Hey, I just watched this episode of “Bussin’ With The Boys” and Brantley Gilbert was on. He shared this incredible story about his struggle with addiction and how Keith Urban helped turn his life around. So, Brantley was talking about this time when his first big hit, “Countrywide,” went number one. Instead of celebrating, he found himself alone on his tour bus, questioning everything. He realized that the constant partying was meaningless and was starting to mess up his health pretty badly.
He knew he had to make a change, so he called his manager and said he needed to detox before something really bad happened. Brantley said his health was going downhill fast; he mentioned things like pancreatitis and issues with his liver and kidneys. It was a wake-up call for him. What’s crazy is that he got his second number one hit while he was in rehab, sitting on a porch with a friend.
Brantley doesn’t use the word “sober” to describe himself; he says he’s “California sober,” meaning he still smokes weed but stays away from alcohol. He feels it works for him and respects the traditional sobriety community.
The most amazing part of his story is when Keith Urban showed up at the rehab center to visit him. Keith had a deep conversation with Brantley that made a huge impact. Keith told him that performing sober would feel different but ultimately better. This gave Brantley the strength to go back on tour. Right after leaving rehab, he joined the Eric Church Blood Sweat and Beers tour. At first, he felt super uncomfortable performing sober, like he was naked on stage. But Keith’s words kept him going, and over time, he got more comfortable and found new joy in his performances.
Brantley’s story is really inspiring. It’s all about realizing you need to make a change and finding the support to do it, even if it comes from unexpected places. Watching him talk about this stuff was really moving, and it shows that it’s never too late to turn things around.