Whey Jennings knew he had to get clean after realizing he could lose his true love for good.
The country singer/songwriter has been sober for four years after battling a crippling addiction to drugs for 27 years. Today, the 43-year-old is using music to help others turn their lives around.
The grandson of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter has a new single, “Sleeves,” an emotional ballad that shines a light on the dark cycle of addiction.
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“My moral structure was horrible for many years,” the Nashville recording artist told Fox News Digital. “I even got into the music business for the wrong reasons. I just wanted the cliché sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. It was just a horrible decision after a horrible decision. And you just do more drugs. … You get to the point where you feel like even though you need help, you don’t deserve it.”
Jennings got his wake-up call when he fell in love and lost the woman he loved. That woman would eventually become his wife, Forbes reported.
“Getting her back is what really sent me over the edge,” he admitted. “Once I thought she was gone, I nose-dived into my addiction… I was just floating right on top of rock bottom… I needed to go get help.”
Jennings said he had a “glimmer of hope” that he would win her back. His manager, who begged him for years to get help, gave him “all the information I needed” to get sober. He finally went to rehab.
“I’ve gotten all my kids back,” said the father of six. “I’ve gotten married… my wife had a baby. All my kids remember me on drugs except my 3-year-old daughter. She’s never known me to be intoxicated in any way. And when I say I’m sober, I’m not just sober off of drugs. I’m sober off of absolutely everything.”
“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke weed, I don’t smoke cigarettes, I don’t vape. I don’t do none of that,” Jennings continued. “I’m 100% what they call a helicopter parent. I’m very present in my kids’ life. I’m very present in my marriage life. I’m trying to find this perfect balance between work and home and doing what I’m passionate about, which is writing music that helps touch on things that matter.”
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Jennings has released his first full-length album, “Jekyll & Hyde.” He said it explores the life he’s led, from facing his inner demons to chasing the woman of his dreams.
But Jennings isn’t finished sharing his story. He’s teamed up with Mobilize Recovery, which provides direct outreach in communities to help those struggling with addiction. He’s playing music and speaking out on Sept. 24 in Las Vegas. He’s then heading to Richmond, Virginia, on Oct. 8.
“Mobilize Recovery is a bus tour that’s going across America and helping people get the resources they need to fight addiction,” he explained. “I feel very strongly about this. I’m sharing my own experiences as a recovered addict. I want to make a difference. I want to tell people that they can do it too. It’s possible. You just got to want it. You’ve first got to admit you got a problem. Then you’ve got to give it up to a higher power, whatever your higher power may be… If you can’t forgive yourself, how are you ever going to move forward?”
Jennings said that a common misconception people have about addicts is that “they do it to themselves.” He stressed that no one ever signs up to destroy their lives and lose their loved ones.
“You go out to have a good time and to quit thinking about all the problems in your life,” he said. “You start chasing a buzz. And then you get so deep into chasing that buzz that you wake up one day 27 years later, and you’ve [given] your life to a drug addiction, and you can’t get it back.”
“It doesn’t work like, ‘I want to be a drug addict. I want to ruin my life. I want to give every waking hour of my life to this addiction and be a horrible father and a horrible man,’” he said. “But drugs will do that to you. They sneak up and bite you. It’s a horrible thing.”
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“I knew I needed help for a long time,” Jennings continued. “But did I want it? No – no, I didn’t. The thing about it is, that everybody looks at drug addiction as one thing. But it’s a step-by-step process into a really dark place… The drugs force you to make this really awful decision, which makes you feel horrible about yourself, which makes you want to forget about how you feel about yourself… You make one horrible decision, and then you want to cover that up.”
Jennings said that sobriety isn’t “instant gratification.” It’s an ongoing journey, but one he’s proud to walk.
“That’s the one thing we want as addicts – we want instant gratification,” he said. “We want to solve the problem and get instant results. That’s just not going to happen… You’ve got to prove yourself to people, especially after you’ve already proven that you haven’t been trustworthy for a long time.”
“Today, I’m doing great,” he boasted. “I am the man that I am today, and I’m not going back. That’s just all there is to it. And everybody that knows me knows it because I’m not only living it, I’m trying my best to help combat the war on drugs.”
“I’m not chasing fame,” he shared. “I’m not chasing the Top 40 charts… I do this to support my family mostly, and to follow the path I believe is going to make the biggest difference in the world. If people enjoy it and I end up being a superstar, great. If people enjoy it and I don’t wind up being a superstar, great. As long as I can… make a difference in the world, change maybe one or two lives, I’m happy.”
Despite having one of the most iconic names, Jennings didn’t always envision himself pursuing music professionally. His father is the late Terry Jennings, Waylon’s oldest son. According to Forbes, he grew up loving his grandfather’s music but didn’t pursue a music career of his own until about a decade ago.
Jennings said he’s determined to make his own mark.
“Everybody in our family has fought tooth and nail to be themselves,” he said. “I love my grandfather. I’m super proud of him, and I’m super proud of everybody in my family. But I’m super proud of me too. I’ve accomplished a lot in the last 15 years. It’s taken a lot of fighting… to get where I’m at today. I’m just happy to be who I am. I’m proud of where I come from, but I’m happy to be me.”
For Jennings, it isn’t just about performing. At his concerts, he often meets fans and curious listeners, giving encouraging advice to those feeling lost.
“I don’t only sing my songs from the stage,” he said. “I tell stories about who I am, where I come from, why I have a strong belief in God, why I have a strong belief that anybody can get sober… I want to tell people that if it’s possible for me, it’s possible for you… If you look back at the man I was 10 years ago, I was almost transparent. Not anymore. I’m happy now.”
“If you do all the necessary footwork that it takes to not only become sober, but trustworthy again, then your life will get a lot better,” he said. “I promise you – I’m living proof of it.”
