Rascal Flatts are less than a week away from the start of their Life Is A Highway Tour, but this tour will be much different than any of their previous ones. The trio, who are celebrating their 25th anniversary together, will mark the first tour that Joe Don Rooney will be a part of while sober.
“Sober Joe Don is incredible!” Jay DeMarcus tells Taste of Country Nights. “I have to say I’m so proud of him for what he’s been through and what he’s been able to overcome.”
Rooney celebrated three years of sobriety in September, a milestone he was rightfully proud to have accomplished, after quietly battling addiction for several years.
“I think he would tell you if he were sitting here that he’s still processing every day,” DeMarcus says. “But I’ve seen him turn into a completely different person. It’s an unbelievable metamorphosis.”
“[He] is so zoned in now, and so lucid and intentional about everything he does, and I’m so proud to see him in such a healthy space,” he adds. “It’s really, really cool.”
Rooney is excited to embark on his first tour sober, even though it will be much different than any of his previous tours.
“It’ll be the H2O Tour for me,” Rooney jokes to Taste of Country Nights. “Life in general is different. I’ve got my connection with God and I’m so grateful for that.”
The Life Is A Highway Tour was supposed to happen in 2020. When the pandemic canceled those plans, Ronney, along with DeMarcus and Gary LeVox went their separate ways. Although both DeMarcus and LeVox pursued other musical projects, Rooney admits he stepped away from music entirely for a while.
“I’m excited about it,” Rooney says. “I’m out of practice. I haven’t been playing much music at all. I needed to get away from all of it. I’m a big golfer and I haven’t played much golf at all. I just needed time to really get to the center of myself and really work on myself.”
Rascal Flatts’ fans are eager for the Life Is A Highway Tour to begin, but so are the three band members.
“In 2020, we announced the farewell tour after being on the road extensively for 20 years,” Rascal Flatts said when the tour was revealed. “To put it simply, we needed a break. Then COVID hit and our plans came to a screeching halt, like the rest of the world. Since then, we’ve been able to revisit our unique and special experience as a band and we’re ready to get out on the road again. It’s hard to believe that next year will be the 25th anniversary of Rascal Flatts, and that felt like the perfect time to get back in front of the fans who have given us so much.”
Tickets for most of the dates on Rascal Flatts’ Life Is A Highway Tour have mostly sold-out. They just released “I Dare You” with the Jonas Brothers. Keep track of updates at RascalFlatts.com.