Bad Blake is a once-successful country music singer who is now struggling to make ends meet. He spends most of his time on the road, playing small gigs in run-down bars and motels. He is an alcoholic and a chain smoker and his health is rapidly deteriorating. He drives himself from one show to another in a beat-up old truck with a broken transmission.
One day, Jean Craddock, a young journalist who is a big fan of Bad Blake's music, interviews him for a local newspaper. She is surprised to find the singer in such a sad state and becomes concerned about his well-being. Gradually, the two begin to bond over their shared love of music and their difficult personal lives.
Jean has a young son named Buddy, who is the same age as Bad Blake's grown-up son, who is estranged from him. Bad Blake sees in Jean and Buddy the family he has always wanted but never had. He tries to clean up his act and be a better man, but his addiction and his self-destructive tendencies keep getting in the way.
Despite many setbacks, Bad Blake slowly starts to regain his confidence and his voice and begins to write new songs. He takes Jean and Buddy on the road with him and they form a makeshift family. However, Bad's demons are never far away and he eventually relapses, putting his relationship with Jean and her son in jeopardy.
In the end, Bad Blake acknowledges that he is not the man he used to be and makes a selfless decision that allows Jean and Buddy to move on with their lives. The movie ends with Bad Blake on stage, singing a new song he wrote for Jean, as she watches from the wings.