Alan Jackson retires from touring after 30 years on the road
Alan Jackson had a "Good Time" on the road for more than three decades of his life.
The country music legend is hanging up his cowboy hat for good, and performed his final tour show in Milwaukee, on Saturday.
Jackson, 66, announced last year that he would be retiring from the stage as he battled major health issues, and embarked on his "Last Call: One More for the Road Tour."
"Y'all may have heard that I'm kinda winding down. In fact, this is my last roadshow of my career," Jackson told the crowd in a video shared online. "Y'all gonna make me tear up out here.
"I will say that this is my last road show out here, but we're planning on doing a big finale show in Nashville next summer sometime. I just felt like I had to end it all where it all started, and that's in Nashville, Tennessee. But this is the last one out on the road for me."
ALAN JACKSON HOPES TO RELEASE NEW MUSIC DESPITE SUFFERING MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEMSThe "Chattahoochee" singer added, "It's been a long, sweet ride. It started 40 years ago this September. My wife and I drove to Nashville with an ol' UHaul trailer, and chased this dream. It's been a crazy ride. I lived the American dream for sure. So blessed."
"Y'all may have heard that I'm kinda winding down. In fact, this is my last roadshow of my career. Y'all gonna make me tear up out here."
Jackson's representatives did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Jackson kicked off the tour just one year after revealing his battle with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve condition that affects his motor skills. He was diagnosed in 2011.
"I have this neuropathy and neurological disease," Jackson said during a "Today" show interview at the time. "It's genetic that I inherited from my daddy. There's no cure for it, but it's been affecting me for years. And it's getting more and more obvious."
The "Livin' on Love" musician said he's been "self-conscious" on stage because it's affected his ability to balance, especially in front of a crowd and in front of the microphone.
"It's been a crazy ride. I lived the American dream for sure. So blessed."
"I know I'm stumbling around stage now," he said. "I'm having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone. I just feel very uncomfortable.
"In some ways it's a relief [to talk about it] because I was starting to get so self-conscious up there about stumbling around. I think it'll be good for me now to get it out in the open. If anybody's curious at why I don't walk right, that's why."
In 2023, the two-time Grammy Award winner opened up about his plans to release new music despite his personal setback.
"I'm always scribbling down ideas and thinking about melodies… I feel like there'll be some more music to come, yes," Jackson said during an appearance on his daughter Mattie Jackson's "In Joy Life" podcast.
"I may not have toured much, but again… like I said, the creative part jumps out every now and then," Jackson said.
"[Writing songs] is more fulfilling than anything. It's like, you can be a singer and go out and tour … but it's kind of like you're just doing the same thing over and over."
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Hypebeast
3 hours ago
- Hypebeast
Niontay: Underground Rap's Rockstar
Niontayneeds no introduction — his early-career co-signs say it all. At just 26 years old, the 10K rapper has garnered support and collaborations fromEarl SweatshirtandMIKE, the latter of whom has played a key role in the kickstart of the rapper's uprising from the confines of the East Coast underground. 'MIKE put a battery in my back before I even released music,' Niontay told Hypebeast, the pair boasting five studio tracks as a unit. Now, with two studio albums under his belt — fresh off the release ofFada<3of$at the end of April — the Milwaukee-born, Florida-raised, Brooklyn-based rapper has established a tight-knit, symbiotic network of creative collaborators, includingMAVIandSideshowwithTony Seltzeron production. What he hasn't established, per se, is a signature sound — because he doesn't necessarily want to. 