A native of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, John Paul White spent a number of years working as a professional songwriter in Nashville before finding major success as one half of Americana duo the Civil Wars. Prior to forming the band, White made his solo debut, The Long Goodbye, in 2008. That same year, he met California singer/songwriter Joy Williams at a Nashville songwriting workshop. Their rich harmonic blend and complementary styles immediately gelled, leading them to form the Civil Wars shortly afterward. Their critically and commercially successful partnership would ultimately earn them four Grammy Awards, but in spite of their musical chemistry, their off-stage relationship became increasingly rocky, and they disbanded in 2014. In 2016 White issued his sophomore solo outing, Beulah. ~ Timothy Monger