Country music has always had its share of rebels, outlaws, and bad boys (or girls!). But you might be surprised to learn about country music stars who got arrested after they hit the big time.
We’re beginning with something that’s no joke — a DUI charge (driving under the influence). The number of country music stars who’ve been caught driving under the influence is pretty shocking. Thankfully, they’ve all seemed to learn from this ‘bad judgment’ experience.
Joe Don Rooney Crashed His Car in 2021
On September 9, 2021, former Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney was on the road near Franklin, Tennessee. His vehicle crashed into a tree around 4 a.m.
He was taken into custody by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Joe Don was charged with DUI and later released on a $2,500 bail.
In June 2022, WKRN Nashville reported that Joe Don entered a “guilty plea” in a Nashville court for the charge. People.com wrote that Joe Don spent two days in jail and got the remainder of his year-long sentence suspended.
Joe Don’s driver’s license was also taken away. However, he was later allowed to have a “restricted driver’s license” and drive a vehicle with a “built-in breathalyzer device.”
Wynonna Judd Sang in the Open Booking Area of a Jail
On March 22, 2024, a People.com article discussed Sam Hunt’s new single and video for “Locked Up.” It was a very personal song he’d written about his 2019 DUI arrest.
The lyrics for “Locked Up” show how badly Sam regrets his past behaviors. He also gives a big shout-out to his wife, Hannah Lee Fowler, for standing by him during a rough patch in their marriage.
Listening to the song, you can imagine Sam, after being arrested, reaching out desperately to Hannah with his “only call” from the police station, even though he thinks she might walk away. Sam sings to her, “When you picked up my pieces and my only call, I knew you were in, baby, in for the long haul.”
Country 102.5 recalled Wynonna Judd’s shocking DUI arrest in November 2003. Nashville police caught up with Wynonna, who was driving her Land Rover at an exceptional rate of speed. Officers smelled adult beverages on Wynonna and noticed her pupils were dilated.
When they asked her, Wynonna had no recollection of how many drinks she’d consumed. A Breathalyzer test showed her blood levels were more than double the legal limit. In a crazy twist, Country 102.5 claimed that Wynonna “is believed to be the only country music star ever arrested” who entertained everyone by singing in the “open booking area” at the Nashville jail she was taken to.
Gretchen Wilson is allegedly making a comeback in 2024. Maybe the OG “Redneck Woman” can forget about her August 2018 arrest for “breaching the peace” on a domestic flight to Connecticut. State Police alleged that Gretchen was “belligerent” and “caused a disturbance” before she disembarked at Bradley International Airport.
Randy Travis Was Found Naked Outside of His Car
CNN.com reported in August 2012 that Randy Travis had been arrested for a “DWI” (driving while intoxicated). Randy’s encounter with state troopers who found him “lying on a remote stretch of roadway in northern Texas” is twisted.
Troopers from the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office alleged that Randy “smelled of alcohol” and his 1998 Pontiac Trans Am had been involved in a “one-vehicle crash.” But the craziest detail was that Randy was found totally naked around midnight outside of his car. Allegedly, Randy threatened to fatally harm the troopers who “were working the case.”
Randy’s mugshot tells a startling story. He had a badly bruised right eye and several cuts on his face, although sources weren’t clear about how he sustained those injuries. He was released on a $21,500 bail at 10:40 a.m. on the morning after his arrest.
In March 2024, Today.com said that Randy recently “delighted his fans” with a surprise appearance on The Price Is Right. Randy has faced serious health setbacks in the last decade, including a stroke, a heart condition, and a disorder called aphasia, affecting his ability to communicate. Sources on The Price Is Right said that Randy was “in good spirits,” but he required his wife Mary’s help to get around in his wheelchair.
Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney’s Horse Incident
Country 103.7 described a crazy incident from 24 years ago when Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney were arrested in Buffalo, New York. This shocking story made international headlines, although it was more comical than criminal, and became known as “the horse incident.”
According to Syracuse.com, Tim and Kenny had performed “earlier in the day” on June 3, 2000, at the George Strait Country Music Festival. Allegedly, Kenny, Tim, and Tim’s manager, Mark Russo, were just “goofing around.” Then Kenny decided it would be fun to jump on a horse that belonged to the Erie County Sheriff’s Department.
As Kenny rode off, Tim and Mark allegedly “attacked” deputies who tried to halt Kenny’s breakaway on the horse. Syracuse.com reported that Kenny, Tim, and Mark were “arrested, arraigned, and released on bail.”
The three men were back in a Buffalo courtroom the following year. Kenny was found “not guilty” of disorderly conduct. Tim was found “not guilty” of a felony of assaulting a police officer.
Syracuse.com mentioned that Tim’s wife, Faith Hill, was sitting in the front row of the courtroom. She “wiped away [happy] tears” when the verdict was read.
The record for a celebrity musician with the most arrests probably goes to Kid Rock. The Boot reported that Kid’s fourth arrest in 20 years happened outside a Waffle House in Georgia.
He allegedly got into a “scuffle” and was charged with “simple battery.” Kid paid a $1,000 fine and allegedly performed “80 hours of community service” as a punishment.
Zach Bryan Interfered With a Traffic Stop
Returning to more recent incidents, controversial country star Zach Bryan was behind the wheel in September 2023 when he got arrested in Vinita, Oklahoma. Country 102.5 reported that Zach wasn’t charged with a DUI like other stars on our list.
In Zach’s case, Oklahoma police alleged that he did not obey orders after they pulled him over in his Ram TRX pickup truck. It gets more twisted because Zach’s “security guard” was pulled over before him.
Oklahoma police caught Zach’s security guard doing 78 MPH in a 55 zone. While processing that situation, the police allege that Zach stopped his truck, got out, and “began questioning the officer about what was taking so long.”
The officer told Zach to return to his truck and allegedly told him he would be “taken to jail if he didn’t do so.” That’s when things got crazy.
TMZ obtained Zach’s arrest video, and the officer alleged that Zach told him, “I’ll go to jail, let’s do it.” The officer explained how Zach’s actions “had interfered with the initial traffic stop.” Shockingly, Zach said this is “why people do not like police officers.”
The situation escalated, and Zach ended up in handcuffs. He asks the officers to remove the handcuffs, and Zach is heard telling the officers that “it is going to be a mistake” if they don’t uncuff him.
Shockingly, Zach claimed, “This is the second time this has happened in three days,” and then he complained that the [expletive] cops are out of control.” But Zach later changed his tune, admitting to fans, “I was an idiot.”
