Yep, it was for drinking...

[silverthorne]

Right here

So very glad he realized it. Now let's hope he keeps in the therapy and crap and stays away from the stuff from now on.

...And let's hope the guys don't forget and offer him a drink. Because you don't do that to an alcoholic if you want to help them stay on the straight and narrow. (And yeah, I'm afraid that once you start doing crap like that, it's a lot easier to do it again than it is to do something else that's a lot healthier. That's what any addiction is all about.)

I know you don't know me, Richie, but good luck, and hang in there. I'd have you talk to my dad about this, but I'll pass on what he said to me last week about when he quit smoking;

Just one day, and each instance at a time. Eventually, it gets longer and further away. And a lot easier.

Comments

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

Didn't Alec John get kicked out for drinking, though?

Maybe the difference between then and now is everyone is 1) older and wiser, 2) not as hung up on commercial success and 3) Richie is willing to get sober.

Hm?

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

I dunno--I wasnt 'into' the band way back then. Loved the songs that came on the radio, but really didn't pay all that much attention to the guys themselves. It wzas just another bunch of fuzzy-headed (but cute) guys. It took me researching a character of Jon's these past few years to perk my interest in the people themselves.

From what little I can glean, though, it wasn't *just* the drinking, if that were the case--it was performance issues. As in the guy couldn't do well on stage. Whether that was due to drinking or a poor stage pesence I couldn't tell you.

The one thing I do know in retro-research is that Jon was always insistant on a professional public face. If the guy was constantly messing up and cutting up, that would probably be enough reason to boot him in the eyes of the band.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

And yeah, I think Richie being willing to actually handle the problem rather than do a crash and burn with his fingers in his ears going 'LALALA, NOTHING'S WROOOOOOOONG!' probably helped.