Todd Van Sickle: The Inspiring Story Behind His Eddie’s Attic Career and Marriage to Jennifer Nettles

How a former Georgia music-club owner became connected to one of country music’s most recognizable voices.

Before Jennifer Nettles became a nationally recognized country music star, her life was closely connected to Georgia’s independent music scene. One person who shared that chapter was Todd Van Sickle, her first husband and a former owner of Eddie’s Attic, the well-known live music venue in Decatur, Georgia.

Van Sickle and Nettles were married from 1998 to 2007. During their marriage, he owned Eddie’s Attic from March 2002 until June 2005. His involvement in the venue gives him a documented place in Atlanta-area music history, separate from his relationship with the Grammy-winning singer.

For readers searching for Jennifer Nettles’ ex-husband, the story is about more than a past marriage. It also involves a music venue that helped emerging songwriters develop their talents and connect with audiences.

Quick Bio

Detail	Information
Full Name	Todd Van Sickle
Known For	Former husband of Jennifer Nettles
Professional Background	Former music-club owner
Notable Business	Eddie’s Attic
Business Location	Decatur, Georgia, USA
Eddie’s Attic Ownership	March 2002 – June 2005
Former Spouse	Jennifer Nettles
Marriage Period	1998–2007
Public Recognition	Connection to Georgia’s independent music scene

Who Is Todd Van Sickle?

Todd Van Sickle is a former music-venue owner whose name appears in accounts of Jennifer Nettles’ personal history and the ownership of Eddie’s Attic. Unlike Nettles, whose career includes major recordings, television appearances, and international performances, Van Sickle entered the entertainment world through the live music business rather than by performing.

His role at Eddie’s Attic is particularly significant because reporting from the period he owned the business supports it. In March 2002, Atlanta publication Creative Loafing reported that he had purchased the venue from its founder, Eddie Owen. The report also identified Van Sickle as Nettles’ husband and described her as a regular performer at the club.

That contemporary account establishes both his professional connection to the local music community and his relationship with Nettles before Sugarland reached national prominence.

Early Life and Background

Biographical reporting about Van Sickle is much less extensive than coverage of his former wife. Established news reports clearly describe his marriage and business ownership but do not provide a comprehensive history of his childhood, education, or early professional life.

We can trace his involvement in Georgia’s music business with confidence by the early 2000s. At that time, Decatur and the wider Atlanta area supported an active community of independent performers, songwriters, and smaller live venues.

Eddie’s Attic had already developed a reputation within this community when Van Sickle acquired it. His entry into the business therefore involved taking responsibility for an established venue rather than creating a new club from the ground up.

His Career as Owner of Eddie’s Attic

The Purchase in March 2002

Eddie Owen founded Eddie’s Attic in the early 1990s, and it became an important destination for acoustic performers and songwriters.

According to Creative Loafing’s March 27, 2002 report, Owen sold the club to Todd Van Sickle, with the sale taking effect earlier that month. The publication reported that the venue would keep its name and acoustic-music identity, while considering some renovations and menu changes.

The transition marked an important business development for Van Sickle. Rather than establishing a completely different entertainment operation, he took ownership of a venue whose appeal depended heavily on its performers, audience relationships, and established reputation.

Why the Venue Was Significant

Eddie’s Attic became associated with artists who subsequently enjoyed considerable success, including John Mayer, Shawn Mullins, and Jennifer Nettles.

Its approach to live music differed from that of many larger concert venues. Songwriters could perform original material in a listening-room environment where the audience focused on the performance.

The venue’s songwriter competitions also attracted aspiring musicians. Eddie’s Attic continues to recognize Nettles among its past Open Mic Shootout winners, demonstrating her connection to the club as a performer.

Van Sickle owned the business during part of its development, although the venue’s reputation had been established before he bought it.

The Sale to Bob Ephlin in 2005

Van Sickle sold the business in June 2005.

A July 14, 2005 article in Creative Loafing identified Bob Ephlin as the new owner and confirmed that he had purchased Eddie’s Attic from Van Sickle. The report said Ephlin took over on June 21.

