Deacon Claybourne is a singer and guitar player who has been head of Rayna Jaymes ' band for over twenty years. He is portrayed by Charles Esten. John Deacon Claybourne, better known as Deacon Claybourne, is a loyal companion to Rayna Jaymes β both onstage and off. He had been sober for thirteen years until he found out that Maddie was his biological daughter.
He then relapsed and began drinking for a short amount of time, before getting sober again. In Season Four, he married Rayna Jaymes , who was later fatally injured in car crash. Deacon Claybourne has been Rayna's lead guitar player for over twenty years. Their history is both long and complicated, sharing a past romance together and a present friendship.
Juliette Barnes, a young top country singer attempts to steal him from Rayna for her tour, offering him a lead position in her band and double the money Rayna pays him.
Juliette is willing to do everything to get Deacon as her band leader. Deacon tells Rayna. Rayna tells him to do whatever will make him happy, she doesn't want to hold him back. He and Rayna dated when they were younger and he is the biological father of her daughter Maddie. The relationship between Rayna and Deacon has always been complicated. Because of his drinking, Rayna decided to marry Teddy Conrad. However, he and Rayna have always remained close.
After the end of her marriage to Teddy and end of her relationships with Liam McGuinnis and Luke Wheeler , they officially became a couple.
