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Jamey Johnson took his last drink in 2011. He opened up recently about what led him to give up booze, though he admitted he’s not entire sober. Plus the country singer reveals how Toby Keith inspired his new album. Keep reading for all the details.
Jamey Johnson Gets Candid About Why He Gave Up Booze
Jamey Johnson has a new single out called “Sober” with the repeating phrase “It’s so hard staying sober in this town.” But for the country crooner, staying away from alcohol is easy for him. He told Billboard magazine that he hasn’t had a drop of booze in almost fifteen years. “I had my last drink in September 2011.”
“I don’t play games with the alcohol. That’s what led me down a dark path of self-destruction back then and I barely survived.”
He couldn’t be happier living an alcohol-free life. “With a sober mind, I’m able to do things like get a pilot’s license, manage a business, start a product line.”
Johnson clarified that he was sober from pot from 2015 until a few years ago. But “every now and then, I may still break out a joint if I’m writing or something like that.”
How Toby Keith’s Death Inspired New Album
Jamey Johnson released his last full album in 2010 with The Guitar Song. His new album titled Midnight Gasoline comes out this Friday. During the interview with Billboard, he opened up about how Toby Keith’s death in early 2024 was the catalyst behind finishing the record. Toby Keith passed away in February after a battle with stomach cancer.
“The writing was already coming back to me, piece by piece, but I still didn’t have any ambitions on making a record. When Toby passed away, it moved everything into high gear because I realized that that was the end of his discography, that we weren’t getting another Toby Keith record,” he said.
Jamey Johnson added, “And that’s what drove me to wanting to finish my own discography.”
He revealed that he recorded over 30 songs, but not all of them are on this album. When can fans expect the rest? He explained, “We’re gonna keep them coming. I’m not waiting for a specific time period. I’m happy with whatever release [schedule] Warner decides to make. That’s what I’m using the label for.”
Pick up or download Jamey Johnson’s new album Midnight Gasoline this Friday, November 8. Let us know your thoughts about his sobriety journey in the comments.