In 2002, former Miss Tennessee Allison Alderson was cast in Rascal Flatts’ “These Days” music video. While she was cast to play Gary Levox’s love interest in the clip, it was Jay DeMarcus that caught her attention.
The pair began dating and fell in love almost instantly. In the summer of 2003, DeMarcus surprised Alderson with an elaborate proposal while visiting New York City. He even flew her mother and sister to “The Big Apple” for the occasion.
The couple’s wedding was a star-studded affair. Taking place in Nashville on May 15, 2004, the ceremony featured performances by Vince Gill, Christian singer Michael English and Chicago member Jason Scheff. Additionally, Cledus T. Judd and DeMarcus’s bandmates, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney, were part of the wedding party.
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DeMarcus was the final member of Rascal Flatts to become a father. After trying to conceive for a few years, he and Allison finally got their little miracle.
“When we stopped trying to plan it out and stopped worrying about it, it happened very naturally,” DeMarcus shared with People.
Madeline Leigh arrived in December of 2010 and her brother, Dylan Jay, followed on July 20, 2012.
Jay and Allison have made a point to raise their children in a Christian household with traditional Southern values.
“It’s really important for me that they’re ingrained in a good church and have that good foundation to build upon,” DeMarcus once said. “I think that’s a core value system that you’ll find anywhere you go in the south.”
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Though Madeline and Dylan’s upbringing is far from normal due to their parents’ celebrity status, Allison and Jay strive to find a balance so that their kids remain humble.
“I wanna do everything I can to make their lives as magical growing up as I can,” Jay explained. “But at the same time, you don’t want them to be spoiled brats because that would be no fun to live with either.”
Fans can keep up with the DeMarcus family by following Jay and Allison on Instagram.