Ephlin subsequently discussed plans to strengthen the venue’s existing identity and reconnect with people who had contributed to its earlier success.

The transaction completed Van Sickle’s documented ownership period of approximately three years. Subsequent histories of Eddie’s Attic identify him as one of the owners between founder Eddie Owen and Bob Ephlin.

Marriage to Jennifer Nettles

Their Marriage Before Sugarland’s Breakthrough

Todd Van Sickle and Jennifer Nettles married in 1998, several years before Sugarland achieved mainstream commercial success.

Early in her career, Nettles performed in Georgia’s independent music circuit and worked on projects before becoming widely recognized as Sugarland’s lead vocalist.

The couple’s marriage overlapped with a major professional transition for Nettles. Sugarland emerged from the Atlanta music community and went on to achieve commercial success, including its debut album, Twice the Speed of Life.

Van Sickle’s ownership of Eddie’s Attic placed him within the same local music environment. However, his role as a venue owner should not be confused with responsibility for Nettles’ songwriting, recording career, or management.

When Did They Divorce?

Their marriage ended in 2007.

When Nettles married Justin Miller in November 2011, CBS News reported that her earlier marriage to Van Sickle had lasted from 1998 to 2007. The Los Angeles Times separately reported that her divorce from Van Sickle became final in March 2007.

Those reports establish the timeline without requiring assumptions about the couple’s private circumstances.

Reliable information is insufficient to explain why the marriage ended. Neither the available business reporting nor the established coverage of Nettles’ later marriage supports speculation about the cause of their divorce.

Why People Still Search for Todd Van Sickle

Public interest in Van Sickle generally follows two connected subjects: Jennifer Nettles’ marriage history and Eddie’s Attic.

Fans who discover Nettles through Sugarland may want to understand her earlier life before the band’s greatest commercial success. His name appears in that history because their marriage covered much of her transition from an independent Georgia performer to a nationally recognized artist.

Music-history readers encounter him for a different reason. Eddie’s Attic has a documented history involving several owners, performers, and people who helped keep it running. Van Sickle belongs to that ownership timeline.

His story shows how someone can appear in entertainment reporting without being a recording artist or television personality.

What Is Known About His Life After 2007?

The established reporting reviewed for this profile concentrates on Van Sickle’s earlier marriage and ownership of Eddie’s Attic. It does not provide a dependable, detailed account of his current career, residence, or later personal relationships.

Some online biographies make additional claims about his finances and personal background, but without stronger documentation, those details should not be presented as facts.

His earlier association with a prominent country musician does not, by itself, make unrelated aspects of his personal life matters of public record.

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FAQs

1. Who is Todd Van Sickle?

Todd Van Sickle is a former owner of Eddie’s Attic, a live music venue in Decatur, Georgia. He was also the first husband of country singer Jennifer Nettles.

2. When was Todd Van Sickle married to Jennifer Nettles?

The couple married in 1998, and their divorce was finalized in March 2007.

3. Did Todd Van Sickle own Eddie’s Attic?

Yes. He bought Eddie’s Attic from founder Eddie Owen in March 2002 and sold it to Bob Ephlin in June 2005.

4. Was Todd Van Sickle a member of Sugarland?

No. He was not. The group’s well-known performing members include Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush.

5. Why did Jennifer Nettles and Todd Van Sickle divorce?

Reliable public reporting indicates the marriage ended in 2007, but it does not provide a substantiated explanation for the divorce.

6. What does Todd Van Sickle do now?

His current professional activities have not been established by the reliable sources used for this biography. His documented business history includes owning Eddie’s Attic between 2002 and 2005.

Final Thoughts

Todd Van Sickle’s documented place in entertainment history rests on two connected chapters: his marriage to Jennifer Nettles and his ownership of Eddie’s Attic. Both happened as Georgia’s independent music community helped shape the careers of performers who would later reach much larger audiences.

Although Nettles’ continuing public career keeps interest in her former husband alive, Van Sickle’s association with Eddie’s Attic deserves recognition in its own right. It offers a clearer account of his professional background without relying on speculation about his personal life since those years.