Brantley Gilbert is celebrating 9 years of sobriety, and the country singer turned to social media on Friday (Dec. 18) to offer his thanks to everyone who has helped to keep him on the right path.

"9 years drink free today, and couldn’t have done it without my family, my brothers, my road family and the #bgnation," Gilbert posts to accompany a picture of himself with his wife, Amber, and their kids. "If y’all pop a top today drink one for ya boy."

A number of well-wishers congratulated Gilbert in the comment section of his Instagram post, including fellow country singer Jake Owen, who writes, "Congrats man. Family first. And you’re one strong dude. Proud of ya."

Gilbert has been very open about his previous struggles with alcohol and opiates, which caused him to get into a devastating car accident and strained his relationship with his now-wife, who left him during the period of his active addiction. The two reconciled after he got sober, and they married in 2015, welcoming their first child, son Barrett, in 2017. They welcomed a daughter, Braylen, in 2019.

In an interview with Nashville's Tennessean in 2017, Gilbert credited Keith Urban for helping him when he wanted to walk out of treatment against the advice of his doctors. Urban had been through his own rehab experience, and he visited Gilbert in treatment to share his own insight.

"I told him, I don't think I can do my job. I don't know if I can ever play a song at my shows without being [messed] up," Gilbert recalled. "Or writing, I was worried my songs wouldn't be the same, that I wouldn't be on everyone else's level. It's a drinking environment."

Urban told Gilbert that sobriety had actually made him a better performer and impacted his life positively all the way around.

"If it weren't for him, I don't know if I'd be sober or be in this business anymore. I'd probably be dead," Gilbert stated.

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