How Many Times Has James Taylor Been Married

Let’s talk about James Taylor—the man with a voice smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy and a personal life that’s been anything but smooth. If you’ve ever wondered, “How many times has this guy tied the knot?”—grab a latte, because we’re about to dive into the romantic soap opera of a folk-rock legend. The short answer? He’s been married three times, but the real story is a tangled mess of guitars, groupies, and one very famous ex-wife.

First up was Susan “Sue” Rider, a woman he met when he was just a scrappy 21-year-old in England. They tied the knot in 1970, right as James was shaking off his heroin addiction and recording his iconic album Sweet Baby James. It was a marriage built on instability—like trying to build a sandcastle in a hurricane. They split two years later, but not before James wrote the song “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” about their breakup. Spoiler: he was lonely, and she wasn’t coming back.

Enter the Icon: Carly Simon

Oh, Carly Simon. The woman with the voice that could melt glaciers and a songwriting pen that could slice a heart in half. James and Carly became the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of the 1970s folk scene—except with more turtlenecks and fewer dance moves. They married in 1972, had two kids (Ben and Sally), and became the poster couple for musical perfection. But behind the scenes, it was a toxic cocktail of jealousy, infidelity, and artistic ego.

Their marriage lasted a decade—from 1972 to 1983—and produced some of James’s most famous songs, like “Her Town Too.” Fun fact: Carly once wrote the song “You’re So Vain” about a narcissistic lover, and while she never confirmed it, she totally hinted it could be James. Let that sink in: your husband writes a love song, you respond with a passive-aggressive banger that becomes a global hit. Delicious. Their divorce was messy, involving custody battles and a lot of sad coffee-house ballads.

The Wild Card: Kathryn Walker

After Carly, James swore off marriage for a while—or so we thought. In 1987, he met Kathryn Walker, an actress and writer who seemed like a calming influence. They married in 1988, and the public sighed, “Finally, James has found his peace.” Nope. The marriage lasted only three years, and it ended about as quietly as a library book drop. No epic songs, no tabloid drama—just a whisper of “it didn’t work out.” To this day, nobody talks about it. It’s like the forgotten middle child of James Taylor’s love life.

Caroline Smedvig: Interesting facts about James Taylor's Wife - YEN.COM.GH

Which brings us to the happy ending. In 1996, James met Kim Smedvig, a public relations executive who had zero interest in the music world’s chaos. They married in 2001, and—get this—they’re still together. As of 2025, that’s 24 years of marital bliss. Kim is the one who finally got James to quit smoking and start hiking. Seriously, the man now posts photos of himself on Instagram looking like a grandfather who just discovered kale smoothies. It’s adorable.

So, how many times has James Taylor been married? Three times—but the journey is way more interesting than the number. He went from a drug-fueled disaster (Sue), to a rock star marriage that crashed and burned (Carly), to a forgettable detour (Kathryn), and finally to a peaceful bench in the park (Kim). It’s like he tried every flavor of ice cream before settling on vanilla with a side of therapy.

Why This Matters (And Why It Doesn’t)

Here’s the surprising truth: James Taylor has never written a bad song about a breakup. That means every divorce gave us gold. Without Sue, we wouldn’t have “Fire and Rain.” Without Carly, we wouldn’t have the rumored digs in “You’re So Vain.” Without Kathryn… well, we got a three-year silence that was probably good for his blood pressure. And without Kim, we wouldn’t have that adorable video of him baking bread during the pandemic. See? Every heartbreak was a gift packaged in a sad chord progression.

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Also, let’s take a moment to appreciate that James Taylor is one of the few celebrities who married someone not famous in his final act. It’s like watching a Hollywood movie where the hero gives up the spotlight for a quiet life in Vermont. Except James actually lives in Massachusetts, but you get the metaphor. Kim isn’t a singer, actress, or model—she just helps him remember to buy milk. And that, my friends, is rock and roll at its most mature.

If you’re keeping score at home, here’s the tally: Three wives, two kids, one iconic ex, and a whole lot of therapy. James Taylor has been married three times, but only the last one counts as “happily ever after.” So next time you hear “You’ve Got a Friend,” remember: the man singing it spent a good chunk of his life trying to figure out how not to be a lonely disaster. And he succeeded.

The Final Laugher

One last joke before you go: James Taylor once said in an interview that the secret to a happy marriage is “low expectations and high tolerance for noise.” Given that his first two wives were dramatic geniuses and his third is a calm PR pro, I think he finally figured it out. So raise your coffee cup to James Taylor—the man who wrote the soundtrack to our breakups, even while he was having a few of his own. Cheers, buddy. You earned that cottage by the sea.