Being honest with his fans.
Justin Moore made his triumphant return to the stage last night in Knoxville, Illinois following his announcement last month that he would be taking a break from touring.
At the time, Justin announced that he was stepping away to focus on his health, leaving fans speculating that the break may have been related to a knee injury that he suffered while skiing earlier this year.
Earlier this week, the “Bait A Hook” singer announced that he would be returning to the stage this week in an epic video featuring an LL Cool J classic:
View this post on Instagram
And in a vulnerable moment during his show last night, Justin opened up on the reason for his absence, revealing that he had just returned from rehab after realizing that his drinking had become a problem:
“I’ve been wondering how I was going to handle this when I got back on stage for the first time in over a month, and I just decided to handle it this way about five minutes ago…
There was a lot of speculation, but my drinking got out of control. … I let down my band and my crew, and most importantly God and my family.”
Justin joked that he has another friend who struggled with the same problem who jokes that he’s allergic to alcohol because he would break out in handcuffs (you probably know who he’s referring to there), but said thankfully that never happened to him:
“I just became a complete dumbass.”
He then revealed that he’s newly sober after finishing up a stay in rehab:
“I just got out of rehab for 30 days. This is my 31st day sober.”
Justin says that he hopes to use the experience to be a better example to his kids and
“I’m a Christian. I’m not as good of one as I want to be. … God has given me so much, between my wife and our four awesome kids and my family, a career like this, so I’m trying from this point forward to use my platform even further than I ever have.”
@whiskeyriff @Justin Moore #whiskeyriff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff
It’s great to see Justin back on stage and doing well, and using his own personal struggles to help others. As somebody who’s been lucky enough to get to know him a little over the years, I can confidently say that there’s not a better dude in country music than Justin Moore, and it’s great to see him recognize that he had a problem and put in the work to turn things around.
Couldn’t be happier for Justin, and can’t wait to see what he’s going to be able to do with his newfound sobriety. Country music needs Justin Moore, and now we’re going to get him at his best.
Justin Moore 2026 Tour Dates
7/9 – Knoxville, IL
7/10 – Traverse City, MI
7/11 – Shipshewana, IN
7/16 – Green Bay, WI ^
7/17 – Eau Claire, WI
7/18 – Troy, MO
7/23 – Salt Lake City, UT ^
7/25 – Eugene, OR
7/30 – Colorado Springs, CO
8/1 – Wichita, KS
8/6 – Dorien Center, NY ^
8/7 – Cuyohoga Falls, OH ^
8/8 – Bristow, VA ^
8/13 – Camden, NJ ^
8/14 – Hartford, CT ^
8/15 – Bangor, ME ^
8/21 – Sioux Falls, SD ^
8/22 – Grand Forks, ND
8/28 – Dieppe, NB
8/29 – Saint-Agapit, QC
9/4 – Detriot, MI
9/5 – New Haven, KY
9/10 – Salem, VA
9/11 – Pineville, KY
9/12 – Independence, KY
9/17 – Pryor, OK
9/25 – Phoenix, AZ
9/26 – Las Vegas, NV
10/2 – Prior Lake, MN
10/17 – Wisconsin Dells, WI
11/13 – Montgomery, AL
11/21 – Des Arc, AR
^ supporting Riley Green
