Famous Rock ’n’ Roll Couples With Staying Power—the 6 Longest Rock Star Marriages, From Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach to Keith Richards and Patti Hansen

For decades, there have been clichés about how rock star relationships aren’t meant to last. Given the presence of groupies, drugs and inflated egos, it’s always seemed like the world of a successful rocker just doesn’t line up with domestic bliss. Because of this, we’ve come to cherish any examples of long rock star marriages we can find.

Read on for some of the sweet stories behind six of the longest rock star marriages. From '60s classic rock icons to '80s heartthrobs, these enduring romances make us want to get up and sing.

1. Alice Cooper and Sheryl Goddard

Alice Cooper may be known for his scary stage presence, but his personal life is surprisingly sweet. He’s been married to Sheryl Goddard, who started out as a dancer in his theatrical stage show, since 1976, and they've continued to perform together consistently in the following years.

While Cooper and Goddard hit a rough patch in the '80s due to the rocker’s addiction, and almost divorced, they managed to make it through, and have stayed married for nearly 50 years. They have three children. 

Reflecting on having one of the longest rock star marriages, Cooper explained that performing with his wife for so long has made their relationship stronger, saying, “People ask me, they say, 'When you go on the road, it must be hard leaving home.' I go, 'I bring home with me.' Because really, a house is a house, but a home is who you are with in the house."

2. Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach

As a Beatle, Ringo Starr is undoubtedly one of the most adored rockers of all time, and since 1981, he’s been married to actress Barbara Bach. 

Bach is best known for her 1977 role as a Bond girl in The Spy Who Loved Me, and she and Starr met in 1980 on the set of the film Caveman. Both were previously divorced, and Starr already had three kids from his first marriage, but their union has lasted over 40 years.

In a charming interview with People, Starr said, “There’s no escape … I think I love Barbara as much [today] as I did [when we met] – and I’m beyond blessed that she loves me and we’re still together.”

3. Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne blazed a trail as an over-the-top heavy metal icon with Black Sabbath in the '70s, and in 1982, he settled down with his wife, Sharon Osbourne. 

Sharon first met Ozzy in 1970, when her father was working for Black Sabbath, and after Ozzy left the band, she took over as his manager and later became a TV personality in her own right.

Over the years, their marriage has been tested by drug use, affairs and erratic behavior, but they’ve ultimately managed to stay together for over four decades. In 2002, their reality show, The Osbournes, introduced the couple to a new fanbase and showed how Ozzy and Sharon balanced parenthood with music world notoriety. 

Ozzy and Sharon have long been open about their ups and downs. As Sharon said, “We never gave up on each other. I mean, I wasn't a saint. Ozzy wasn't a saint. I gave him as good as he gave me. We're just meant to be."

4. Bono and Ali Hewson

Paul David Hewson, better known as Bono, the frontman of the blockbuster rock band U2, met his wife, Ali, long before his award-winning musical career — when they were still just teenagers. They started dating in 1976, and married in 1982, just as U2 was starting to become popular.

Like her husband, Hewson is socially conscious and has done activist work for years. She revealed that Bono was her very first boyfriend, and the couple went on to have four children. The singer spoke movingly of his relationship, saying, “Any time either of us got lost, the other would … be there to get the other one home. And I'm so grateful.”

5. Keith Richards and Patti Hansen

Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has been known as one of the wildest men in rock for over 50 years, so it’s surprising to realize he has one of the longest rock star marriages.

Since 1983, Richards has been married to model Patti Hansen, and the pair have two daughters. 

Asked how she managed to make her relationship with the notorious musician work for so many decades, Hansen gave a down-to-earth answer, saying, “Any marriage, Rolling Stone or not, there's definitely going to be some rocky mountains there. We have had our trials; that's for sure. But on the whole, it's great. We both have the same morals and background. We both come from working-class families. I think we are very similar in many ways."

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6. Simon and Yasmin Le Bon

Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon was a major '80s dreamboat, making girls swoon with his stylish presence and catchy songs in the early days of MTV. Since 1985 he’s been married to model Yasmin Le Bon, and the pair has proved that rock star/supermodel unions can, in fact, last for decades. 

Simon met Yasmin in 1984, when he fell in love with a picture of her in a magazine, and called her agent to set them up. They went on to marry and have three daughters. 

Looking back at being in one of the most enduring famous rock n roll couples, Yasmin told The Telegraph, “Simon saved me. Without being in a love bubble with him, God knows what ditch I would have ended up in. I would have had a cracking time and that would have been the end of me. I’d have fallen off a cliff.”

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