Melonie Cannon

Melonie Cannon has come clean: She’s been battling an addiction to prescription medications.

The surprise revelation comes from Rural Rhythm Records, Cannon’s record label.

Rural Rhythm issued a lengthy press release about Cannon’s personal struggle.

“I was in a dark hole and I didn’t even know it,” Cannon says. “I became isolated from family and friends. In just a couple of years, I went from being on prescribed medications to being addicted to prescription medications. It felt like there was no way out because no one would understand what I was going through. Prescription drug addiction has become a huge problem in this country, and I’m not ashamed to talk about it.”

Ironically, according to Rural Rhythm, Cannon’s low point with drugs came during a high point in her bluegrass career. Both benchmarks occurred around October 2008, the same time Rural Rhythm released Cannon’s new CD, And The Wheels Turn.

“… with the help of my Daddy, Mom and husband, I gathered the courage to check into a residential rehab facility,” Cannon is quoted in the label’s press release. “I’ll never forget how alone I had been feeling for such a long time. But to my complete surprise, I had 14 visitors on my first Sunday in treatment! Just when I thought I didn’t have anybody, I had everybody and they were all still pulling for me and loved me no matter what.”

While Cannon was struggling with her personal demons, the first single off her CD, “I Call It Gone” was already having huge success on bluegrass radio, along with rave album and single reviews. In January, the label issued a country radio release of “Back to Earth,” a duet with country legend Willie Nelson, plus the release of a music video filmed on Nelson’s Texas ranch.

Both songs were extremely successful, with “I Call It Gone” hitting No. 1 in the Sirius-XM Top 40 bluegrass song chart and spending nine months on Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s Top 30 Singles Chart. “Back to Earth” garnered significant adds on country radio stations in the U.S. and Europe, with the video appearing on CMT’s Pure 12-Pack Countdown TV program. The “Back to Earth” video is still on the program’s voting list at CMT.com.

With Rural Rhythm’s announcement of her recent struggles, Cannon was more than pleased with the label announcing it will issue a special free download of “Send A Little Love,” another moving song from the album produced by Ronnie Bowman and her dad, Buddy Cannon. Bowman and John Scott Scherrill, two of her best friends in the music business, composed this heartfelt tune.

Rural Rhythm Records recently released a single, “Dark Shadows” to bluegrass radio via their Fresh Cuts and Key Tracks No. 5 radio sampler CD.

Cannon said she is happy to have her drug problem behind her so she can return to focusing on her career.

“I am looking forward to getting back to touring next year and supporting this album that is so dear to my heart,” she said.