Jamey Johnson performs at CMA Awards 2024 DAYS after being arrested for drug possession and speeding

Singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson was onstage Wednesday at the 58th annual Country Music Association awards in Nashville, just two days after he was released from jail.

The 49-year-old musical artist was front-and-center at the Bridgestone Arena as part of a tribute to George Strait, who was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award at the award show.

The Enterprise, Alabama native - who was arrested Sunday in Tennessee's Williamson County in connection with drug possession and speeding - performed the track Give It Away during a medley of artists performing tracks by the honoree.

The 10-time Grammy nominee followed Lainey Wilson and preceded Parker McCollum, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and Strait himself in the musical tribute.

Johnson 'sounded invigorated and triumphant' in performing the hit 2006 track he co-wrote, Rolling Stone reported. 

At the show, Johnson shared to Instagram Stories a repost from Jelly Roll's account, listing the artists assigned to a dressing room area, which also included Keith Urban, Post Malone, Eric Church and Cody Johnson

Singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson, 49, was onstage Wednesday at the 58th annual Country Music Association awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, just two days after he was released from jail

Singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson, 49, was onstage Wednesday at the 58th annual Country Music Association awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, just two days after he was released from jail  

Johnson, who has written for both Strait and Nelson, was released from jail on Monday after posting a $5,000 bond.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol told News Channel 5 in a statement: 'We can confirm that Jamey Johnson was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Williamson County. The incident is still under investigation.'

The district attorney's office overseeing Williamson County confirmed the arrest, but would not confirm the specific charges.

Johnson earlier this month released Midnight Gasoline, his first album since 2012's Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran. 

Ahead of the album's November 8 release, he dropped the tracks Sober and 21 Guns.

The song Sober discusses the challenges of maintaining sobriety in an industry where drinking is prevalent.

'I've been mad, I've been drunk / I've been so high I can't tell up from down / But lately I've been working on / Trying to get my feet back on the ground,' he sings in the first verse.

He goes on to sing: 'It ain't easy on the wagon / Hell I lost more of my mind than I have found / All these drinking songs we're playing / Make it hard staying sober in this town.' 

CMA AWARDS 2024 WINNERS: AT A GLANCE

Entertainer Of The Year: Morgan Wallen

Female Vocalist Of The Year: Lainey Wilson

Male Vocalist Of The Year: Chris Stapleton

Lainey Wilson took home the coveted Female Vocalist Of The Year

Lainey Wilson took home the coveted Female Vocalist Of The Year

 

Album Of The Year: Cody Johnson - Leather

Vocal Group Of The Year: Old Dominion

Vocal Duo Of The Year: Brooks & Dunn

New Artist Of The Year: Megan Moroney

Single Of The Year: Chris Stapleton - White Horse

Song Of The Year: Chris Stapleton - White Horse

 

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The Alabama songwriter was released from jail on Monday, after posting a $5,000 bond

The Alabama songwriter was released from jail on Monday, after posting a $5,000 bond 

The musical artist was front-and-center at the Bridgestone Arena as part of a tribute to George Strait, who was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award

The musical artist was front-and-center at the Bridgestone Arena as part of a tribute to George Strait, who was honored with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award 

Johnson was pictured chatting with Megan Moroney, 27, at the award show in Music City

Johnson was pictured chatting with Megan Moroney, 27, at the award show in Music City 

He promoted the song on his Instagram, writing, 'For those who struggle with sobriety, I understand. This is Sober.'

'Sober is about how hard it is to stay sober in a town that glorifies drinking and other kinds of debauchery - not just glorifies it, but it is in just about every song in country music one way or the other,' he said in a press release at the time.

'It's about how difficult it is being a songwriter to stay sober in the presence of it.'

'I am 13 years sober now. I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since 2011, and I know that could end this afternoon,' Johnson continued.

'It is a day-to-day, hour-to-hour decision. Most of the places I play are bars, or I am still hanging out in bars. That's where most of my friends are. Now I can hang out in them and not be drinking like I used to. That is what "Sober" is about.'

