Texas singer-songwriter marks the personal milestone with a candid message about alcoholism, relationships, self-discovery and the people who helped him build a better life
SAN ANTONIO, TX — October 7, 2026 — Texas Americana singer-songwriter Jeremy Parsons is celebrating one of the most meaningful milestones of his life: 10 years without alcohol.
Parsons marked a full decade of sobriety on October 6, sharing a deeply personal message with his followers about the person he once was, the life he has built since giving up alcohol and the friends and loved ones who remained beside him through the journey.
“Today marks 10 years alcohol free,” Parsons wrote. “Every second of every minute of every hour of every day adds up. Days become weeks, weeks become months, and months become years. Through all of it, I think about how much further I get from that old version of me.”
For Parsons, sobriety isn’t about judging how anyone else chooses to live. He is candid about identifying himself as an alcoholic while recognizing that other people can have a healthy relationship with alcohol.
“That doesn’t mean I have a problem with other people drinking,” he explained. “If you can enjoy it in moderation and stay in control, I’m happy for you. I’m an alcoholic, and that’s the way it is for me. I choose to avoid it.”
That distinction is particularly relevant for a working musician whose career regularly places him in bars, wineries, breweries and other venues where alcohol is part of the environment. Parsons says seeing people responsibly enjoying themselves at his shows doesn’t threaten his sobriety. Instead, it reinforces something he has come to understand over the past decade: “Not everything is for everyone.”
The milestone also brings Parsons’ songwriting into sharper focus. Much of his recent work has revolved around examining the distance between who we once were and who we eventually become.
His five-song EP, Life, explores those ideas through “Tickin’,” “The Garden,” “Who Was I,” “Humanity” and “Life Worth Dyin’ For.” Across the project, Parsons wrestles with the passing of time, emotional growth, relationships, empathy, mortality and the choices that gradually construct a human life.
Few songs connect as directly to his latest milestone as “Who Was I.” The autobiographical track finds Parsons looking back at himself at 25, remembering a period marked by getting high, sleeping through days, living for nights and pursuing a musical dream without knowing where it would ultimately lead.
Rather than glorifying that younger version of himself or condemning him, Parsons views the past from the perspective that only years of distance can provide. His sobriety anniversary adds another layer to the song’s central question: How much can a person change while still carrying the memories of who they used to be?
There are things Parsons admits he misses about youth.
Drinking isn’t one of them.
“I don’t miss how it made me feel during or after, or how it affected me and everything around me—especially my friendships,” he wrote.
Relationships figure prominently in Parsons’ reflection. While reaching 10 years required his own decision and commitment, he is quick to acknowledge the people who helped make lasting change possible.
“To everyone who stayed in my corner and is still part of this journey: I can’t thank y’all enough,” Parsons wrote. “You made me better, and you keep making me better.”
That lesson—understanding how profoundly the people around us can affect the lives we build—has become one of the defining realizations of his sobriety.
“I’ve learned how much the people and energy around me matter,” he continued. “Having that love and support makes it easier to make the changes I need to make. And when I started choosing what was good for me, I started seeing how much of the negative I could leave behind.”
Over the past decade, Parsons hasn’t simply stopped drinking. He has continued building an independent music career, performing extensively, reaching listeners internationally and developing into an increasingly introspective songwriter. More recently, marriage has opened another chapter in a personal story that has frequently found its way into his music.
Yet the significance of October 6 isn’t measured in streams, charts, shows or career accolades.
It’s measured in days.
Then weeks.
Then months.
Then years.
Ten of them.
Most importantly, Parsons is using the anniversary not merely to celebrate his own progress but to encourage anyone confronting a change that may still seem impossibly far away.
“If you’re working toward a change of your own, I’m rooting for you,” he wrote. “And if you need to talk, I’m here.”
After a decade of sobriety, Parsons’ message is ultimately one of gratitude rather than regret.
“I’m so happy to be here today, and I’m so happy to be who I am today,” he said.
“It’s all a gift, and I gladly keep accepting it every day.”
For more information on Jeremy Parsons, his music and upcoming performances, visit:
Jeremy Parsons Official Website