I never write personal blogs. Well, actually I rarely write blogs at all – but I feel compelled to do so tonight. Tonight something inspired me.
Stone Temple Pilots, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Them Crooked Vultures (DaveGrohl/Nirvana) all got nominated for Grammys.
It’s 2010.
While reading the @TheGrammys Twitter feed, I had flashbacks to 1990-1992. During that time I was a young woman in the thick of the music business. Rock A&R no less. So I got to see some pretty great bands before they were popular. This isn’t name-dropping – this is my life. I saw Pearl Jam at CBGBs, Soundgarden open for GnR, Stone Temple Pilots as Mighty Joe Young, Nirvana and Alice in Chains – well – Hell I have no idea where I was – but I saw them too. I loved this music. It was powerful, deep, dirty, beautiful and real. It wasn’t all glitz and glamour that’s for sure, frankly we were a fucking mess. Let’s just say at that time my best friends were Jack & Ginger(ale) and a few other harmful acquaintances…
It’s not a secret; we’ve all watched some of these artists publicly struggle with their own demons, drug addictions and sobriety. Some have great success stories. Unfortunately, many great artists from that time period were lost – Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, Andrew Wood, Shannon Hoon to name only a few. I am lucky. I got sober in July of 1992 and haven’t had a drop of anything since. I’ve lived this with them – it’s somehow personal. I’m not breaking anyone’s anonymity but mine, many are now openly sober and support great organizations like MusiCares, MusiCares Map Fund and Road Recovery.
So what has struck me as amazing tonight is that these artists are bound together not only by a time period, but also by their perseverance and tenacity to overcome such difficult obstacles and still make great music 20 years later. I know Grammy nominations are nothing compared to the amazing life we all have, but it is still pretty damn cool that all of these particular artists are nominated for new material.
They are truly an inspiration to me and to any artist, fan or friend who may be struggling with their own creativity, self-destructive behaviors and/or addiction.
Congrats on all accounts.
Rynda
Follow on Twitter: @Rynda @STPband @TheScottWeiland @Soundgarden @ChrisCornell @PearlJam @CrookedVultures @RoadRecovery
*if you need help please reach out – you are NOT alone.