Brantley Gilbert is finally able to maximize the time he’s reclaimed for himself.
It’s been 13 years since the “Only When We’re Sober” singer ditched the drinking—or as the Georgia native calls it, becoming “California sober.” These days, his fans—aka BG Nation—are seeing the best version of Gilbert, at a lower price too. With more energy and a more commanding stage presence, the country superstar nails each note with an elevated level of confidence at age 40.
Even Gilbert is still sometimes surprised by how things have turned out. “It’s hard to believe, but life has been quite different,” he says. “I can’t picture being a dad or a husband while still drinking. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.”
His red-hot list of accolades back up his decision. The ACM, CMA and AMA award winner has had back-to-back platinum albums, seven No. 1’s as well as racking up more than eight billion streams to date. He’s also a next-level songwriter, as he helped pen Jason Aldean’s iconic “Dirt Road Anthem,” one of many his hits.
These days Gilbert has no time to waste once the show stops and he’s back at home. He’s also got a side hustle: helping build the family dream home for his wife, Amber, and three kids. What seems like a nonstop schedule, the singer manages to maintain this new and improved healthier lifestyle. It’s become a tougher challenging than writing a monster melody
“When our third child was born, the five-year plan got moved up to a now plan,” the platinum-selling artist says. “When I got married, that little thing I used to call spare time disappeared, and with each kid, I lost a bit more. Nowadays, it’s more about finding time to get things done.”
An Artistic Approach for Family & Fitness
As Gilbert’s family and property continue to expand, the “Bottoms Up” singer is now running low on prime real estate around his tattoo-filled torso. On the small space he found on his lower back, Gilbert added a symbolic touch for his children: a squadron of guardian angels, with an intimidatingly Gilbert twist.
“My angels are carrying AR-15s and wearing bandanas,” he says. “I had to make sure my kids had some badass, angry angels.”
With Gilbert’s anterior artwork displayed on the cover of his new album, it’s easy to understand the inspiration behind its title: Tattoos. The fact that it took until his seventh studio album to not only focus on this theme—and do it shirtless—may be the bigger mystery. Gilbert explains that his latest work represents a musical evolution after the previous series of albums centered on spiritual and faith-based themes, including the platinum-selling Just as I Am, Halfway to Heaven, Fire & Brimstone, and The Devil Don’t Sleep.
“My tattoos tell that same story; many are memories that cover chapters of my life,” he explains. “If you look at my tattoos, you’ll get a pretty good idea of who I am. My tattoos and my music go hand in hand, and that’s what this album is about.”
For Gilbert, music means being able to provide his family the best life possible. To achieve this requires making healthy decisions for himself. It hasn’t always been a smooth transition, Gilbert remains fit—though he admits his training and nutrition remain a work in progress.
“A lot of us replace addictions with other addictions, and working out is a part of that,” Gilbert explains. “I’m addicted to my family, man, and I’m addicted to my business. My job has never really been a job; it’s always been my life.”
Brantley Gilbert Took an ‘Urban’ Approach to Sobriety
Just as renowned for his songwriting skills as well as his raspy and bluesy vocals, Gilbert co-wrote and co-produced all 10 tracks on Tattoos. His approach to scripting songs has changed over the years. He’s gone from a near daily writing routine to now being able to collaborate over a few days several times a year.
“Three times a year, I invite some of the best songwriters in Nashville, who are also close friends, to my farm,” he says. We spend two or three days writing 15 to 20 songs. It’s always a lot of fun, and it’s great to get them out of the Nashville machine. We often end up with unique ideas and some really cool songs.”
You can say Gilbert is peaking now at age 40. And best of all, he’s doing it without the debilitating burdens of alcohol, which could’ve derailed his career early on. In 2011, when his career was skyrocketing with hits like “Country Must Be Country Wide” and “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,” Gilbert found himself hospitalized with pancreatitis due to excessive alcohol and drug use.
His recovery journey took him to Cumberland Heights, a rehab facility in Nashville. It was here where a struggling Gilbert received a visit from country star Keith Urban, who had his own well-documented struggles with alcoholism. It was the wakeup call that changed his life.
“At that point in my life, I was still trying to maintain a tough exterior. I was telling him I wasn’t afraid of anything,” Gilbert recalls. “He asked, ‘What are you really afraid of?’ I finally admitted, ‘I’m afraid to do my job. I don’t know what it’s like to play a show without drinking.’”
Urban, who has been sober for 18 years, provided Gilbert with a new perspective. “He said, ‘I promise you, it’ll never be the same, but it can be better. You’ll have more control over what you’re saying, what you’re doing, and how you address the audience. It’s not the same, but you’ll find it’s better once you get into the groove.’”
