Kings of Leon Bassist Jared Followill Engaged
Rock and roller Jared Followill of Kings of Leon has confirmed his engagement to girlfriend Martha Patterson on Wednesday.
While the couple has only been dating a few months, the 25-year-old bassist asked Patterson, an aspiring model, to be his wife.
The proposal took place on April 11, according to E! News. Other sources added that Followill popped the question with a four-carat-cushion-cut diamond ring which he presented to Patterson at his home in Nashville.
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Ahead of the engagement announcement, Patterson left clues on her Twitter in recent weeks.
"What a beautiful, wonderfully perfect day," posted the bride-to-be before she was photographed wearing a diamond ring at Coachella last month.
A date for the wedding has not yet been announced, but Followill and Patterson plan to split their time between Nashville and Los Angeles.
The Kings of Leon are best known for their songs "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody." The group originated in Albion, Oklahoma and formed in Nashville, Tenn. in 1999. The band consists of brothers Jared, Nathan, and Caleb Followill, as well as their cousin Matthew Followill.
The three Followill brothers were raised in a Pentecostal household in Oklahoma. Their father, Ivan Leon, is a United Pentecostal Church preacher, while their mother, Betty-Ann is a worship leader. Following their parents' divorce, the band had a fallout with faith and embarked on a new lifestyle while pursuing a career in music.
Kings of Leon released a "rockumentary" in 2011 highlighting their road to success. "Talihina Sky: The True Story of Kings of Leon" was featured during the Tribeca Film Festival the same year.
The film revealed the Followill brothers (and cousin) during their travels across the South, where much of their childhood was spent.
Today, the band admits that their life is radically different from their youth, but there are still remnants of their religious upbringing that affect who they are.
"We realize now looking back on it that the way we were raised definitely shaped us into the guys that we are," said Nathan Followill speaking to Relevant magazine last year. "There are definitely things from that time of life that I want to keep, especially being a good person and being thankful for everything that you have."
