Ashley McBryde Marks 900 Days Sober: ‘The Best Decision I’ve Ever Made’
McBryde is now the “happiest” she’s ever been.
Ashley McBryde; Photo Courtesy ABC, CMA
Ashley McBryde recently celebrated a major milestone in her sobriety journey.
On November 28, the GRAMMY, CMA and ACM award winner revealed that she is 900 days sober in a raw and real Instagram post highlighting the accomplishment.
Alongside a video shared from her home gym, the Grand Ole Opry member reflected on her decision to give up drinking alcohol and the impact it’s had on her life.
“The gut punch (understatement) when I realized a choice HAD to be made. It was either continue and die or stop and learn to live. The pain I caused and was in myself… it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever chosen to examine and take action on. And the best decision I’ve ever made,” she wrote. “900 days Sober is worth celebrating. And whatever day you may be on is worth celebrating too!!”
The comments section of her post was filled with encouraging messages, including one from Jake Owen, who also lives a sober lifestyle.
“Hell yeah, Ash. Proud of you,” he wrote.
McBryde, 40, recently opened up about her sobriety in an interview with People, revealing that she stopped drinking alcohol in June of 2022.
“I decided that I wasn’t gonna talk about it at all until at least a year,” she explained, “because what I didn’t need was people on social media being like, ‘Ashley McBryde swears off alcohol!’ All people are gonna do is just wait for you to screw up, and that’s really annoying. I did it for me. I didn’t do it for social media.”
McBryde’s decision to quit drinking has had a profound impact on her life, and both she and her fans are beginning to see the difference.
“It’s the best I’ve felt, the best I’ve looked…and the difference in my voice … If you had told me even 10 years ago, you think you love your voice? You should hear it without drinking, because along with drinking comes smoking for me,” she said.
While she admitted to smoking a cigarette every now and then, McBryde is overall healthier and she’s loving it.
“The happiest I’ve ever been,” she told the publication.
McBryde recently made her way home to Waldron, Arkansas where the city honored her with “Ashley McBryde Day” and unveiled a roadside sign along Highway 71 in honor of her Scott County, Arkansas roots.
She reminisced about the memorable moment on social media, writing, “What an incredibly special day. I’ve always dreamed of making my Home State proud. They did me one better ! Waldron, thank you for honoring me in such a special way. You’ll always be where I’m from.”
Later this week, McBryde will release the highly anticipated, “Ain’t Enough Cowboy Songs.” The track was co-written by McBryde with Chris Harris and Patrick Savage, and is said to have “emerged from a shared feeling of loss and a desire to reconnect with timeless principles, longing for meaning and clarity in a changing world.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
