Country singer J.D. Graham is fighting for his life in a Texas trauma center after a devastating crash that left him with a broken neck, broken back and several shattered ribs—and claimed the life of his dog.
The Oklahoma native was hit by one semitruck and then slammed into another on a New Mexico interstate Tuesday, forcing first responders to cut him from his mangled SUV before airlifting him to Amarillo for emergency treatment.
From his hospital bed Wednesday, Graham posted a video update wearing a neck brace, his voice weak but determined. “I’m barely alive here,” the “Percocets and Pawnshops” singer said in the Facebook Reel, going on to describe his broken back, broken ribs, and “broken heart” over the loss of his dog.
His daughter Destiny Graham first broke the news to fans Wednesday morning through a Facebook post and GoFundMe page, detailing the severity of the February 24 accident. She wrote that her father was taken to a nearby hospital in Tucumcari before being life-flighted to a trauma center in Texas, where doctors continue evaluating the full scope of his injuries.
The prognosis is daunting. Graham has an unstable spinal fracture requiring surgery to insert a steel rod and screws. He faces weeks in the ICU and will be unable to walk for some time, though doctors consider it encouraging that he can move his limbs.
The crash adds another devastating chapter to Graham’s already challenging year. His wife Amy recently completed her own battle with cancer and remains unable to work due to ongoing medical challenges, leaving Graham as the family’s sole provider through his touring schedule. The accident now threatens that lifeline, with the singer forced to cancel numerous upcoming performances, including a scheduled March 7 show at Missouri’s Midnight Slip speakeasy.
The venue announced it would proceed with the show featuring King Margo and Tiffany Ann, donating all proceeds after paying the musicians to Graham’s recovery fund. Midnight Slip called Graham “the greatest songwriter I’ve personally ever met.”
Fans and fellow musicians rallied quickly, with the family’s GoFundMe raising nearly $50,000 within days of launching. A benefit show is also planned at Bird’s Nest Listening Room in Dunn, North Carolina, on March 15 to support the lengthy rehabilitation ahead.
For Graham, the road to recovery extends far beyond physical healing. Destiny wrote in the fundraising appeal that when her father is finally able to return home, he will face extensive physical and mental rehabilitation requiring time, patience and strength.
The accident carries painful echoes of Graham’s past struggles. According to his official biography, he battled addiction for 25 years beginning when doctors prescribed him anxiety medication at age 11. A catastrophic car accident in 2017 led to a five-year prison sentence in Arizona for vehicular homicide, where Graham confronted his demons and rediscovered his purpose through music and faith.
During his incarceration, Graham founded a music program, raised over $20,000 to fund it, and worked with over 200 inmates using songwriting to aid their rehabilitation. He recorded his album “Razorwire Sunrise” while in Arizona State Prison and was released in 2022. His subsequent albums “Pound of Rust” (2023) and “Sergeant of Sorrow” (2024) earned him a devoted following in songwriting circles.
His forthcoming album “Uppers and Downers” was scheduled for release in March, with songs exploring themes that mirror his own journey through addiction, incarceration and hard-won sobriety. The crash occurred just as Graham had a calendar of shows scheduled to promote the new record.
Despite the physical and emotional trauma, Graham maintained perspective about what matters most. In his hospital video, he told fans he wasn’t worried about music right now—he just needs to get better.
Destiny captioned her father’s video with a note of defiant faith: “The devil works hard but God works harder.”
She emphasized the profound impact the accident has had on their close-knit family, writing that watching someone so strong go through something like this has been incredibly hard. She described her father as “the best grandpa, dad, husband, and friend anyone could ask for.”
As Graham faces months of intensive rehabilitation before he can walk again, his family asks supporters to continue keeping him in their prayers while he focuses on the long journey ahead.