Johnson shared to Instagram Stories a repost from Jelly Roll's account, listing the artists assigned to a dressing room area, which also included Keith Urban, Post Malone, Eric Church and Cody Johnson

Johnson shared to Instagram Stories a repost from Jelly Roll's account, listing the artists assigned to a dressing room area, which also included Keith Urban, Post Malone, Eric Church and Cody Johnson 

His recent single Sober discusses the challenges of maintaining sobriety in an industry where drinking is prevalent

His recent single Sober discusses the challenges of maintaining sobriety in an industry where drinking is prevalent

A number of fans had nice things to say about Johnson amid his whirlwind week

A number of fans had nice things to say about Johnson amid his whirlwind week  

Johnson's 2006 debut single, The Dollar, launched his career in country music.  

His success continued  to blossom with his second album, That Lonesome Song, released two years later. 

He went on to release The Guitar Song in 2010, and Living for a Song in 2012, among other albums. 

The country star, who is a member of the Grand Ole Opry, has also served as a songwriter for several prominent artists, including Merle Haggard, Jessie James Decker, Trace Adkins and others.  

2024 CMA Award Winners

Entertainer of the Year

Luke Combs

Jelly Roll

Chris Stapleton

Morgan Wallen (WINNER)

Lainey Wilson

 

Album of the Year

Deeper Well - Kacey Musgraves; Producers: Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves, Daniel Tashian; Mix engineers: Shawn Everett, Konrad Snyder

Fathers & Sons - Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chase Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix engineer: Chip Matthews

Higher - Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mix engineer: Vance Powell

Leather - Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Mix engineer: Jack Clarke (WINNER)

Whitsitt Chapel - Jelly Roll; Producers: Andrew Baylis, Brock Berryhill, Zach Crowell, Jesse Frasure, David Garcia, Kevin "Thrasher" Gruft, Austin Nivarel, David Ray Stevens; Mix engineers: Jeff Braun, Jim Cooley

 

Female Vocalist of the Year

Kelsea Ballerini

Ashley McBryde

Megan Moroney 

Kacey Musgraves 

Lainey Wilson (WINNER) 

 

Male Vocalist of the Year 

Luke Combs 

Jelly Roll 

Cody Johnson 

Chris Stapleton (WINNER)

Morgan Wallen 

 

Vocal Group of the Year 

Lady A 

Little Big Town 

Old Dominion (WINNER)

The Red Clay Strays 

Zac Brown Band 

 

Vocal Duo of the Year

Brooks & Dunn (WINNER)

Brothers Osborne 

Dan + Shay 

Maddie & Tae 

The War And Treaty 

 

New Artist of the Year 

Megan Moroney (WINNER)

Shaboozey 

Nate Smith 

Mitchell Tenpenny 

Zach Top 

Bailey Zimmerman 

 

Single of the Year 

A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey; Producers: Sean Cook, Nevin Sastry; Mix engineer: Raul Lopez

Dirt Cheap - Cody Johnson; Producer: Trent Willmon; Mix engineer: Jack Clarke

I Had Some Help - Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen); Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins; Mix engineer: Ryan Gore

Watermelon Moonshine - Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

White Horse - Chris Stapleton; Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton; Mix engineer: Vance Powell (WINNER)

 

Song of the Year

Burn It Down - Hillary Lindsey, Parker McCollum, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose

Dirt Cheap - Josh Phillips

I Had Some Help - Louis Bell, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen, Chandler Paul Walters

The Painter -  Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins

White Horse - Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson (WINNER)

 

Musical Event of the Year 

Cowboys Cry Too - Kelsea Ballerini (with Noah Kahan); Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym

I Had Some Help -  Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen); Producers: Louis Bell, Charlie Handsome, Hoskins

I Remember Everything - Zach Bryan (ft. Kacey Musgraves); Producer: Zach Bryan

Man Made A Bar - Zach Bryan (ft. Kacey Musgraves); Producer: Joey Moi

you look like you love me -  Ella Langley (feat. Riley Green); Producer: Will Bundy (WINNER)

 

Music Video of the Year 

Dirt Cheap -  Cody Johnson, directed by Dustin Haney

I Had Some Help - Post Malone (Feat. Morgan Wallen), directed by Chris Villa

I'm Not Pretty -  Megan Moroney, directed by Jeff Johnson and Megan Moroney

The Painter - Cody Johnson, directed by Dustin Haney

Wildflowers and Wild Horses - Lainey Wilson, directed by Patrick Tracy (WINNER)

  

Musician of the Year 

Tom Bukovac

Jenee Fleenor 

Paul Franklin 

Rob McNelley 

Charlie Worsham (WINNER)