Country music's culprits & criminals
Many country music fans recognize that songs about jail are a recurring theme within the genre. In fact, several country music albums focus solely on the experience of being incarcerated, moving beyond typical themes like heartache or loss.
While for some artists, choosing jail or prison as a song topic is purely artistic, others bring authenticity to their lyrics from personal experience. A number of country artists have actually spent time behind bars, singing about the real hardships they faced within the U.S. penal system.
In this article, we have carefully curated a list of ten examples of country music artists who were true to their lyrics, having done the crime and, consequently, the time. Explore the intriguing stories of these country musicians who went from the stage to the jail cell and discover a different perspective on some of the industry's most compelling figures.
David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe spent 20 years going through the justice system’s revolving doors for crimes that included armed robbery and grand theft auto. Perhaps as a nod to his life behind bars, he became a member of the Louisville, Kentucky chapter of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, from which he has since retired.
Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard got into regular trouble with the law since his childhood. He eventually landed in San Quentin prison for attempted robbery and an escape attempt from the county jail, and in 2004 he told Larry King, “I stole cars and stole cars and stole cars… I turned 19 in prison.” He also noted that when Johnny Cash performed at San Quentin in 1958, he was there sitting in the audience.
Hank Williams
One of the most famous incarcerations in country music history occurred on August 17, 1952. Hank Williams was arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct in Alexander City, Alabama, and a friend posted the $25 bond and the $10 fine required for the singer’s release. As he was leaving, a photo of the shirtless and emaciated singer was taken, and it quickly became legendary for all the wrong reasons. Just over four months later, Williams passed away at 29.
Willie Nelson
If you smoke marijuana, there is a chance that your short-term memory may be adversely affected. We’re going to assume that this is what happened to Willie Nelson in 2010 when his tour bus entered a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Texas, where he was found in possession of six ounces of the stuff. He was jailed and released the same day after posting a $2,500 bond.
Johnny Paycheck
In 1985, a man in a bar offered Johnny Paycheck a homemade meal of deer meat and turtle soup. As if to burnish his outlaw credentials, Paycheck shot the guy in the head, yelling, "Do you see me as some kind of country hick?” As one does. The guy lived, and Paycheck spent two years in prison, where he said he received copious fan mail every day.
Mindy McCready
Mindy McCready was a popular country singer in the 1990s, but her career was stymied by ongoing substance abuse issues that she ultimately couldn’t overcome. She had numerous run-ins with the law and was jailed in 2005 for violating probation. In September 2007, she was sentenced to a year in jail for violating probation, yet again. Sadly, she died by suicide in 2013.
Johnny Cash
The Man in Black famously sang about prison repeatedly during his career and even recorded albums in more than one correctional facility. While he did commit a few misdemeanors that earned him overnight stays in jail, he never murdered anybody or did anything else that would land him in the verses of a prison song. His most serious offense was getting busted at an airport for smuggling pills in his guitar case, and he bonded out of that the next day.
Randy Travis
Randy Travis was one of the biggest country music stars of the 1980s, but by the 2010s, he became more famous for his legal problems than his music. Most notable was a 2012 incident in which Texas highway officers found him lying in the middle of the road, stinking of alcohol and not wearing clothes. He was taken to Grayson County jail, where he was given a paper suit and became the subject of a rather alarming mugshot.
Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell was country music royalty and a fantastic guitar player to boot. He struggled with substance abuse until becoming sober in 1987, but he relapsed in 2003 and was arrested for drunk driving in Arizona, resulting in both ten days in jail and a mugshot that circulated around the tabloids for what seemed like an eternity.
Glen Campbell, yet again
According to CBS News, after the 2003 drunk driving incident that earned him ten days in the clink, Campbell posted bail and was minutes from becoming a free man. While it’s unclear what happened, the imminently-free singer kneed a police sergeant and demanded to see the police chief, which resulted in him getting sent right back to jail. According to the officer he had assaulted, the singer had tried to throw his weight around, saying, "Do you know who I am? I'm Glen Campbell.”
Editor’s Note:This list was created based on the opinions of the author. The choices presented are subjective and can vary depending on personal preferences and perspectives.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
