A decade after sharing his true self with fans, Billy Gilman is celebrating another personal milestone.
The country artist ― who rose to fame at age 11 with his hit 2000 single, “One Voice,” and competed on “The Voice” in 2016, finishing as runner-up ― confirmed this week that he and his longtime boyfriend, Anthony Carbone, were married Friday.
As People reports, the couple tied the knot on a 45-acre horse farm in Gilman’s home state of Rhode Island, surrounded by more than 100 guests.
Gilman, a Grammy nominee who has released five studio albums, came out as gay in 2014. At the time, he said he was inspired by fellow country artist Ty Herndon, who addressed his own sexuality in an interview with People that was published the very same day.
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“Being a gay male country artist is not the best thing,” Gilman said in the clip, per Billboard. “If people don’t like your music, that’s one thing. But after selling over five million records, having a wonderful life in the music industry, I knew something was wrong when no major label wanted to sit down and have a meeting and listen to the new stuff.”
He went on to note: “I’ve been an advocate for so many things in my life I thought now why not be an advocate for me and for the cause that I believe in with my whole heart.”
Gilman and Carbone met just before Thanksgiving in 2022 and began dating shortly thereafter. The two men got engaged in September of last year.
“I’m home. This is my home for good, for bad,” Gilman, now 36, told People. “I’m truly grateful that [Carbone] is that kind of a human because I never thought I would find it.”
The nuptials come as Gilman appears to be aiming for a professional resurgence. This year, he’s released a pair of new singles, “That’s Bluegrass to Me” and “Til You Come Home.”
He’s set to return to the concert stage on Sept. 9 in South Kingston, Rhode Island, with performances also scheduled for Concord, New Hampshire and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, among other cities.