After walking away from alcohol, Brantley Gilbert had to learn how to move forward without the coping mechanism he had relied on for so long.
The country rocker reached a breaking point in 2011, the night that his song “Country Must Be Country Wide” went number one. At the young age of 26, the “Bottoms Up” singer had already been having health issues with his pancreas, liver, and kidneys as a result of his alcohol consumption.
Brantley told the story during a recent visit to TL’s Road House with Tracy Lawrence. He recalled that time in his life and admitted:
“Honestly, if you didn’t know me well, you wouldn’t have known I was tore up.”
While celebrating the hit single with his band on the road, Brantley took a moment for himself to “soak it all in.” However, instead of excitement, he felt guilt and had the realization that he had been taking “all of this for granted.” He thought to himself:
“This is a God thing. I’m missing the entire blessing. I’m missing the point.”
That night, he decided to seek help. He called his manager and requested a break in his touring schedule. The reason was understood without being spoken aloud.
Brantley checked himself into rehab on December 18th, 2011. He says he was “sh*t-can hammered” the day he went in. He would undergo medical detox for the next six to seven days.
Brantley Gilbert Recalls Returning To The Stage Without Alcohol
After getting released from treatment, Brantley was called into a meeting at his record label office. He had hoped to keep his head low and avoid conversation, but instead, he found himself face-to-face with Keith Urban. Keith asked him, “What are you afraid of?” The Georgia native remembered:
“You know, I’m coming out of a chapter of my life where just kind of muscle memory, like ‘I ain’t afraid of nothing, dude. I run with bikers like I’m not scared of anything.’”
But Keith did not accept that answer and pressed him for the truth. Brantley recalled “almost immediately” admitting:
“Doing my job. I’m terrified to do my job. I don’t remember what it’s like to play a show sober.”
Brantley began drinking as a teenager, and when music became his full-time job, he found himself in a world where it was not only acceptable but often encouraged. He added:
