Texas Trivia...?

This next entertainer broke into the buisness in 1998 with the "life of the party" cd. Is one of the coolest cats you will ever meet, his heroes are John Prine,Tom Waits, and his inspirations are Bruce Springsteen and Jackson Brown. He is a rancher when he is not on the road and a family man. He is married to another famouse entertainer. Can you name this person and to boot, name his wife?