ROCK IN RECOVERY ANNUAL MUSIC EVENT FIGHTS DRUG AND ALCOHOL ADDICTION.Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer CHATSWORTH - What started two decades ago as a backyard barbecue and jam session among a handful of musicians battling drug and alcohol addictions has grown to an annual show that attracts thousands of 12-step program participants and music fans. On Sunday, the 20th annual Musicians' Picnic was at Rancho San Antonio Rancho San Antonio may refer to:
Spencer David Nelson Davis (born 17 July, 1939 in South Wales, UK) is a musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group. , Joe Chambers from the Chambers Brothers and many other musicians. Original MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. veejay vee·jay n. A video jockey. [v(ideo) + (d)eejay.] Nina Blackwood The blonde, raspy-voiced Nina Blackwood (born September 12, 1955, Springfield, MA) was the first of the original five MTV VJs (along with Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, and J. J. Jackson). hosted the first half of the all-day benefit show. ``It's just nice to show the young people in recovery, that are brand new in recovery, that you can come out to a concert without getting high, without getting stoned, without getting drunk. And we're having a ball out here,'' said Michael Cartwright, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of The Canyon at Peace Park in Malibu. The Canyon is a drug and alcohol treatment center for those in the entertainment industry, and it was one of the organizations that benefited from the show. The Musicians' Assistance Program, which helps musicians in recovery, and the MusiCares Foundation, which provides a safety net for those in the industry who need financial help, were among the other groups that received funds. Organizers expected 4,000 to 5,000 people at Sunday's concert, and many of the concertgoers heard about the show through the addiction recovery meetings they attend. Dave Wakling, 49, is the lead singer for the English Beat, which performed at the show. ``I know from personal experience and from many friends, some who are still with us and some who aren't, that trying to be a performing musician and struggle with the addictions that the stress and the tension and the excitement and the adrenaline adrenaline (ədrĕn`əlĭn, –lēn): see epinephrine. can bring upon you can be some of the most soul-wrenching nights ever,'' Wakling said. Bass guitar player Peggy Foster, who was with the Runaways in the 1970s, remembers one question that she asked herself when she started in the 12-step program at the late jazz saxophonist Buddy Arnold's house 20 years ago. ``How am I going to stay in the music business now that I'm sober?'' she said. But today Foster is still part of the music scene, and is involved with both a jazz group and a heavy metal band. The annual Musicians' Picnic has raised more than $1 million for drug and alcohol treatment since its inception. Regulars of the picnic still remember a show 10 years ago when Eric Clapton spoke and jammed onstage on·stage adj. Situated or taking place in the area of a stage that is visible to the audience. adv. In or into the area of a stage that is visible to the audience. