Connect with us

News

Kimberly Schlapman Jokes Little Big Town Works Because She’s ‘In the Middle’ of Karen and Jimi’s Marriage (Exclusive)

Published

21 hours ago

on

Little Big Town has been going strong for more than 25 years, and Kimberly Schlapman thinks she’s figured out the recipe for their success — as well as the reason her bandmates’ relationship is so strong.

“I make a joke that I am the secret to [Karen and Jimi’s] marriage because I’m always in the middle of them,” Schlapman, 56, exclusively told Us Weekly while discussing her partnership with AbbVie’s Changing the Tune on Parkinson’s Disease campaign. “They have a great relationship, a beautiful family. We’ve all been blessed.”

Schlapman’s bandmates Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook have been married since 2006, while Schlapman and remaining Little Big Town member Phillip Sweet are each married to people who aren’t part of the group. Jokes aside, Schlapman thinks one reason Little Big Town is still together is because they’re so close to each other.

“We’ve been through the lowest of lows and the highest of highs together, and the music that we make, we still enjoy,” she explained. “We still enjoy being on stage together, looking at each other and having those inside moments that we’re like, ‘Wow, this is still happening. I can’t believe it.’”

Even more than two decades in, Schlapman says she and her colleagues always “try to take care of each other,” both on and off the stage.

“We listen to each other. We’re four completely different people, but we understand each other,” the Grammy winner added. “Over the years, that is something that’s really become really special. We really understand each other and know what each other needs and when someone needs to step out, or when someone needs help or whatever it is. … We really love each other.”

That’s one reason the band has no plans to hang it up anytime soon. When asked whether Little Big Town has ever had any conversations about retirement, Schlapman is emphatic.

Related: Kimberly Schlapman Reveals Marriage Secret She’s Kept for Almost 20 Years

Courtesy of Kimberly Schlapman/Instagram Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman is the latest star to cohost Today with Jenna & Friends. During the Tuesdsay, January 28, show, Schlapman revealed a secret she’s been keeping for almost 20 years. When asked if she’s “ever had a wild night on vacation,” Schlapman said one story came to mind, […]

“They haven’t ever happened,” she told Us. “I don’t know if somebody’s gonna say one day, ‘OK, I’m out.’ But we don’t have a plan. We still want to do this.”

They also still have a few things to check off their bucket list, including Saturday Night Live.

“We haven’t done that yet,” Schlapman said. “We have, thank the good Lord, reached a lot of our goals. We’ve been able to do lots of fun things, but that’s still one that we would love.”

When she’s not on the road with Little Big Town, Schlapman stays plenty busy taking care of her own family. She shares daughters Daisy and Dolly with her husband, Stephen, and she’s also a caretaker for her mom, Barbara, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 20 years ago. That’s why she teamed up with AbbVie on their Changing the Tune of Parkinson’s Disease campaign.

“It’s all about empowering people living with Parkinson’s, or the people who love them and take care of them, to advocate for great care and for treatment, and ask your doctor questions and find and tell your doctor information,” she explained. “Because treatment is there, and we just need our loved ones to get the very best care that they can.”

Schlapman wants other patients and caregivers to feel inspired to ask questions, in part because most people don’t know much about the illness until it’s diagnosed.

“It’s not just about the tremor, but that’s all we knew when my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” she recalled. “Over these many years, we’ve learned so much more about it [by being] able to communicate with her doctor and ask the questions. And when I’m with my mother, I’m always like, ‘What has changed? Is anything different? Is anything new?’ And then my sister and brother and I always communicate with her doctor, and if something has changed, we want the best treatment for her.”

She added, “With Changing the Tune of Parkinson’s, it encourages people like us to ask the questions and to talk to the doctors. Because living with Parkinson’s is a struggle, and if we can get the very best help for the people we love, then their labs will be a little bit better.”

Read the full article here

Related Topics:
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Trending