'I don't think I'll ever make two albums that sound entirely the same,' he shared, explaining that he doesn't approach writing in a routine, structural way at all. Sometimes the first four bars he spits land perfectly as the hook, while in others, the final verse comes first. All the while, he ponders: 'What even is structure in a song anymore?' When the rapper pulled up to the Hypebeast studio, he donned a custom dark denim zip-up work jacket with 'Sex after church' embroidered on the back of the silhouette. That's the rapper's producer's name, and his original artist name that he ended up changing after deciding it was too raunchy. He still wanted to keep it for something, so it's still his Instagram name and producer tag, though not an alias. That's where lil peanutbutter comes in. A listed featured artist onFada<3of$,peanutbutter delivers some of bars on Tay's favorite track on the album 'Stuntin' like my baba,' taking a higher-pitched voice than the rapper's typical persona. With his primed production background and peanutbutter in tow, Niontay's come-up is in progress, and we're privy to it live. We're just over a month off from the release ofFada<3of$– how are you feeling? I'm feeling good. I'm happy with the reception. I think the release party was what really showed me the impact the project had and put that in perspective for me. People coming up to me and telling me they f*cked with it and that they bought the vinyl. Sh*t's not cheap. How has your connection with MIKE impacted your career? It would have taken me so much longer to figure it all out and get to where I am today if I didn't know MIKE. He opened so many doors for me. I'll tell him that forever. He put a battery in my back before I even released music. While I was in my head, he was just reassuring me like 'You got it. Don't even trip.' When did you first start making music? I started playing around with making music in 2015 when I was 16. I downloaded this platform called Mixpad. You could record yourself and make beats on it – kinda Ableton-ish. When did you drop the first piece of music that you felt good about? Probably in 2019. That was when I started dropping sh*t that I didn't feel bad about telling people to listen to and saying 'I'm a rapper.' Who is Sexafterchurch (your producer alias) in relation to Niontay and your credited alter ego, lil peanutbutter? Sexafterchurch isn't really an alias. It was my artist name at first, but then I decided to change it because it felt a little too raunchy. People were like 'We f*ck with bro, but he should change his name.' So I changed my name. But it's still my Instagram name, so I wanted to keep it for something. lil peanutbutter is my alter ego. How do you know when you want to tap into lil peanutbutter? It's really all about the subject matter. I just think about who would be the better rapper to deliver the lyrics. 'I feel like a real rockstar.' What was your mindset going into building this album? Honestly, I wasn't thinking about it too hard. I wasn't trying to make an album. That wasn't the goal. I was just making music. I didn't put that pressure on myself of 'Every song has to be for the album.' After about two years, I ended up with a bunch of songs, and I finally started going through all of them. I knew certain ones had to be on the album, like 'Top da top' and 'mumbleman.' I played the rest for the homies and got their input, and that's how I made the album. Did you ever feel pressure to drop a project? Toward the end of the two years. I started getting on myself more like, 'Tighten up. Drop. You got all this music. Put it all together. Come on.' So I finally did. How do you approach the writing process? It depends. Sometimes, I hear a beat, and I know the first four bars I say will be the hook. Other times, it'll just be whatever I'm feeling. What even is 'structure' in a song anymore? You hear rappers rap what you think is the hook, but it's really the verse, and then you think it's finally the hook, but it's still the first verse. How would you describe this album in relation toDiontay's inferno? Diontay's Infernowas me finding myself. I think n*ggas like it a lot because it's so raw. I was playing with a lot of different sounds. But this album is me coming in as a more established artist and acknowledging that, like, 'Iaman artist, let me speak more clearly. Let me put more energy into this verse.' Overall, it's just a more polished project. I don't think I'll ever make two albums that sound entirely the same. Why didn't you choose to produce the entire project? I thought about producing the whole thing but there are too many good ass producers out right now who I wanted on there – MIKE, Harrison, Tony Seltzer, WTFOMARI!, Evilgiane. Something unique about this project is the inclusion of speaking parts as interludes or added onto the end of tracks. Could you say more on this? On '32ummers,' that's my mom talking at the end. That's her funny ass. The rest of the album's interludes come from videos I like on YouTube. The one on 'FULLCOURTPRESSHA' comes from this old gangster documentary I watched in London with Omari. Where else do you draw inspiration from? I really admire the way rockstars carry themselves. I feel like a real rockstar. I draw a lot of inspiration from the golden age of rock n' roll, like Ozzy Osbourne. I try to keep that mindset when I approach designing my merch and my live performances. What's next for you? 10K is gonna have a crazy year. MIKE's got 30 tapes ready to go, so how can I not be ready to go myself?
