It's been over two years since Mark Chesnutt became sober. He opened up about the depths of his alcoholism in a recent episode of the radio show Big D and Bubba.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Mark Chesnutt Drank "All Day, Every Day"
Last year, we reported that Chesnutt had found solace in the bottle for years after his spinal injury. That health issue ultimately led to a surgical operation in 2021.
During his recovery, the singer felt useless: no work, no walking, no driving, barely eating, dropping to 135 pounds. But drinking every day made him feel whole, giving him purpose amid adversity.
"I drank all day, every day," said Chesnutt on Big D and Bubba. "I'd get up in the middle of the night and drink. I'd never stop."
The "Bubba Shot the Jukebox" singer added he'd down "a handle" of Tito's vodka a day, equivalent to a big bottle with the handle. That's about half a gallon.
Chesnutt "Had To Quit Drinking or Die"
It was a trip to the hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee, however, that made Chesnutt realize he needed to make a change.
While there, Chesnutt said doctors gave him four blood transfusions. He was diagnosed with esophageal varices, a condition resulting from cirrhosis.
"I was bleeding out from my inside," he said at the time. "They basically told me they were gonna get me over this, and I was going to be fine, and they could fix everything wrong with me. But if they discharged me and I went home and started drinking again, I'd be back in a matter of days, and I might not leave alive. I had to quit drinking or die."
Chesnutt said on Big D and Bubba that now he's okay going out with his old drinking buddies and not partaking.
He said, "I could be sitting in a bar and everybody drinking in there but me, and it doesn't bother me. I feel so good right now, I wake up every day and thank the good lord that I'm still kicking."
