Rascal Flatts lead guitarist, Joe Don Rooney, is speaking out publicly for the first time following his DUI in September 2021.
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Rooney was arrested September 9, 2021 after crashing into a tree while driving under the influence. According to his recent post on X, the crash was the wake up call the 48-year-old needed to address his drinking problem and start his journey towards a better, more fulfilling life.
"It's actually been a couple years since I've engaged with fans and friends on Twitter (now X) or Instagram,” he wrote. “But I figured today, at the beginning of this brand new year 2024, would be a good day to send a message out to the world.”
He continued, “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.”
Rooney further explained his drinking had been an issue for “many years” citing pressures from his career, mistakes in his home life, trauma from childhood and adult life as the main culprits. Rooney says his drinking got progressively worse over the years and it all came to a head the night he got arrested, which prompted him to make some big life changes.
“I was not a good father - I was not a good husband - and I was not a good band mate to my business partners,” he said of bandmates Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus. “I probably would’ve never taken responsibility for any of this if it hadn’t been for my car wreck on Sep 9, 2021. And btw, going to jail sucks!”
He continued “Fortunately, (and I truly believe this,) God lead me into that tree safely enough to not kill me - and luckily nobody else was involved and I didn’t injure or kill anyone. I could literally be in a Federal Prison for life right now. That is the reality of what my life had become. That event lead me to treatment for my alcoholism for 4 months in the beautiful mountains of Utah. When I first got there, I didn’t want to stay.”
Rooney explained he fought shame, fear, and guilt throughout his journey with AA, and ultimately came out on the other side with the help of “amazing clinicians, counselors and other patients there.”
“I’ve been sober now for almost 28 months come this Jan 13,” he shared. “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.”
Treatment and time have led Rooney to a new path and now now, he’s focused on staying the course and proecting himself, his family and his sobriety.
“With the help of my family and so many other professional clinical advisors and now numerous new sober forever friends, I’ve been able to get the train back on the tracks and live without the burden of alcohol. Now, I need to protect my family and protect my sobriety,” he expressed. “I have new healthy boundaries for the first time in my life. Only positive, loving, caring & understanding people may enter.”
He concluded with well-wishes for all entering the new year and gratitude for a new life-perspective, good habits and sobriety.
“My life has been changed forever - and I’m grateful for the change,” he wrote. “It’s an absolute blessing in ways I can barely put into proper words… Thank you for all the love, support and prayers. I promise you, I’ve felt them all and I’m super appreciative. Here’s to making the best of 2024 and living our most healthiest, happiest and goal oriented lives ever!!”