Brantley Gilbert turns 40 on January 20. The birthday is not only a milestone year for the married father of three, but cause for a monumental celebration for the reformed singer, who at one time never imagined he would even live four decades.
“I’m not being theatrical when I say that there was a chapter in my life where I never planned on being anybody’s dad or anybody’s husband,” Gilbert shares. “And I honestly didn’t, in my heart of hearts, think I’d make it much past 30, ’cause of the things I was doing, the people I was hanging around with, and the choices I was making. And to be completely honest with you, I wasn’t miserable. Like I’d kind of found my peace with that.
“So, to look back at that, about to turn 40, it’s just wild,” he continues. “I feel like I’m ten years into borrowed time, and those are the ten years I’ve been married, I had my kids and everything else. So, I like to think that my wife just stayed prayed up so much and did enough of the right things that he’s blessing her and I’m just kind of catching the good parts of her blessing.”
Gilbert has been sober since 2011. It’s a monumental achievement, and one he credits to fellow former addict, Keith Urban. It was Urban who appeared at rehab, when Gilbert was still unsure if he could live life without drinking.
“It was definitely a life-changing thing,” Gilbert said on the Bussin’ With The Boys’ podcast. “It was crazy. I went in, Keith Urban showed up when I was in there, on a whim one day. I’ve told this story a bunch, but he sat down and had a conversation with me. I don’t know if I’d be playing music right now had it not been for that conversation with that man. So that was pretty cool.”
Thanks in large part to Urban, Gilbert discovered he could perform without alcohol, and has now been sober for 13 years.
“The day I got out, my record label president and my manager picked me up at the rehab facility and took me straight to the tour bus. I went on on the Eric Church Blood, Sweat and Beers Tour in 2012,” Gilbert recalls.
The Georgia native welcomed his third child, son Abram Howell Gilbert, on his tour bus, while he was in Mississippi.
“[Amber] was a soldier – such an understatement,” Gilbert praises, calling her the “strongest woman I’ve ever met.” “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. She was just so strong. I was such an emotional wreck, it was ridiculous. She handled it a million times better than I did.”
Gilbert has a new single at radio, “Over When We’re Sober.” The song, which he sings with Ashley Cooke, was written by Gilbert, along with Jelly Roll, Justin Wilson and Brock Berryhill, for Gilbert’s latest album, Tattoos, released in September. Find all of Gilbert’s music and upcoming shows at BrantleyGilbert.com.
Photo Credit: Alexa Campbell