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Jake Owen Reflects On His Decision To Get Sober – “I Was Just A Total Jerk”
Being brutally honest.
Despite country music historically centering around drinking culture, with references to tequila, whiskey and beer being all but a trope in the genre, a growing number of artists these days have decided to go sober. With names such as Ashley McBryde, Tyler Childers, Evan Felker (of the Turnpike Troubadours), Tim McGraw, Jon Pardi, Joe Nichols, Cody Jinks, Sam Canty (of Treaty Oak Revival) and more all sharing their journey to sobriety in the past, arguably no one has been more vocal than Jake Owen.
The “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” singer, who is currently preparing for the release of his brand-new, Shooter Jennings-produced album, Dreams to Dream on November 7th, has been incredibly transparent throughout his now 4+ year journey into sobriety, noting that his decision to quit came from the person he’d become while drinking rather than the amount he was actually consuming.
Back on September 17th, Owen shared that he hit four years of sobriety. He acknowledged the milestone with a poem and message to his followers, fans and friends on social media, sharing that he’s not perfect. Still, he’s working on himself every day, and remaining sober is helping him transform into the man he wants to be.
“I woke up this morning on West Coast time
Compared to most of my friends and friends
I’m three hours behind
Until I saw a text, from a very thoughtful friend
Reminded me of something and brought a real big grin
4 years ago today, I knew that it was time
To be a better man, and live a sober life
Be a better father, be a better friend
And by the grace of God, I felt like I got to start all over again
I’ve stuck to the plan, but I’m still working on me
I know who I’ve been, and who I wanna be
Thank y’all for the kindness, are the high fives along the way
I hope I can be an inspiration for someone who wants to start today
Love y’all. Here’s to 4 years of the best decision I ever made in my life. For a guy that can be pretty hard on himself, I gotta say I’m proud of me.”
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A post shared by Jake Owen (@jakeowenofficial)
Just a month later, as he prepares for the release of the aforementioned Dreams to Dream, Owen made an appearance on the always-entertaining Big D & Bubba radio show to discuss everything from the creation of the upcoming album and his newfound friendship with Jennings to leaving a major label and, of course, his sobriety.
While discussing his evolution from the young, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” singer to a husband, father and seasoned artist, Owen candidly detailed his decision to get sober. As mentioned previously, for him, it was less about how much he was drinking and more about how alcohol affected him as a person, noting that he was a “total jerk” whenever he drank in an attempt to mask his insecurities.
“I never thought I’d be where I am right now as a mature father, sober after four years. It’s changed my world. I never was a big drinker, but when I did drink, I was just a total jerk. I’ve always told people I’ve been mistaken as a kid who was a bit cocky and had this arrogance about him. But it wasn’t. It was my insecurities, man. It was my insecurities in wanting people to believe I was good enough to be here, so I think I kind of always tried to show you that I could. People were like, ‘Dude, relax. You don’t have to peacock all the time.”
It turns out that it was none other than Charles Kelley of Lady A (formerly Lady Antebellum) who made the Florida native realize just how obnoxious his behavior was after a heart-to-heart conversation. Ironically enough, Charles Kelley is also sober now too.
“I’ll never forget the time Charles Kelley telling me that one day. He’s like, ‘You’re just Jake. Sometimes you come into a room, and you’re the peacock. And I was like, ‘Woah, that’s not me. I don’t want to ever be like that. As I’ve matured, I just realized I want to be a good example to my little girls. And my little girl who’s six, she’s basically never seen me really drink.”
Owen would then go on to praise the current generation for drinking less than their older counterparts, something that has been noted in multiple medical studies lately, before reflecting on the fact that he’s actively made a difference in multiple of his friends’ journeys towards sobriety.
“I’m seeing it with the new generation, too. The idea of ‘you gotta have alcohol to have fun and all this,’ is kind of subsiding a little bit. People are realizing like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to have that to have a great time.’
I don’t go to meetings or anything like that. One day, it was like, ‘I don’t ever want to be that jerk again.’ And I promised my friends that they’d never see me do it. A lot of them were like, ‘Yeah, right dude.’ And four years later, they’re like, ‘Dude, I’m so proud of you.’ What I’ve done is inspire some of my other friends who have seen the happiness in me and seen how my life’s gotten better. And they’re like, ‘I think I’m gonna do that too.’ I’m not telling them to; they just see it.”
As we know, going sober is never an easy task and is oftentimes one of the hardest things for someone to accomplish in their life. Like many things, it’s not a one-size-fits-all path. No one’s sobriety journey is easy, and I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Owen for being so candid about his struggles and actively encouraging others throughout his battle.
Watch here:
@bigdandbubba Jake Owen speaks on his sobriety and the “total jerk” alcohol made him into… #jakeowen #barefootbluejeannight #sober #fypシ #fyp @Jake Owen ♬ original sound – bigdandbubba
While you’re here, check out the title track of his upcoming record, Dreams to Dream
Jake Owen Tour Dates
Oct 23 – Daily’s Place Amphitheater – Jacksonville, FL^
Oct 24 – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, FL^
Oct 25 – Apopka Amphitheatre – Apopka, FL^
Oct 26 – England Brothers Park – Pinellas Park, FL^
Nov 14-16 – The Flamingo 2025 at Vero Beach – Vero Beach, FL
^ w/ Dirty HeadsThe post Jake Owen Reflects On His Decision To Get Sober – “I Was Just A Total Jerk” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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