Jake Owen recently revealed that he had been sober for 317 days, and still going strong, after a night of too much drinking left him embarrassed by the choices he made. The 40-year-old is opening up about the decision to give up drinking, and how impactful it has been to hear other people’s stories of sobriety as well.

“It feels pretty good,” Owen tells Audacy’s The Wake Up Call. “I’ve told a lot of people that I’ve learned a lot. Forget the last 318 days of learning, really what I’ve learned the last few days and posting that, from people that were moved by it and touched by it. I was not intending that at all. I, in a way, surprised myself that in a business like we have, when you’re out there every night — every night is a meet and greet. Every night is a party for everyone you’re playing for. In a way you become accustomed. Next thing you know, it’s like, ‘Man, I’ve had a couple beers this week.’”

Owen is clear that, while he has given up drinking, it wasn’t because he battled any form of addiction, but merely a personal choice of what was best for him and his family.

“I never had a drinking problem or anything,” Owen says, adding that he just wanted to be a better version of himself for his loved ones. “So I just did. I just stopped. I’m proud I did. What I realized in these moments was that it’s not easy for a lot of people. For me, it wasn’t hard. It was just something I decided to put down. For people who struggled and have reached out asking how I did it? It’s amazing to be able to connect with people like that.”

Owen shared the news of his sobriety on social media.

 

“317 days ago I embarrassed myself after drinking too much alcohol one night. It wasn’t the first time either,” Owen posted on social media. “The next day I told myself, ‘never again.’ I am better than that, and the people I love the most deserve better. My family, my little girls, and my friends.

“Just wanted to share my journey in case anyone woke up this morning and wants to make a change,” he continued. “None of us [are] perfect… I’m just trying to be the best version of myself these days.”

Owen is celebrating his tenth No, 1 hit with “Best Thing Since Backroads.” The irony isn’t lost on Owen that he achieved another chart-topping single with a song that he initially refused to record.

“It was an immediate ‘No’ for me,” Owen recalled on Audacy’s Katie & Company. “They said ‘Hey, you need to listen to this song, It’s called ‘Best Thing Since Backroads’ and I [was like] ‘Nope!’ I was like, ‘I don’t want to, I’m not going to listen to it because I’m not going to sing another song [about backroads], I’ve heard too many songs about backroads ,,, My first instinct was, ‘I don’t even want to hear this song.’ Thankfully the people that I work with that trust and love me, and likewise, I put a lot of faith in them and they were correct.”

Owen has plenty of concerts on the schedule over the next several months. Find music and tour dates at JakeOwen.net.

Read ’10 Country Music Singers Who Are Sober’ here.