With his arrest for disorderly conduct in a Nashville bar on Monday night (1/22), Chris Young adds his name to the list of country stars arrested for one thing or another.
Jelly Roll, who has not been arrested since his stardom in country music, has been in jail several times in his youth and even once for selling drugs. Jelly recently visited the Metro Country Jail in Nashville with CBS’ Sunday Morning show and even took the show’s host into his old jail cell. Jelly said upon entering the small cell, “This is jail; it sucks.”
He noted that the cell “still smells the same” and added, tearing up, “There was a time in my life where I truly thought, ‘This is it.’ And then, coming here after getting nominated for two GRAMMYS, it just hits differently. I didn’t think I would get emotional, to be honest. When I left here, I did have a plan.” He pointed to a small table in his former cell and said, “I wrote hundreds of songs right here.”
Jelly was in and out of jail for ten years. His first time was at age 14, for drug possession, drug dealing, shoplifting, and aggravated robbery. He said he knew that he loved music, and it was the only thing he had; it was his only “skill set.”
As for Chris Young, News Channel 5 reports that the singer allegedly engaged with agents of the Alcoholic Beverage Commission inside Dawg House near Music Row.
According to police, the agents entered Tin Roof at around 8:30 p.m. to conduct a compliance check. The officers approached Young and checked his ID; Young reportedly began asking questions and recording the agents. The questions were answered, and the agents then went to another bar, the Dawg House, to continue their compliance checks.
Young and others reportedly then followed the agents to the bar. Agents checked ABC cards and began walking to the door. That’s when Young proceeded to put his hands out to stop one of the agents from leaving the bar.
Young’s attorney, Bill Ramsey, issued a statement and a direct link to video footage of the incident. The footage shows the interaction between Chris and TABC officers on Monday night (January 22, 2024) in Nashville. That’s when the 6’4″ singer was forcefully shoved to the ground and arrested.
Statement from Chris Young’s attorney, Bill Ramsey:
“What happened to my client Chris Young at a bar in Nashville on Monday night was wrong, and he never should have been arrested and charged in the first place. In light of the video evidence, Tennessee ABC needs to drop the charges and apologize for the physical, emotional, and professional harm done towards my client .”
As Young clears up his legal woes, we look at five other country stars who have seen the inside of a jail cell.
RELATED: Chris Young Arrested During Night Out At Nashville Bar
Sam Hunt - November 2019 - DUI
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Sam was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The Nashville officer that stopped him wrote in the report, “There was an obvious odor consistent with alcoholic beverage coming from the defendant as well as red bloodshot and watery eyes.” Hunt admitted to the officer that he had been drinking. In 2021, he pled guilty and spent 48 hours in the “alternate sentencing facility” DUI Education Centers.
Rascal Flatts' Joe Don Rooney - September 2021 - DUI
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Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney hit a tree while driving under the influence. He later pled guilty, spent two days in Nashville lockup, and lost his driver’s license. Joe Don has since divorced his wife and has also made a statement that he has been sober for several months now.
Wynonna Judd - November 2003 - DUI
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Wynonna was pulled over by Nashville police while speeding in her Land Rover. According to the arrest report, Judd smelled of liquor, had dilated pupils, and couldn’t remember how many drinks she’d had. When she consented to a Breathalyzer test, her blood alcohol level was .175, more than double the .08 minimum for a drunk driving charge. Wynonna is believed to be the only country star arrested that began singing to her fellow arrestees in the open booking area at the Nashville jail.
Randy Travis - August 2012 - DUI
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Country Music Hall Of Famer Randy Travis was arrested in Texas in 2012 for driving under the influence and crashing his 1998 Trans Am. When he was pulled over, he was naked. He told the trooper that arrested him in a dashcam video, “I pray to God that he will have a cancerous growth that infects his bones and every part of his body.” He was sentenced to probation. Travis sued to block the dashcam video from being released but lost.
Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney - June 2000
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Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney were arrested in Buffalo, New York, after Chesney rode away with a deputy’s horse and McGraw and his manager allegedly attacked Erie County Sheriff’s Deputies who tried to stop him. Known as “the horse incident,” a year later, all three men involved were found not guilty. McGraw and Chesney hugged each other as the verdict was read.
zach Bryan - September 2023
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Zach Bryan was arrested in September of 2023.
The police report explained that Bryan’s security guard was initially pulled over in Vinita, Oklahoma, for driving 78 in a 55. That’s when Zach, driving a black Ram TRX pickup truck, pulled over, got out of his vehicle, and began questioning the officer about what was taking so long.
The cop asked the singer to get back in the truck, telling him that he would be taken to jail if he didn’t do so. Bryan responded, “I’ll go to jail, let’s do it.” Just like Zach described in his video, the report also said the officer continued explaining to Bryan how his actions had interfered with the initial traffic stop. Bryan responded that his arrest was “why people do not like police officers.”
Everything got worse after that, with Zach being handcuffed. He asked to get let out of handcuffs, saying to the officers, “If you don’t, it is going to be a mistake, sir. I promise.” Adding, “This is the second time this has happened in 3 days. These f—— cops are out of control.”
He later apologized to fans, saying he was an “idiot.”
