A little over a week after releasing his first album since 2011, singer Jamey Johnson was arrested Sunday just outside of Nashville. The country singer-songwriter, who has written with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and George Strait, is facing a felony drug charge after he was pulled over by the Tennessee Highway Patrol for speeding, the Tennesseean reported. The “In Color” artist faces up to a $5,000 fine, if convicted, and is scheduled to appear in a Williamson County courtroom on Feb.
6, according to the outlet. Rolling Stone reported that marijuana was found in the car. “Right now, we can confirm that Jamey Johnson was arrested on Sunday, November 17th in Williamson County.
The incident is still under investigation,” Tennessee Highway Patrol Sergeant Andrew Perez said in an email statement to The Times. Representatives for Johnson as well as the Williamson County sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices did not reply immediately Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment. The arrest comes just days after Johnson released “Midnight Gasoline,” his first album in more than a decade.
Ahead of the album’s release, he dropped six singles including “Sober” — in which the Grand Ole Opry member speaks about his struggle with sobriety in an industry that he said “glorifies drinking and other kinds of debauchery.” “I am 13 years sober now,” Johnson said on his website upon the release of “Sober” in early September. “I haven’t had a drop of al.