Encouraged by Urban’s wisdom, Gilbert embraced the change and has since enjoyed a resurgence in both his life and career. “I’ll be honest, the first couple of years, I felt like I was standing up there naked in front of 20,000 people. Now, the idea of performing while impaired is terrifying,” he admits.
Brantley Gilbert Is Building a Stronger Fitness Foundation
Going bare-chested on the Tattoos album was a concept Gilbert was originally unaware of when he arrived at the cover shoot. “I actually thought we were just shooting with Ashley Cooke for [the duet] “Only When We’re Sober,” he says.
The final product had Gilbert looking imposingly thick and solid. His biceps looked better suited for the security team at each show’s “pit” than for belting out chart-topping country hits. However, the singer, known for his hard-edged songs like “Bury Me Upside Down” and “Son of the Dirty South,” seemed disappointed coming in what he considered “soft.” “I never thought I’d be topless on a cover at age 40,” he says. “For this, I came in a little fluffier than I wanted to. I kind of wanted to look cut out of glass for that one.”
Time away from the gym has been understandable. With a new son and a hectic touring schedule, Gilbert’s consistent training regimen has understandably taken a hit. However, he is taking steps to rectify this. For this tour, he says he’s taking a new approach. He says he’s now bringing weights on the tour bus in order to add a little bit of training to his on-the-road regimen. “There’s no routine at the moment. That’s something I need to improve on in my life. It’s kind of a ‘get in where you fit it in’ business model right now.”
Additionally, Gilbert is working to learn more about nutrition. For that he’s enlisted the help of renowned nutritionist George Lockhart. Lockhart may be best know for assisting UFC stars like Conor McGregor, Rory MacDonald, as well as country superstar Jelly Roll. This partnership helps him establish meal plans when preparing for tours. “We’ve seen some pretty crazy results just based on diet alone,” he says. “I’d like to think I’m learning more in that space,” he says.
Thanks to a successful hunting season, Gilbert’s fridge is well-stocked with deer sticks, elk and duck meats to keep his protein levels at an optimal level. “We had a good year,” he says. “But really, my world is a million miles an hour right now. So when George comes to town, he kind of cracks the whip and gets me where I need to be.”
With a new house in the works, helping with the construction of his home—from lifting to hammering—has become his training regimen. Gilbert finds himself doing more carpentry than crunches. “What’s crazy is my wife has kind of provided us with a workout and didn’t even know it,” he explains. “She packs boxes until they won’t fit—like those big Stanley tubs that don’t break. I’m talking about curls, deadlifts, and power cleans just to get them from one room to the next.”
Brantley Gilbert Has a Renewed Focus on Family and Fans
Seeing Brantley Gilbert perform, you can’t help but notice the set of brass knuckles welded onto his mic stand as he’s belting out hits. This intimidating attachment has become a staple of his stage show with a story behind it. Before he became a breakout artist—co-writing Aldean’s 2010 “My Kinda Party”—a set of brass knuckles were his only defense against damaged equipment during his early days performing in old-school biker bars across the South.
“Back then, I had two speakers on sticks, a guitar, and a mic stand,” he says. “If any of that got hit, I would be out of work, so I had to safeguard my gear.”
These days, many old diehard fans still attend his shows, identifiable by their vintage merchandise. “They might wear a hat from 2012 or a shirt from 2015. By the time we’re halfway through the set, you can tell if they’re singing every word to every song or just sticking to the old stuff or the new hits.”
Gilbert’s grateful for the support of his BG Nation which is why he’s well aware of today’s exorbitant ticket prices for many shows. As Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” tickets sold at one point for nearly $1,100, a ticket for a Brantley Gilber ticket starts as low as $25. “We wanted to drop our ticket prices to ensure everybody can attend and enjoy an awesome show,” he says. “I’ve been doing this a long time, and my family is good. Nobody’s hungry, and we’re able to take care of everything. It’s not putting a dent in my pocket; it’s something special we felt we could do to keep the live concert business rolling.”
Gilbert’s also a devout Christian who believes that he’s been watched over, just like the guardian angels tattooed on his back looking over his children. On his core is a clock, which signifies making the most of every moment with his family.
“The clock reminds me that I don’t have much time with them,” he says. “I need to make the best of the time I have with them.”
At the end of the day, Gilbert relies on his renewed focus on faith, family, and overall fitness. At the same time, Gilbert embraces being an imperfect work in progress. “My goal is to be the best dad and husband I can be,” he says. “According to my wife, I have a lot of work to do on that.”
