Country star Trace Adkins is eternally grateful to his manager for staging an intervention after his alcohol addiction spiralled out of control, as he's convinced his issues would have ruined his career.
The Songs About Me hitmaker was charged with driving under the influence (Dui) in 2001 and was subsequently sentenced to 11 months in jail, although the term was suspended after 48 hours.
Adkins entered a month-long stint in rehab and is now celebrating nine years of sobriety, but he admits the "humiliating experience" of the intervention still haunts him.
He tells The Hollywood Reporter, in an interview about the release of his new album "Proud To Be Here" yesterday (2nd August 2011) "Nine years ago, I had a very caring and responsible manager who forced me into an intervention situation. I went and did my month in rehab, and it worked for me. I've been sober for nine years now.
"It certainly was going to cost me my career - and my manager saw that, and they cared enough about me to gather my friends and family and co-workers all together, and they put me through one of those gut-wrenching interventions.
"If you've ever been through one of those things, it's the most humiliating experience you'll ever have. To hear people you respect and love sit there and tell you the kind of pain you've been causing them. They tear you down completely then they haul you off to rehab."
And Adkins admits addressing his alcohol problems was the best thing he ever did: "Getting sober, these last nine years have been the best, most productive years of my music career. I've been focused and aware of this incredible opportunity that's been handed me in this life - to be able to make a living doing something I love to do. All I have to do is try not to screw it up too bad, you know? So far, I've been able to keep going and stay clean, and things are working."