Elijah Dylan Westbrook Is the Only Son of Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook

Elijah Dylan Westbrook was born four years into his parents’ marriage. The youngster was raised by country musicians Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook, who frequently took their son on the road.

Elijah Dylan Westbrook’s parents, Karen Fairchild, and Jimi Westbrook, met when they formed Little Big Town alongside their two bandmates in the late 1990s. Karen had been married at the time, but after divorcing her first husband, a special bond formed between her and Jimi.

Eventually, their romance began, and it led to the beginning of their marriage in 2006 in Nashville. Four years later, they expanded their family, welcoming their son and only child, Elijah.

When Karen and Jimi realized they had feelings for one another, they were apprehensive about starting a relationship as bandmates. Still, they took the risk, and, as Karen said, it was worth it. They announced they were expecting their first child in October 2009.

They welcomed Elijah, who weighed seven pounds and 14 ounces, in Nashville on March 5, 2010. The couple shared insight into their new family dynamic a few weeks after his birth.

Their little one “hated” diaper changes, as his dad shared, so the task had to be a team effort. “I’m usually the one jumping around trying to distract him. There’s a lot of teamwork with us,” Jimi said.

Restless nights also became a common occurrence, which was exhausting. “But then you look into that sweet little face, and it’s just like, the world is good,” Karen shared. For her, parenting was a “beautiful, beautiful experience.”

After his birth, Elijah’s parents continued touring and making music with their bandmates, Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet. Kimberly and Phillip also found spouses with whom they had children and brought them along on the road as frequently as possible.

Touring with a newborn was still challenging for Karen and Jimi, so they planned to hire a nanny when they were both onstage and couldn’t attend to Elijah. When he was four, his dad explained the “wake-up call” he gave him every morning, sharing:

“Every day, for me, who hates mornings, waking up to a slap in the face. He’s like pounding on me; then he’s like kissing on me and stuff. It’s unbelievable. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Elijah’s parents have chronicled his growth on their social pages, and the now-13-year-old has enjoyed numerous adventures. In March 2017, Karen shared a throwback family photo of herself and Jimi sitting on a bench, with little Elijah standing behind the two.

The snap showed the youngster happily leaning his head on his dad’s shoulder. In February 2018, Jimi posted a picture of his son smiling cheekily after a show, holding a sign that read, “Jimi, you need to cut your beard.” The following month, Elijah enjoyed playing ice hockey.

His mom shared numerous pictures with him the following year’s Mother’s Day, celebrating “A lifetime of fun trying to shoot selfies.” His dad also shared a sweet tribute, writing about how blessed he and Elijah were to have Karen.