New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
Carson Hocevar is NASCAR's disruptive new driver — and one of its biggest fans
LEBANON, Tenn. — The tall guy in the red Dale Earnhardt Jr. T-shirt blends in with other NASCAR fans mingling near pit road at Nashville Superspeedway, soaking in the atmosphere before a Truck Series race on a summer Friday night. Energy drink in hand, he looks out at the grandstands and soon-to-be noisy racetrack and smiles. Advertisement 'I've always dreamt of being able to watch every race,' he says. 'Now I'm here.' He senses someone in his peripheral vision and turns to see another NASCAR fan, just like him, seemingly waiting for a word. 'Sorry, how are you?' the tall guy says. 'You could have interrupted!' 'Can I get a picture, Carson?' the fan says. Meet Carson Hocevar, the disruptive 22-year-old who isn't just one of NASCAR's fastest-rising young stars — but also one of its biggest fans. On this night, 48 hours before Hocevar finishes second in the NASCAR Cup Series race at the same track, the Spire Motorsports driver is following his normal routine: Making the trek across the infield grass to ascend into the grandstands to watch the lower-tier Truck and Xfinity races with the fans. Though NASCAR is more accessible for its diehards than other big-league sports, there's a barrier between the stands and the garage area — both physically and figuratively. Hocevar regularly breaks the fourth wall, so to speak, by choosing to watch races from a familiar viewpoint that reminds him of growing up. He's as comfortable sitting among the race fans as he is in the Cup Series garage — if not more so, given how many drivers and teams he's irked with his aggressive racing style. We'll get to that in a bit, but for now, there's no sign of any animosity toward Hocevar as he trudges across Nashville's thick infield grass and climbs the stairs into the grandstands. People already in their seats for the Truck race begin to notice and call out — something he said has become increasingly common of late. 'Hocevarrrrrr!' one older, long-haired man yells, raising his arms in a triumphant welcome. Some fans leap from their seats and rush toward the aisle to offer a fist bump or handshake. A few ask for selfies. Others just clap and cheer at the site of a recognizable Cup driver among them. Advertisement 'How cool is that?' a father says to his two young sons as Hocevar passes by. When Hocevar reaches the concourse, his progress is slowed by people wanting to chat. A jam-up forms as one teen bro-hugs Hocevar like they're old pals and asks for a signature. Another accuses Hocevar of wrecking his car several times on iRacing, an online simulator game; Hocevar asks the fan his name and acts like it rings a bell. After the fan is out of earshot, Hocevar is asked if he really recognized the name or was just being polite. 'Oh yeah,' Hocevar says. 'And I did wreck him.' Hocevar makes his way to Row 29 of Section 131, where a few Nashville-based friends are awaiting him. One of them is Christian Pitman, who used to race with Hocevar while growing up and has remained close through his buddy's burgeoning NASCAR career. 'He hasn't changed at all,' Pitman says. 'I think that's why people like him.' He's not exactly incognito, and so a steady stream of fans comes over to Hocevar's row. At first, it's actually unclear whether these are more of Hocevar's Nashville friends or simply strangers approaching. That's because each time someone arrives in the aisle, Hocevar pops up from his seat like he's been expecting them. 'Watching from the stands?' one fan says after getting his picture with Hocevar. 'Don't blame ya!' But seriously, why would he do this? Why would a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver watch races with fans, even if he is one himself? 'Why not?' he counters, puzzled. 'I love it.' That love doesn't go both ways for Hocevar in the NASCAR world. While he possesses the type of personality many fans claim to want — he alternates between charming, brash, opinionated and startlingly frank — he has also angered many of the drivers he grew up watching (and thus their supporters, too). Advertisement Hocevar's reputation is constantly a trending topic. He has crashed drivers on accident, on purpose and every shade of gray in between — often unapologetically. Among his critics: former Cup champions Kyle Busch and Ryan Blaney, Hocevar's own mentor Ross Chastain, and now Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who Hocevar sent crashing in Nashville on Sunday night. While there's a recurring narrative that accompanies fast young drivers who burst onto the NASCAR scene — it's happened to the likes of Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Busch, Chastain and many more — it's also clear Hocevar has lost the benefit of the doubt. 