Country Stars Take a Step Back for Personal Growth

Country musician Jake Worthington has announced a break from his music career. On Friday, the 30-year-old shared on social media his decision to pause his involvement in country music. Worthington, known for his rise to fame on ‘The Voice’ in 2014, expressed a need to focus on personal well-being for his family.

“I live a life as my heroes did, but that life got hold of me,” Worthington posted on Instagram. “I love my family, my friends, and my fans too much to let it take over me. I need to take some time to work on myself for my wife and daughter.” He assured fans of his return, stating, “I promise I will come back even better. God bless country music.”

Support poured in from fellow artists. Carly Pearce commended his courage, adding a supportive comment. Dierks Bentley also sent his encouragement to Worthington. Fans expressed understanding, with one saying, “Your voice is forever. Do what you have to in order to sustain longevity.”

Jake Worthington is not alone in his choice to step back from music. Earlier this year, another well-known country artist, Chase Rice, announced a hiatus from touring.

Rice, who has toured for 13 years, shared his decision in January. “Alright everybody, I wasn’t sure whether I was gonna talk about this or not but here we are,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “I’ve lived a dream far greater than I could’ve ever expected. I’m exhausted.” He highlighted the toll that life on the road took on him both physically and mentally.

“I haven’t been able to be myself on stage in quite a while and really enjoy music and why I got into it in the first place,” Rice explained. “I love songs, I love living them, hearing stories from other people, and figuring out how to put that life into music.”

Rice admitted the demanding lifestyle had worn him down after over a decade. “After 13 years it’s finally beat me up to the point where I need to step away for a while,” he confessed. He emphasized the need to live life for more authentic experiences to create new music.

This pause from touring is significant for Rice, as he mentioned, “I won’t be touring this year and it wasn’t even really a decision, it was something I know that I just have to do for myself.” He added, “A lot of artists do this all the time, but it’s new for me so it’s kind of a big deal in my life.”