More than a month after announcing he would be taking some time away from the road, Justin Moore has made a triumphant return, revealing to his fans that he is now sober.
Moore took to Instagram in early June to reveal that he had “made the decision to take some time to focus on my health,” which meant that he would be “stepping away from touring for a short period and will be unable to perform some upcoming shows”.
“This is the right decision for me and my family, and I appreciate everyone’s understanding and support,” he added.
At the time of his announcement, a handful of dates were affected, though Moore made a triumphant return to the stage on Thursday, July 9th at the Knox County Illinois Fair, revealing to the audience that he spent his time off in rehab.
“God has given me so much, between my wife and our four awesome kids, my family, a career like this,” Moore told the crowd. “I’m trying from this point forward to use my platform more than I ever have.”
As he continued, Moore referred to his time away, admitting that his “drinking got out of control.”
“I don’t say that to bring us down,” he continued. “We’re still going to do drinking songs, don’t get me wrong. But I let down my band and my crew, most importantly God, my family.”
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“I got a really good buddy who went through this as well,” Moore continued, jovially. “He always says he’s allergic to booze because he breaks out in handcuffs. Fortunately, I didn’t do that. I just became a complete dumb ass.
“I just got out of rehab for 30 days. This is my 31st day sober,” he concluded to widespread applause. “I’m going to try and help as many people from this point forward till my last days on Earth, and hopefully set a much better example for my kiddos.”
Moore’s reference to continuing to play “drinking songs” was also met with applause by the crowd, especially given that his most-played songs on streaming services include the likes of Why We Drink and You, Me, And Whiskey.
Moore’s most recent record, This Is My Dirt, arrived in 2024, and used his return to announce a handful of new tour dates taking place throughout the US summer.