'A lot of people were saying, 'Well, is it just because he's a young, aggressive driver?'' Blaney said in March. 'He's being a young, reckless guy in a lot of situations, and there's a big, big difference.' But in some ways this is all part of the plan for Hocevar, who carefully studied how drivers raced and reacted to various situations while growing up. He's seen an inordinate amount of interviews and knows what resonated with him as a fan — and what he disliked. He's determined to be the kind of driver he would have wanted to root for as a kid. Not that he's very far removed from actually being one. With NASCAR racing at his home track of Michigan International Speedway this weekend, Hocevar briefly returned to his childhood home in Portage — a small city one hour south of Grand Rapids where, until recently, he was more well known for appearing in an oft-played commercial for his dad's business (Scott's Sports Cards, Coins and Jewelry) as a 9-year-old. 'Scott's has a nice selection of Citizen Watches, all priced 50 percent off for the holidays!' a cheerful Hocevar tells the camera as 'Jingle Bells' plays. 'Happy Holidays!' As recently as a few years ago, people would stop him in the grocery store not to chat about his up-and-coming NASCAR career — but to remark how much he'd grown up since seeing him in the ad. People in the Portage community were used to seeing Hocevar ride his bike all over town when he wasn't off racing. Advertisement And when Hocevar returns to his family home, his bedroom has been largely untouched. The shelves still have autographed die-cast cars from the likes of Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch — who has called Hocevar 'a f— d— bag' and vowed to 'wreck his ass' — and a signed Matt Kenseth photo. 'The only thing that's different is I don't have the Dale Jr. comforter on my bed anymore,' he says. He's retained an extensive collection of die-cast cars (it numbers in the hundreds and he'll never get rid of it, he says), which includes the custom-made versions he decorated himself. Hocevar and his friends made stop-motion animation videos with the die-cast cars because 'we were too old to play with them but too young to just let them sit there.' One of those friends, Pitman, sits in the Nashville stands with his longtime buddy and pulls up an old Instagram page from an iRacing team Hocevar created as a kid. Hocevar has since lost the login for the chr_racing page, so it lives on as a time capsule from an 11-year-old's summer hobby ('Instagram used to let you sign up with an unverified email address, and I have no idea what it was,' he says). But it doesn't bother him; Hocevar embraces his NASCAR fandom rather than running from it. In fact, he happily recounts one of his favorite memories as a 9-year-old: Having his name on the winning car in one of NASCAR YouTuber Eric Estepp's stop-motion races. 'Winner: CarsonH814,' the video announced. 'I was so excited, I went to school the next day and told everyone I won,' Hocevar says. Growing up in the meme-ified world of Gen Z has created a unique bridge from Hocevar to NASCAR's younger audience, a demographic with which the sanctioning body has struggled to connect. Hocevar not only streams his iRacing on Twitch, but he also did so in the middle of this year's Daytona 500 when there was a rain delay (Spire has a sim rig setup in its hauler for Hocevar to use). Advertisement Earlier this spring, he bought a 1997 pickup truck off Facebook Marketplace just because it was decorated like Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s No. 3 GM Goodwrench ride — and now uses it as his daily driver. He has his TV set to autoplay YouTube videos continuously and allows the algorithm to pick old NASCAR content for him. To demonstrate, he pulls out his phone: It's showing the 2009 Pepsi 500 at California Speedway, which has just begun playing after an old postrace show from an October event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But Hocevar's Very Online persona has also lent itself to another unique skill: Translating the digital world into real-life applications. NASCAR teams use high-tech driver-in-the-loop simulators to gather engineering feedback and influence vehicle setups; Hocevar performed so well in that area that it essentially earned him a chance with Spire. 'We popped him in the sim, and our sim game improved like 1,000 percent,' Spire co-owner Jeff Dickerson says, standing on pit road before the Nashville race. 