We love to hear about the recovery message making its way onto new formats. And up in Seattle Washington, stories of hope and survival have become popular on drivetime radio. Local station KEXP recently launched a new auditory series called “Music Heals,” which brings on famous musicians who have fought and won their addiction battles.
Since going live, “Music Heals” has already hosted the likes of Macklemore, Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and guitarist Peter Buck from R.E.M. All of these successful artists spoke very openly about their past struggles and the joys of being clean.
“I hate that word ‘sober.’ Sober as a judge,” Buck told “Heals” host Kevin Cole in the studio. “I’d rather call it focused. Ultimately, I decided that I was in a place in my life where I needed to focus on the things that were really important. I kind of looked around and decided. ‘Well, what is important in my life?’ And alcohol and drugs or whatever weren’t on the list. It’s family, friends, music. That’s it.”
Macklemore (who happens to have Seattle roots) has already become well known for his recovery advocacy. He previously partnered with President Barack Obama to bring awareness to the opioid epidemic, back when it first began to receive national attention.
“I never had moderation.” Macklemore explained during his stint on the show. “I couldn’t get enough, every time that I drank or used drugs. It wasn’t until I finally went to rehab, that I got the tools and opened up to a world of recovery that I didn’t know existed.”
Each celebrity guest then delves into the process that brought them to sobriety. For Macklemore, it was 12-step meetings and a strong sense of faith. “Music Heals” host Kevin Cole also speaks openly about the addiction struggles he had during his young life. Episodes often include his real life accounts of nearly overdosing on cocaine and heroin.
As Cole explained to his listeners, recovery can be a positive experience and one that is much more common than people think.
“It wasn’t always easy, but it wasn’t always hard either,” Cole recently said. “I learned to take care of my body and mind, to recognize I had so much to live for, to see the good in everyone, including myself, to ask for help, and to let love be my drug of choice.”
