New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney says he’s sober after 2021 DUI crash SPOTLIGHT
Former Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney had a lot to say upon his return to X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday — nearly 4,000 characters’ worth — about his battle with addiction and his road to recovery.
The 48-year-old musician, who was active on Twitter two years ago, began his lengthy post by apologizing to fans for his inactivity on social media. With a new year marking a new chapter, Rooney said it seemed like a “good day to send a message out to the world.”
“First off, I am alive!” Rooney said, before dispelling rumors that he was “transitioning to be a woman.” Instead, the “Life Is a Highway” rocker revealed that he nearly took his own life on Sept. 9, 2021, in a drunk-driving incident.
The Grammy-nominated musician was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after he drove his car into a tree line near Nashville, Tennessee, according to a 2021 Fox News report.
“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 said. “My drinking had been an issue for many years — and as they say in AA and treatment, it’s a progressive disease.”
Rooney said that the combination of work, family life and moving on from the “pain and trauma” of his childhood and early adult years had “become too much to bear.”
The guitarist crashed his car more than a year after Rascal Flatts — also comprising Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus — announced its final tour, which was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the group also reportedly disbanded and Rooney filed for divorce from wife Tiffany Fallon.
In his tweet, Rooney praised God for the wake-up call and shared the details about his efforts to get sober, which began with four months of treatment at a Utah facility. Now, Rooney said, “My life has been changed for ever — and I’m grateful for this change.”
Britney Spears vows she’ll ‘never return to the music industry’
LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears is shooting down rumors of a new album, vowing to “never return to the music industry.”
At the same time, Spears noted in Wednesday’s Instagram post, she’s still writing music — just for other people.
“When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!” she wrote. “I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way !!!”
The Instagram caption, in which she blasted those who “keep saying I’m turning to random people to do a new album,” was paired with a photo of a Guido Reni painting of Salome holding the head of John the Baptist.
This isn’t the first time Spears has indicated she’s retiring from releasing her own music.