From writing music, to rehearsing, to touring around the world, there’s no question that bandmates end up spending a lot of time together. During all that time with one another, band members can get pretty close — and sometimes that tight-knit relationship can actually turn romantic. Although getting to spend extra time with a significant other can seem like a great idea at first, many musicians have unfortunately found that it isn’t always the best idea to date a coworker. And while relationships between bandmates don’t always go according to plan, at least there are some really great songs that have come out of the experience!
Read on to find out which bandmates have dated…
1. Hayley Williams & Taylor York
Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams just revealed that she’s dating her longtime bandmate Taylor York. It’s unclear exactly when the duo began dating, as her rep “declined to comment further.” The pair have been friends for quite some time though and even knew each other before Taylor joined the band in 2007. Since then, Taylor has been the only member to have not quit the band, even helping Hayley with her solo music during the group’s hiatus.
2. Gwen Stefani & Tony Kanal
Gwen Stefani and No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal began dating in the late 1980s but it led to a pretty messy breakup. After the couple split in 1994, Gwen penned “Don’t Speak” about the relationship, which ended up being one of the band’s biggest hits. Looking back, the former couple says it was one of their most difficult times as a group, especially having to play a song about their relationship every night.
“We were on tour for ‘Tragic Kingdom’ for 28 months. We were going through the breakup, and in every interview we were talking about it so we were opening this wound on an hourly basis. It was so brutal but I don’t know how we made it through,” Tony told The Guardian.
3. Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham
Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were already dating when they joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975. They had previously been in other bands together but in their new group, things quickly got messy. They broke up shortly before releasing “Rumours” in 1977 and not long after, Stevie began dating musician Don Henley. At the same time, Stevie began having an affair with bandmate Mick Fleetwood — who was married to Jenny Boyd at the time. Looking back, Stevie says her affair with Mick was a mistake that was fueled by drugs.
“Mick and I never would have had an affair had we not had a party and all been completely drunk, messed up and coked out. [We] ended up being the last two people at the party. So guess what? It’s not hard to figure out what happened — and what happened wasn’t a good thing. It was doomed. It was a doomed thing, caused a lot of pain for everybody, led to nothing. I’m like, ‘Gee, could you have just laid off the brandy and the coke and the pot for two days?'” Stevie said on “Oprah’s Master Class.”
4. Amy Heidemann & Nick Noonan
After meeting in college, Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan began posting covers on YouTube under the name Karmin. After amassing millions of views online, they signed a record deal — and they eventually got engaged. While they kept their relationship quiet, they confirmed that they tied the knot in March 2016. Since then, Amy has gone solo, releasing music as Qveen Herby. Although Karmin is no longer releasing music, Amy and Nick are still married and working together.
5. Win Butler and Régine Chassagn
Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and his wife Régine Chassagn have been together since the band’s early days. The duo first crossed paths while Régine was attending McGill University and Win saw her performing at a local venue. He immediately wanted to write with her and when they sat down for the first time, they ended up penning several songs together. They tied the knot in 2003 and then went on to release the band’s debut album the following year.
“Eventually we hung out and pretty much the first time we hung out we wrote the beginnings of a song called ‘Headlights Look Like Diamonds’ and maybe two or three other songs basically in an hour and a half and that was that,” Win said.
6. Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa
When Patti Scialfa joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in 1984, she had been friends with Bruce for years. At the time, Bruce was still in a relationship with Julianne Phillips. Amid rumors that Bruce and Patti were having an affair, Bruce and Julianne split in 1998. Bruce and Patti eventually began dating and ended up tying the knot in 1991 — and are still married today.
7. Jenny Lewis & Blake Sennett
Jenny Lewis and Blake Sennett were friends before forming Rilo Kiley in 1998. The duo went on to date for several years until ending their relationship after the release of “The Execution of All Things” in 2002. Despite splitting, the band stuck together for several more years before going on hiatus in 2010. While things seemed dramatic at the time, it appears that Jenny and Blake are on good terms now, reuniting in 2021 to perform on a charity livestream.
8. Michelle Phillips & John Phillips
The Mamas and The Papas member Michelle Phillips met her future husband and bandmate John Phillips when she was just 18. At the time, he was touring with a band called the Journeymen and married to another woman. He got divorced and married Michelle in 1962, several years before starting The Mamas and The Papas. Following the release of their debut album, John began having an affair with bandmate Denny Doherty. While Michelle and John moved past the affair, things changed when she had an affair with musician Gene Clark of the Byrds. John attempted to fire her from the band in 1966 but she was ultimately rehired when the group didn’t like her replacement. Despite their tumultuous relationship, the couple welcomed a daughter in 1968. They ultimately filed for divorce the following year and the band split in 1971.
Sonny and Cher were married before they started making music together. After both working independently in the music industry, they began writing music together and eventually released songs under the name Caesar and Cleo. In 1964, they changed their name to Sonny & Cher. They quickly found success and remained married throughout the highs and lows of their early career. Amid their transition to television careers, their marriage began to fall apart and they split in 1974. After a brief hiatus, they continued their television show until 1977. Looking back, Cher says she’s not sure if the couple should have ever married.
“Stardom made Sonny a huge womanizer. One woman, or even five, was not enough for him… I asked him, ‘How did you manage the logistics?’ I was trusting and faithful with him. I’m not sure we should’ve ever been husband and wife,” Cher told Parade.
10. Alex Kinsey & Sierra Deaton
After meeting in 2009, Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton formed their group, Alex & Sierra. They went on to win the third season of “The X Factor” and scored a major record deal. They released a debut album in 2014 and an EP in 2016 before being dropped by their record label. Around that time, Alex and Sierra also parted ways as a couple. While they say they attempted to move forward with the band as friends, they ultimately decided to pursue solo careers.
“As everyone does know, we’ve been best friends forever and really tried to keep A&S going. However, we’ve arrived at a point where it feels better to branch out rather than continue making music together. This last album and tour were hard on our hearts…No band lasts forever, whether they dated or not, but we will cherish every memory, and our love for will most certainly last forever,” they wrote on Twitter.
11. Meg White & Jack White
The relationship between The White Stripes members Meg White and Jack White has always been confusing. Despite telling fans that they were siblings, it was eventually uncovered that they had tied the knot in 1996 and divorced in 2000. Following the end of their marriage, the band moved forward for over a decade until they ultimately broke up in 2011.
12. Abba
Abba singers Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus got married several years before the group skyrocketed to fame on Eurovision. They remained together for almost a decade but ultimately divorced in 1980. At the time, the couple said things were amicable and the band continued on, but looking back, Agnetha says things weren’t so cordial.
“We always told the media that it was a ‘happy’ divorce, which of course was a front…obviously we all know there are no such things as happy divorces, especially when there are children involved,” she wrote in her autobiography “As I Am.”
In addition to Agnetha and Björn’s relationship, their bandmates Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad were also in a relationship. They tied the knot in 1978 but ended up divorced by 1981. The band split up the following year but eventually reunited in 2018.
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