Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney Celebrates Three Years of Sobriety, Sends Message of Hope to Those Battling Addiction

Former Rascal Flatts lead guitarist Joe Don Rooney is celebrating three years of sobriety. He took to social media to reflect on his past battles with addiction and express gratitude to fans for their birthday wishes as his sobriety anniversary happens to fall on his birthday. 

“Thank y’all for the birthday wishes. I’m humbled and blown away at all the X posts I’ve seen for my birthday today,” he wrote. “It’s been a heckuva journey for me the past 3 years. Not only is today my born date – but today is also my 3 year sobriety date. I’m grateful and my heart is so full of love and appreciation today. God is so GOoD.” 

The 49-year-old went on to reflect on how far he’s come and encourage others to face their demons and promised there is hope. 

Thank y’all for the birthday wishes. I’m humbled and blown away at all the X posts I’ve seen for my birthday today.
It’s been a heckuva journey for me the past 3 years. Not only is today my born date – but today is also my 3 year sobriety date.
I’m grateful and my heart is so…

— JDR (@JoeDonRooney) September 13, 2024

“Anyone out there who might be struggling with addiction, please know there is light at the other end of that long seemingly endless small tunnel,” he urged. “Lean on those who love you – and if you are able to, get with a good treatment center and take the time to love on yourself like you maybe never have before. You can do it!”

In closing, Rooney quoted actress Fannie Flagg: “Don’t give up before the miracle happens.”

Rooney made the decision to pursue a sober lifestyle after a very turbulent time in his life, which came amid an arrest for a DUI and a very public divorce. 

The Rascal Flatts member remained quiet about these struggles until early 2024 when he returned to social media to share a lengthy message with his followers. 

At the time, he wrote: “My life and career took a major detour at 4a in the early morning hours of Sep 9, 2021 when I ran square into a tree and about killed myself. I was drunk and I was so far gone with my life – I was completely out of control and finished with trying to fight the fears, depression and anxieties that had spun me out in a way I’ve never experienced before.”

He honestly admitted that his “drinking had been an issue for many years.” 

“I am living proof that the progressive nature of drinking can really ratchet up and as I grew older as an adult my drinking grew worse,” he confessed. 

He later credited his drunk driving incident for helping him turn his life around. 

“The pressures of my career and the many mistakes I made in regards to my home life, coupled with a lot of pain and trauma from my childhood and early on in my adult life, had become too much to bear,” he wrote, and added, “I was not a good father – I was not a good husband – and I was not a good band mate to my business partners. I probably would’ve never taken responsibility for any of this if it hadn’t been for my car wreck on Sep 9, 2021.” 

Rooney revealed that he sought out treatment at a facility in Utah and that his life had been “changed forever.” 

“I never believed I could actually live my life without drinking. It had become such a huge part of my daily and nightly routine. I had tried to stop on my own in the past but the powerful nature of alcohol always found its way back into my life,” he wrote. 

Now three years sober, Joe Don Rooney is a shining example of someone who has successfully turned their life around.