lean years, and my family loved and supported me no matter what,” she said.

Karen also has a sister named Kelly Fairchild. They both spend most of their childhood in Marietta, Georgia.

2. She played football in high school.

Karen once revealed her boyish side. Coming from a very athletic family, she played as “the quarterback to my powder puff team.”

The singer even once recounted the gruesome injury she got while playing football where she fell headfirst and got a hole in her face. “I had blood running all down my jersey,” she said. “I went to the emergency room like that, and they sewed up my lip.”

3. She has a natural gift for styling.

Karen is known for her bold fashion moves as much as she’s known for her daring music. Fashion has long been her personal passion, even before the group started dressing in couture. So, when Little Big Town‘s longtime stylist was caught in a huge scheduling conflict, Karen’s bandmates turned to her for some help.

“Karen’s been styling us since before we could afford a stylist,” Schlapman revealed. “She has a passion for clothing, and she’s amazing at it. She knows what works together. She knows us.”

4. She loves to shop for vintage clothes and jewelry.

Karen actually calls herself a “professional shopper” and admits that shopping is kind of her vice. 

But while she makes appearances at awards shows wearing signature pieces, Karen does most of her shopping at vintage stores and flea markets. Whenever the band travels, she never fails to visit some local shopping scenes and cool boutiques in the area.

5. She got a clothing line.

Karen loves fashion so much that she decided to launch her own clothing line called Fair Child, which was drawn upon the years of her experimenting with fashion – from teaming up with her local tailor to make her own clothes as a kid to curating custom looks with her stylist.

6. She’s married to Jimi Westbrook.

On May 31, 2006, Karen secretly married her bandmate, Jimi Westbrook. 

Karen was divorced from her first husband a few years after Little Big Town was first formed in 1998. A very strange turn of events found Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook falling in love after working side by side for eight years. The two are now proud parents to their only son, Elijah Dylan Westbrook.

7. She has a genuine friendship with fellow country superstar Miranda Lambert.

Karen and Miranda Lambert are closer than we thought. The two country stars have a special bond, on and off stage – this is one thing newcomer Tenille Townes got to see up close while serving as the opening act on Lambert and Little Big Town’s The Bandwagon Tour in 2019.

“[I] firsthand got to watch the way that she and Karen are really there for each other and lifting each other up the entire time,” Townes said. “It’s a genuine sort of friendship.”

8. She released songs that sparked controversies.

When she wrote “The Daughters” for the band to release in 2018, it triggered some controversy, striking a nerve among conservative listeners. In 2014, when Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” hit the airwaves, some fans were mad, thinking it was a song about same-sex relationships.

9. She’s got an encouraging word of advice to young girls pursuing their dreams.

Karen has indeed experienced her fair share of life-changing moments while preserving to be where she is today. So, she’s reminding every young woman to use their confidence in boosting their true spirits and to keep self-worth close as these will be the key to achieve and be successful in whatever they put their heads into.

“As women, we have to always remember to listen to our instincts and go with our guts,” she said. “Being a woman is a very powerful thing; we need to embrace that rather than shy away from it or make excuses for it.”

10. She has accumulated her fair share of wealth.

Though there was no clear information as to the correct figure of Karen Fairchild’s net worth, it is estimated to be more than $10 million.

Latest Stories

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...

Miranda Lambert plays guitar in a cozy bedroom, the perfect moment that shows how she made “The House That Built Me” a classic.

Blake Shelton Was Supposed to Sing “The House That Built Me” Then Miranda Lambert Made It a Classic

Sometimes, the best country songs don’t just find a voice. They rip your chest open and remind you why Nashville can still surprise the hell out of you. Back in ...

Kellie Pickler with her late husband Kyle Jacobs, whose parents now call her “callous” in their feud over his estate and home.

Kellie Pickler’s In-Laws Brand Her “Callous” for Blocking Them From Late Son’s Home

Country music knows heartbreak, but sometimes it hits hardest when the lights are out, and the lawyers start circling. Just ask Kellie Pickler, now knee-deep in a brutal court fight ...

John Schneider’s ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ tribute honors Rick Hurst, pictured here as Deputy Cletus Hogg with the cast smiling.

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Honors Rick Hurst With Heartbreaking Tribute

Sometimes, the characters you remember best weren’t the heroes behind the wheel but the guys you’d see rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when the dust settled. Rick Hurst ...

Taylor Swift smiles while strumming a guitar onstage in Nashville, sparking rumors about a possible country music return.

Taylor Swift Crashes Kane Brown’s Nashville Set and Now Everyone’s Wondering if She’s Going Country Again

Taylor Swift showed up in Nashville like a pop comet trying to burn her way back into country music’s atmosphere. It all went down at Tight End University’s charity concert ...

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton burst into laughter during a playful, no-holds-barred roast session on her talk show set.

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton Bicker Like Siblings in a New Interview and It’s TV Gold

Two country megastars walk into a studio. One has 30 number ones and a new album, while the other is hosting the show but not having it. Cue the fireworks. ...