'We were like, 'This is probably the direction NASCAR is going.' All he does is watch racing, go to races, go on iRacing, go in the sim. What I liked about him is he's just so fast, and this is all he's thinking about, always.' While Dickerson says he wishes Hocevar would have used a bit better judgment in some of the situations that have resulted in controversy, their daily texts typically don't include any scolding. Dickerson doesn't want to do anything to slow Hocevar down or 'cage him,' he says; after all, Hocevar is on the cusp of winning races for a team that has never had a driver finish in the top 20 of the season point standings. 'I am not going to be like, 'Hey, you'd better mind your P's and Q's,'' Dickerson says. 'My thing is just: If you accidentally get run into, don't act like a jackass. As a team owner, I just want him to show up to meetings on time, participate in competition meetings like the student of the game that he is, and to race his teammates with respect.' Hocevar has repeatedly claimed in interviews that he doesn't study data and drives off instinct, using his creativity to find lines others do not. And while the latter part of that statement may be true, Dickerson says the first part is total bunk and is tired of getting asked about it. 'He's lying to you!' Dickerson says. 'He is always studying! I live it every day. He's constantly sending me things he's looking at. He's just at an age where it's cool to say, 'See? I don't study! I just feel the air! I'm the next reincarnation of Dale Sr., don't you guys get it?' No, jacka—. It's not instinct. He's not God's gift to race car driving. He works at this as much as anybody.' Advertisement To prove his point, Dickerson calls Hocevar over from a conversation with more fans. 'You keep telling people you don't study s— or look at s—!' Dickerson says. 'What? I just say I don't look at SMT data,' Hocevar says with the tone of a scolded teenager, referring to the sport's real-time telemetry data. 'You look at everything, shut up,' Dickerson says. 'I know,' Hocevar replies with a shrug. But even if Hocevar works harder than he's willing to let on, he's still somewhat of a racing savant. Back up in the stands, as the NASCAR Trucks circle around the track, he immediately diagnoses the things drivers should be doing differently and yells his feedback to no one in particular, drowned by the roar of the engines. He wears no headset or ear plugs and rests his worn black Nikes — the only pair of casual shoes he owns — on the bleacher seat in front of him while holding a phone with Cup Series trophy wallpaper ('Motivation, man' he explains.) When drivers from Spire and Niece Motorsports (which gave Hocevar his break in the Truck Series) run afoul of his expectations, Hocevar unlocks the phone and furiously types feedback texts to friends on both teams in hopes of reaching the drivers. 'Message delivered,' one responds. Other times, Hocevar simply leaps from his seat and makes exaggerated gestures at the drivers like any number of other fans in the stands — sometimes exasperated when they don't listen to him, sometimes celebratory when they make a good move. And he has reason to celebrate at the end of the night because Spire teammate Rajah Caruth ends up in victory lane — as does Hocevar, being interviewed on TV in his red Dale Jr. shirt after congratulating Caruth. Two nights later, other fans have taken his place in Row 29 of Section 131 and get to witness the full Hocevar experience: Being lightning quick en route to a second-place finish, but making more on-track enemies in the process. Controversy aside, it's a good night. For a kid who was once thrilled just to watch NASCAR Cup Series races, actually winning one no longer feels like such a distant dream. (Illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; Sean Gardner,)
Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Keith Urban describes turning point that led him to sobriety after years of addiction
Keith Urban is reflecting on the turning point in his years-long battle with drug addiction and alcoholism. During a recent appearance on "The Zane Lowe Show," the 57-year-old country star recalled the moment he knew he had to make a decision that would affect the rest of his life. "All through the years of drinking and doing drugs and all the rest of it, I always had this very specific voice inside of me that goes, 'One day, you're gonna come to a crossroads or a fork in the road, and it'll be the final one,'" Urban said. "'You're either gonna choose to get out of this s--- or you're never gonna get out of it. That day is gonna come and it won't be like well, if you mess it up this time, maybe next time. There won't be a next time. And you'll know when it comes,'" he continued. "This went on for years." The four-time Grammy Award winner explained that the critical junction came when his wife Nicole Kidman called an intervention for him in 2006 shortly after they married. "I knew that was it," Urban said. "I'm like, 'Oh, this is that fork in