Brantley Gilbert Reflects On Wild Years And Life Lessons Ahead Of 40th Birthday
There was a time when Gilbert never imagined he’d live past 30.

Brantley Gilbert; Photo by Brian Vaughan
Brantley Gilbert will celebrate his 40th birthday on January 20, marking a major milestone in his life. As he approaches this new chapter, the country star took some time to reflect on the past decade, sharing his personal thoughts and experiences before entering a new decade of life.
In a recent interview with his record label, the Georgia native shared that there was a time when he could have never imagined his life unfolding the way it has.
“I’m not being theatrical when I say that there was a chapter in my life where I never planned on being anybody’s dad or anybody’s husband. And I honestly didn’t, in my heart of hearts, think I’d make it much past 30, cause of the things I was doin’, the people I was hangin’ around with and the choices I was making,” he shared, honestly. “And to be completely honest with you, I wasn’t miserable. Like I’d kinda found my peace with that.”

These days, Gilbert has left his wild days in the past. He’s now married to his lovely wife, Amber, and they share three children together. The country star admits looking back on his rebellious days is “wild” and credits his changing ways to his other half.
“I feel like I’m 10 years into borrowed time, and those are the 10 years I’ve been married, I had my kids and everything else. So, I like to think that my wife just stayed prayed up so much and did enough of the right things that he’s blessin’ her and I’m just kinda catchin’ the good parts of her blessing,” he added.
About a month after turning 40, Gilbert will return to the road for The Tattoos Tour 2025. Kicking off on February 27 in Everett, Washington, the trek will bring Gilbert to cities across the country through April 26. He will be joined by special guests Travis Denning, Black Stone Cherry, Austin Snell, Colt Ford and Payton Smith on select dates.

To make tickets more affordable for his fans, Gilbert opted to set ticket prices starting at $25 plus fees.
“My hope is that with tickets starting at $25, people can step away from everyday stresses and enjoy themselves—whether it’s making it a fun evening with the family or giving mom and dad the chance to hire a babysitter and have a night out just for them,” he previously explained. “Music has always been about bringing people together and offering a break from the grind, even if it’s just for a few hours.”
Gilbert’s upcoming tour is in support of his Tattoos album, which was released last fall. The project includes his latest single, “Over When We’re Sober,” featuring Ashley Cooke, as well as collaborations with Justin Moore, Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones, and Gary LeVox.
He celebrated the release of the project with the World’s Largest Album release party, which drew a whopping 118,00 people to downtown Nashville.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.