Among Rusty's many blessings in life, has been the opportunity to heal and recover from a battle with addiction. His faith and love of music was part of that healing, and he has been able to use those gifts to help others in recovery.  The fruit of his own recovery became the basis for his first solo album, titled SOBER. Rusty has been open in speaking of the deeply personal experience:

"I wanted to use my talent to speak about this issue, but also to share the deep spiritual experience that I got out of the group sessions when I was in rehab. 

When I played and sang these songs, I could really feel them, and tell people my battle, and the importance of having good people around you. That's what enabled me to make it — just like it took the words of good people around me to tell me the truth, to tell me that, 'Man, you need to get some help.' I didn't want to accept it at first, but it was real and it was the truth. 

Now I thank God that I went, and I hope this album can help others in the shape I was at one time. I tried for over 36 years to do everything my way. It wasn't so much that I was out of control. But I had a real problem. I didn't want to believe that I couldn't deal with it. It took family members looking at me and saying you need to get help, of them later telling me they would rather not have me come around the way I was that finally convinced me to get help. 

You either are part of the solution or you remain an addict. 

Everybody out there either knows somebody, loves somebody or has been been somebody who's addicted. It's something that we should always remember whenever we're talking about addiction or dealing with it, that it is such a pervasive problem, and one where's there no easy solution to the problem." 

-- from an interview with Ron Wynn of Nashville Scene, September 24, 2015, Read the full interview here: https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/substance-abuse-took-a-hard-swipe-at-rusty-golden-and-he-hits-back-hard-on/article_7898a762-17c5-5edc-82b1-98704990297e.html

Recovery takes courage.  Rusty was serious about wanting to get the help and support needed to leave addiction behind him, so he decided to check himself into Rob's Ranch, a faith-based rehab facility for men in Purcell, Oklahoma on February 23rd, 2013 -- "so my sobriety date to this day is the 24th of February."  He made a firm resolution to invest himself in the program, and he moved through it successfully.

The experience led Rusty to three opportunities to love others and give back:

First, while in rehab, his musical talent and faith were recognized and he was invited to begin playing and singing at the daily chapel services and several group sessions. When his time in the program was complete, instead of leaving, Rusty decided to stay longer, but this time it was not as a client but in the capacity of working to help other clients.  He continued to play music and sing for the the various services and sessions, and he would connect with the other clients in the recovery program, helping them through his experiences and music. 

Second, Rusty has posted about his "clean and sober" milestones periodically on social media. When Rusty hit his 6 month milestone, he shared plans for next steps: "Today is a special day for me. I am going to start a new LIKE page soon that will be for my friends both in and out of recovery. Either way I want it to be a positive page that will include posts & pix to inspire. Thank you ALL for your love,support & encouragement." And his new social media page was successful: It was called "Rusty N Recovery" and helped many by focusing on recovery themed topics and encouraging those battling addiction as well as their loved ones.

Third, it was while he was in recovery that the idea for the SOBER album came to him.  Rusty reflected on his experience in an interview with the Monty Man on Take12 Recovery Radio (Listen to the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-Zp0eFwqgc):

"I had been working with Jeffrey Steele...and Jeff's one of the absolute top songwriters and artists in Nashville.  And Jeff had sent me...a demo of his, of a song called SOBER.  So I learned that...and I thought, man, you know, I know so many of the biggest writers in Nashville, and even though I am a writer, I was just wanting to hear what [other songs] some of my other friends might have. 

Well, I put out the word to him, and one of the writers...Bob Tapiro, and Bart Allman.  And I've known Bob a long time....I sent an email to a bunch of my songwriter friends - and Bob being one of them -- to send me, if they had any, recovery themed type songs. And the thing is, that's such the opposite of what anybody in country [music] is wanting to hear. It's the opposite. They want drinking songs, weekend drinking and more drinking with tailgate and hot pants. You know, it's gotten down to a common denominator of just drinking songs. Everything sounds like spring break, you know. But anyway, there are some great writers who did have some songs that weren't getting recorded, and that's where I found some of these great songs [for SOBER] that fit perfect on this album project, because after seeing what was going on with the families after they would hear these songs, I was watching it move on them. The Lord was showing me: 'look, Rusty, this is what's happening.' There's a place for all kinds of music, and this is what's touching people right here.  And the Lord worked on my heart about that and I did a lot of praying about it, you know, to get the songs and to get a project off the ground that was like this...and it's something that my heart is all into, and I think there's a place for it."

Photo by Michael Jenkins / T3 Photography.