the road.'" The New Zealand native, who has been sober for almost 19 years, told Lowe that finally extricating himself from the throes of addiction and its repercussions was a relief. "I didn't come to America for that," Urban said. "I came to America to make music and record and tour, and grow as an artist and as a human being. I didn't come to America to end up in rehab and courthouses and s---. That's not why I came here, so I'm like, 'What am I doing?'" "But it took a few, a few shots," he admitted. Over the years, the "Somebody Like You" singer has been transparent about his journey to sobriety. In a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Urban recalled that his troubles began after he moved to Nashville from Australia, where he had previously released four hit albums. Urban explained that he felt like an outsider as a foreigner trying to make it in the country music scene. "I knew that was it. I'm like, 'Oh, this is that fork in the road.'" "Nothing I'd done before meant s---," he says. "I felt like I was meant to be here, I had this absolute burning belief, but I was out of step with everything. I mean, what do you do when you're doing your best, and it's not enough?" "When I was onstage, I felt good, but if I was not onstage, I was very, very insecure," he added. "I felt like I didn't have much of anything to offer. I was just an alien." Urban recalled that a painful breakup with a woman who had told him that the "novelty of you has worn off" had fueled his descent into addiction. "You might say, 'Big deal.' But I was feeling insecure, and the fact that me and my accent would be a novelty to somebody cut me to the core," he said. "Oh, my God. Really bad. It devastated me. It was a turning point. After that, s--- started to really go awry." "I stepped up my drinking," he continued. "I started doing more drugs. Yeah, man. The whole back end of the Nineties were just awful." After years as a struggling artist, Urban made his career breakthrough in 1999 when he released his self-titled debut album. The record, which notched four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was certified platinum, launched Urban into country music stardom. Despite finding career success, Urban continued to struggle with his addictions to alcohol and drugs. He told Rolling Stone that he was in denial about the extent of his addiction after growing up with an alcoholic father. "It took me a long time to get sober," he said. "Took me a long time to recognize my alcoholism. A long time, because I didn't drink like my dad, so I compared everything to him. So it just took a long time for me. But I was able to finally make the right choice in my life, that I wish my dad would have made." In 2015, Urban's father Robert died after a long battle with prostate cancer. After two failed stints in rehab, Urban was finally able to conquer his own addiction problems after he married Kidman. Four months into their marriage, Urban agreed to enter rehab again at the urging of Kidman and his loved ones. "That's the point right there where she really should've just walked," Urban told Oprah Winfrey in 2010. "I'm just so glad she didn't, and she made a decision to turn around and initiate ultimately this intervention, and it was done in such a way that the love in that room at that moment was just right. I was like, 'Put the cuffs on, let's go.'" In a 2020 appearance on the podcast "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," Urban recalled that he realized he would lose the love of his life if he continued down the path that he was on. "She's just the one, that was it," Urban said of Kidman. "She's the one that I was searching for my whole life, and everything not only changed, but had to change in me if I was going to go that road." "It was literally like, 'You either get this right now, or you are never, ever going to get it right. This is your one shot,'" he continued. "Really, it felt so obvious and I knew where I was going. I was going into the light finally. It was everything I was looking for and then some. I mean, beyond." While speaking with Rolling Stone, Urban said that it was a "miracle" that their marriage survived. "I was spiritually awoken with her," the singer said of Kidman. "I use the expression 'I was born into her,' and that's how I feel. And for the first time in my life, I could shake off the shackles of addiction." Urban and Kidman, who will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary on June 25, are parents to daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 14. In June 2024, Urban gave a heartfelt tribute to Kidman when she was honored with the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award. The couple's daughters joined their parents at the star-studded event, which