Sharon Summerall Henley Wins 2026 MS Courage Award
Don Henley's wife just became the face of a 40-year Dallas MS fundraiser
For three decades, Sharon Summerall has been a fixture of one narrow biographical box: Don Henley’s wife. That’s real, but it’s not the story in 2026. This year, Dallas’ Yellow Rose Gala named her the recipient of its Dee Wynne Courage Award — recognition tied to her decades of living with multiple sclerosis, not her marriage.
Quick answer: Sharon Summerall Henley is a former model married to Eagles co-founder Don Henley since 1995. In 2026, she was named the Dee Wynne Courage Award honoree at the 40th Anniversary Yellow Rose Gala in Dallas, a benefit for progressive MS research — a recognition connected to her own long-term experience with multiple sclerosis.
The 2026 Honor, and Why It’s the Actual News
Focus Daily News reported this year that Summerall Henley received the Dee Wynne Courage Award at the Yellow Rose Gala’s 40th anniversary event. The report describes her as a Dallas native and former Ford model who has lived with MS for decades — framing that’s noticeably more specific than the vague “she has MS” line that’s circulated in older celebrity profiles.
The Yellow Rose Gala itself has a real history behind it: the foundation was established in 1986, after its namesake, Dee Wynne, was diagnosed with MS. Four decades later, the 2026 gala funded progressive MS research and used its milestone anniversary to spotlight someone with a long, lived relationship to the disease. That’s a more meaningful context for Summerall Henley’s public MS association than the passing mentions that show up in older People-derived write-ups.
This is worth sitting with for a second: most of what’s published about her treats the MS detail as a footnote to her marriage. The 2026 gala flips that — her marriage is the footnote, the advocacy and lived experience is the headline.
Who She Is, Briefly
The biographical basics, for context rather than as the main event:
Summerall grew up in Texas and worked as a model with Ford Models, doing commercial and catalog work, according to a 2024 People profile. That same profile reports she met Don Henley through music agent Angus Wynne and married him on May 20, 1995, roughly two years after they were introduced. People’s account also names a run of notable musicians — including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Sheryl Crow, and Sting — among the guests.
The couple has three children: Annabel, Julia, and Will. People’s reporting notes the family relocated from Los Angeles to Dallas while the children were young, with Henley citing a wish to raise them outside the pressure of Hollywood.
Don Henley’s own public record is well documented independent of any of this: GRAMMY.com credits him with 8 wins and 37 nominations through the 2026 Grammy Awards, and the Kennedy Center identifies him as a Texas-born co-founder of the Eagles alongside Glenn Frey. A Getty Images caption places Henley, Summerall, and their children together at the Kennedy Center Honors Artist’s Dinner on December 3, 2016 — one of the few documented public family appearances on record.
What’s Confirmed vs. What Isn’t
Confirmed, with sourcing:
- Married Don Henley on May 20, 1995 (People, 2024)
- Former model, worked with Ford Models (People, 2024)
- Three children: Annabel, Julia, Will (People, 2024)
- Publicly associated with multiple sclerosis (People, 2024)
- 2026 Dee Wynne Courage Award honoree, Yellow Rose Gala’s 40th anniversary (Focus Daily News, 2026)
- Public appearance at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors (Getty Images)
Not verified — treat with caution:
- Exact birth date and current age
- Net worth or current occupation
- Full modeling career details beyond the Ford Models association
- Any details of her current health status beyond what’s been publicly reported
Multiple sclerosis, for readers unfamiliar with it, is a central nervous system disorder; the relapsing-remitting form — the most commonly discussed type — involves symptom flare-ups followed by partial or full recovery, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). That’s general medical background, not a statement about Summerall Henley’s specific case, which hasn’t been detailed beyond what’s noted above.
Why This Matters More Than Another “Celebrity Wife” Page
Search results for her name are mostly recycled versions of the same 2024 People profile — marriage date, modeling background, kids, done. What they’re missing is the 2026 update: a named award, a named gala, a named cause, and four decades of institutional history behind it. That’s the part of her story that’s actually moving in 2026, and it’s the part worth knowing if you’re searching for her name this year rather than in 2024.
Sources
- People, “Don Henley’s Wife: Everything to Know About Sharon Summerall” (2024)
- Focus Daily News, Yellow Rose Gala 40th Anniversary / Dee Wynne Courage Award coverage (2026)
- GRAMMY.com, Don Henley artist profile
- The Kennedy Center, Don Henley / Eagles profile
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Multiple Sclerosis information page
- Getty Images, Kennedy Center Honors Artist’s Dinner photo caption (December 3, 2016)
