Kenny Alphin — also known as “Big Kenny” of Big & Rich – and his wife, Christiev Carothers, married in 2005. Sixteen years and two kids later, they’re still going strong.
The couple first met in 2004, on the set of Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” music video. Alphin makes a cameo in the clip, and Carothers was the stylist.
“I had to go out of town, but I was so inspired by her,” recalls Alphin. “I had to call [Wilson’s] manager and say, ‘Hey! Is Christiev still on the video shoot today?’ Lo and behold, she was standing right there beside him, and he handed her the phone.
“I invited her out to lunch, and one thing led to another, and nine months later, we were married, and a few months later, we found out we were going to have our first child,” Alphin continues, summing up the couple’s whirlwind romance. “It’s been a blessing to have her in my life. It’ll be cool for people to see some of the talents she has.”
Alphin and Carothers said “I do” soon after meeting, on Jan. 23, 2005. Their wedding took place on a mountain top in Deadwood, S.D., and the ceremony was intimate — so intimate, in fact, that Alphin’s mother Mary wasn’t even a guest.
“I had no idea they were that serious,” she said at the time. “I only found out about [the marriage] Tuesday night.”
Thankfully, Alphin’s mama had previously met his bride at a Big & Rich concert. The singer had also brought Carothers to the Alphins’ family Christmas.
Alphin calls his wife “the most wonderfully amazing woman ever” and also “super, super talented.” They seem to be a match made in heaven, with their love for bright colors, hats and unconventional clothing.
Carothers has two children from a previous marriage, Christopher and Cameron. The couple also has two sons of their own: Lincoln was born soon after they married, and they adopted another boy, Dakota, in 2010.