marked the girls' red carpet debut. During his speech at the ceremony, Urban recalled how Kidman's love for him persevered despite the rocky start to their marriage. "We got married in June 2006, and barely four months into our marriage, my addictions that I'd done really nothing about, blew our marriage to smithereens, and I went into the Betty Ford Center for three months," he told the crowd. "Four months into a marriage, I'm into rehab for three months, with no idea what was going to happen to us," he continued. "And if you want to see what love in action really looks like, give that a whirl." "Nic pushed through every negative voice, I'm sure, even some of her own," Urban added. "And she chose love. And here we are tonight, 18 years later." In a video of the speech, Kidman was seen wiping away tears while sitting in the audience next to Sunday and Faith. Ahead of performing at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, Urban shared the secret to their successful union. "It's always family first," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "It's balanced, so it means it goes out of balance sometimes, and we just put it back in balance," Urban added. "It's never perfectly in balance, but we get it back on track." Since becoming sober, Urban has helped other musicians who were struggling with addiction. In a 2017 interview with the Tennessean, country singer Brandtley Gilbert recalled how Urban saved his life when he was at his lowest point in his battle with alcohol and drugs. Gilbert told the outlet that he started drinking alcohol as a young boy and became addicted to painkillers when he was in high school. His addiction continued after he became a successful singer-songwriter in Nashville. In 2011, Gilbert developed pancreatitis after years of abusing drugs and alcohol. He ended up in the hospital and entered rehab after he was discharged. However, Gilbert had decided to check himself out after a few days against his doctors' advice. He recalled that his alcohol counselors and managers urged him to stay one more day so that he could meet with someone, who turned out to be Urban. "I remember thinking, these (expletives) are pulling out all the stops," Gilbert told the outlet. The "Country Must Be Country Wide" singer said that he was "annoyed" upon first meeting Urban and was thinking to himself, "You don't know me, man." However, the two began to connect when Urban asked him about why he feared giving up drugs and alcohol. "I told him, I don't think I can do my job," Gilbert recalled. "I don't know if I can ever play a song at my shows without being (messed) up. Or writing, I was worried my songs wouldn't be the same, that I wouldn't be on everyone else's level." Gilbert remembered that Urban said he had once harbored those same doubts and anxieties and he also was afraid when he started performing without the crutch of drugs and alcohol. However, Gilbert told the Tennessean that Urban eventually found "he was a better performer, a better writer, he had more fun, he was a better husband and a better man without drugs and alcohol." Gilbert recalled that his conversation with Urban had a huge impact on him. "My whole world flipped," he said. "At that point, I was like, 'All right.'" The singer has now been sober since December 2011. "If it weren't for him, I don't know if I'd be sober or be in this business anymore," Gilbert said of Urban. "I'd probably be dead," he added. Last September, Urban released his latest album titled "High." In a press release, Urban revealed that the album's title was inspired by his interpretation of the multi-faceted meaning of the word "high." "What makes you 'high' can mean whatever you want it to mean," he said. "It might be physical, spiritual, herbal, meditative, chemical or musical, but it's definitely a place of utopia." He continues, "For me it's my family, my friends, and this rollercoaster musical journey I'm on. Playing guitar, writing songs and the place where I always feel high — playing live. Every night I get a chance to bring an energy and a release to people." During his appearance on Lowe's podcast, Urban shared that he was "intentionally" reclaiming the word "high" when naming his album. "The sort of dark humor of the word 'high' for a guy like me is just kind of too right on the money," he said. "It's a great word because it means so many things to different people. Different things," Urban continued. "It's meant different things to me through my life. It means something different now than it did 19 years ago." Urban told Lowe that getting high to him means "playing on stage." "It always has," he said. "That was always my safe place, was being on stage." "My troubles were off-stage but being on stage was always my really happy place," he added.
