Joe Don Rooney's first band formed in 1992 under the name Unclethumbtack. In addition to Rooney playing lead guitar and singing backup harmony, this band included Gregory Fitzgibbon (Singer-Songwriter and Bass guitarist), Erin Fitzgibbon (Singer-Songwriter and Acoustic guitarist), Colin Frayser (Drums), and Jason Winnie (Rhythm Guitar). Joe Don frequently jammed with family member Musicians Justin Speer, Tracy Conder, and Jeramy Essary (to whom he later dedicated "I'm Moving On").
Joe Don married former beauty queen Tiffany Fallon on April 23, 2006. She was Miss Georgia USA in 2001 and 2nd runner-up for the Miss USA 2001 competition. She was also the 2005 Playmate of the Year. The couple was featured in the Playboy Cyber Club's Celebrity Photographer section, with the nude pictorial of Fallon being shot by Joe Don himself. The couple have three children: son Jagger Donovan Rooney (born May 31, 2008) and daughters Raquel Blue Rooney (Sept 7, 2010) and Devon Olivia Rooney (Sept 29, 2014).
