The life of a country music star is fast-paced, and often, country music sings about drinking and drowning your sorrows. Hitting the road and living a constant party can lead to country music stars doing some serious drinking. In 2022, Lady A’s Charles Kelley canceled a tour to get sober and later wrote a song (“As far As I Could”) about his journey.
Charles said in a statement when he released the song, “For me, the biggest word I’ve been holding onto is gratitude, not pride. I’m grateful. I finally see the light and am connecting with what life is all about. Some days are hard, but the good outweighs those bad moments. There’s some beauty in all this, and I’ve had time to reflect, time to get healthy, time to write. I’ve probably written 50 songs this fall, and I feel like all of it was leading to this one song.”
The song was co-written and produced with Lady A bandmates Dave Haywood and Jimmy Robbins. The ballad captures an inner conflict experienced by many, mixing sadness and serenity as Kelley recounts the steps along his path – both good and bad.
Lady A bandmates Haywood and Hillary Scott even considered putting their stamp on “As Far As You Could.” They ultimately changed their minds. Dave Haywood said, “We were almost afraid that if we put a bunch of vocals on it, that might take away from the pain and authenticity of that singular vocal.” Kelley added, “Hillary especially felt it was important for me to tell my story, kind of the same way she was able to do with ‘Thy Will.’ With their blessing, I’m putting this out, but it will live right alongside everything else we do.”
We look at five country music superstars who have either put the bottle down or never drank at all.
RELATED: Lady A's Charles Kelley Releases Solo Single, A Goodbye To Alcohol
Brad Paisley: Never Drank
Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Even though he scored a big hit in 2009 with a song called “Alcohol,” it’s a little-known fact that Brad has never been a drinker. Even though he can mix you a drink in his Nashville “Yellow House,” which he uses for making music, he has never touched the stuff.
Charles Kelley - Sober since 2022
Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Lady A postponed their tour in 2022 for bandmate Charles Kelley to have a “journey to sobriety.” Since then, Kelley co-wrote and recorded a solo song about his journey called “As Far As I Could.” The lyrics sing in part, “You gave me the courage the night I met my wife / You helped me make her laugh ’til you helped me make her cry / You started out a friend turned into somethin’ else / Now I like who I am with you sittin’ on the shelf.”
Shania Twain: Doesn't Drink While Working
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images
Shania told Entertainment Weekly in 2002 that she doesn’t drink simply because she has never been “interested” in alcohol. She said at the time, “I’ve never had a drinking problem and never drank when I worked.”
Tim McGraw: Sober Since 2013
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
In 2013, he told People, “I don’t drink at all. It’s not a part of my life anymore.” Tim told Esquire in 2021, “I remember a moment when I was getting out of bed and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at eight in the morning and thinking, I have to wake the kids up.”
Keith Urban: Sober Since 2006
Jason Davis/Getty Images
Keith, who went to rehab shortly after he married Nicole Kidman in 2006, told the U.K. Times in April 2022, “I’ve nothing against drugs or alcohol. Everyone does what they want to do to have a great time. I just realized I’m allergic to it. Someone said, ‘You have an allergy? What happens when you drink?’ And I said, ‘I break out in cuffs.'”
