Country Singers Who Have Struggled with Alcoholism

Fame can't shield you from addiction, and there have been an number of notable country singers with alcoholism. Some famous country stars used alcohol as a way to self-medicate while other country singers drank and did drugs before going up on stage. A few famous country singers even got DUIs or committed other crimes as a result of their addiction.

Who will you find on this list of country stars with drinking problems? Johnny Cash famously struggled with addiction throughout his life, though he credited his Christian faith for helping him through hard times. "In other words, the Scriptures, or God speaking through them, have saved my life," he said in 1997. Keith Urban credits his wife, Nicole Kidman, with helping him get sober once and for all. Hank Williams reportedly used alcohol and tranquilizers to deal with chronic back pain from spina bifida occulta. Other famous alcoholic country singers include Trace Adkins, Mindy McCreedy, and Randy Travis.

Are you surprised so many popular country singers have dealt with alcoholism? Take a look at this list and get in on the conversation in the comments section.

Drugs and alcohol fueled an incident in which Billy Joe Shaver was charged with shooting a man in the face at a bar in 2007. His Christian faith helped him turn to sobriety.

George Jones gained a reputation for missing scheduled performances due to his decades-long addiction to drugs and alcohol. "I was doing a little praying that the Good Lord would hit me with a sledge hammer or do something to help me straighten my act up and make me be a better person – and quit drinking and all the bad things I had done and had been still doing," he said in 2009.

After years of sobriety, Glen Campbell relapsed and was convicted of a DUI in 2003. He spent 10 days in jail following the incident.

"I made it a good thing. I went down and took my guitar, my drummer and bass player and played for the other inmates of this holding pen they had. I think I got two days off for good measure. And I haven't had a drink since. Thank you, Lord," he said.

Hank Williams reportedly used alcohol and tranquilizers to deal with chronic back pain from spina bifida occulta.

Johnny Cash credited his Christian faith with helping him recover from his struggles with drugs and alcohol. "In other words, the Scriptures, or God speaking through them, have saved my life," he said in 1997.

Keith Urban credits his wife, Nicole Kidman, with helping him kick his drug and alcohol addiction once and for all. “I was spiritually awoken with her. 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," he said.

Mindy McCready struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol for most of her adult life. She was facing legal issues due to a DUI at the time of her suicide in 2013.

In 2012, Randy Travis was arrested multiple times for alcohol related incidents. In 2013, he plead guilty to DUI charges.

"I don't feel the need to [drink] because of the industry or the business I'm in. It's got nothing to do with that. That's all on me," said Trace Adkins, who has been sober since re-entering rehab in 2014.

Waylon Jennings was known to have struggled with alcohol addiction throughout his life.