the 40-year-old wrote on Instagram.<\/b><\/a> <\/b>\u201cI\u2019ve been touring for 13 years and I\u2019ve lived a dream far greater than I could\u2019ve ever expected. This isn\u2019t a goodbye thing or anything like that to be clear upfront, although it may feel like that, but I\u2019m exhausted.<\/p>\n\u201cI haven\u2019t 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,\u201d he continued. \u201cI love songs, I love living them, hearing stories from other people, and figuring out how to put that life into music. After 13 years it\u2019s finally beat me up to the point where I need to step away for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n
His fans were supportive of the move.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve seen you several times and loved the show each time!\u201d one person responded. \u201cDo what you need to do to be good, better, best!\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cTake care of you,\u201d another wrote. \u201cWe\u2019ll be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour fans love you too,\u201d another wrote. \u201cYou\u2019re an amazing guy. Excited for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were plenty more replies like that and you can see them as well as Rice\u2019s post here.<\/p>\n
The singer said he needs to \u201cgo live life so that I have more real experiences to write down.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t be touring this year and it wasn\u2019t even really a decision, it was something I know that I just have to do for myself,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of artists do this all the time, but it\u2019s new for me so it\u2019s kind of a big deal in my life. To my band and crew, I love y\u2019all. You\u2019ve seen me at my worst yet you still love me back like I\u2019ve lived my best. I hope we can all get together in the coming years and get back to enjoying life on the road again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice said he loved the fans who have followed him on his journey. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have truly made a dream of mine come true,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
There is good news for Rice fans, though. While there won\u2019t be a tour, he said he does have \u201ca handful of shows\u201d in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it will not look anything like what I\u2019ve done the last 13 years of my life,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI hope this year brings new experiences for me to put into songs that make y\u2019all happy. Until then, thanks for the ride.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice, a native of Ormond Beach, Florida, began his career in 2010. Aside from his country music stardom, he is a former linebacker for the North Carolina Tar Heels and was a NASCAR pit crew member for Hendrick Motorsports. <\/p>\n
He also appeared on \u201cSurvivor: Nicaragua.\u201d<\/p>\n