Jamey Johnson reveals how Toby Keith’s death motivated him to make his first solo album in 14 years
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Country singer Jamey Johnson has opened up about the profound impact Toby Keith's death had on his music career, revealing that it spurred him to create his first solo album in 14 years.
Johnson recently participated in an interview with Billboard. The interview centered on Johnson and his upcoming projects.
Jamey Johnson’s new album 'Midnight Gasoline' inspired by Toby Keith’s legacy
The singer known for 'In Color' is releasing a new album named 'Midnight Gasoline' on November 8. This marks his first solo album in fourteen years, a project he meticulously crafted at the renowned Cash Cabin, the former studio of Johnny and June Carter Cash.
The 49-year-old musician produced 30 songs in less than a month at the Cash Cabin, inspired by Toby Keith's death, which served as a wake-up call.
Johnson said, “The writing was already coming back to me, piece by piece, but I still didn’t have any ambitions on making a record. When Toby passed away, it moved everything into high gear because I realized that that was the end of his discography, that we weren’t getting another Toby Keith record."
He went on to say, "And that’s what drove me to wanting to finish my own discography. It’s what made me understand that I’m nowhere near done, and so it’s time to get busy. After he passed away, I immediately started talking about this session and started trying to get all the particulars in order. It was time for me to get in the studio again.”
Jamey Johnson reflects on Toby Keith's remarkable songwriting talent
Jamey Johnson mentioned in the interview that Toby Keith, known for hits like 'I Love This Bar' and 'As Good As I Once Was,' possessed an effortless songwriting talent and an unmatched musical memory.
He said, “Toby Keith had one of the most amazing memories of anybody. I mean, perfect recall on lyrics he hasn’t seen or heard in 34 years. Remembers every chord, remembers every word. He could remember names, faces, conversations, ideas, just an infinite stream of memory."
As the conversation progressed, he remarked, "And as a songwriter, he was very picky about phrases he would use. If it didn’t sound like his vernacular, it had to change until it fit right because he wasn’t going to put something in there that didn’t sound the way he would talk.”
Jamey Johnson discusses personal journey that led him to quit drinking
The 49-year-old country singer recently shared insights with Billboard about his latest track 'Sober', which draws from his personal decision to quit drinking alcohol.
"I had my last drink in September 2011. Then I quit smoking pot in 2015. I think that lasted about eight years. Nine years," Johnson informed the media outlet.
'In Color' musician added, "In that time period, it was all about sobriety. And with a sober mind, I’m able to do things like get a pilot’s license, manage a business, start a product line."
Today, Johnson considers himself to be mostly sober. However, "every now and then, I may still break out a joint if I’m writing or something like that," he said. "But I don’t play games with the alcohol."
"That’s what led me down a dark path of self-destruction back then and I barely survived," he added. "Alcohol was an incendiary way of destructing myself."
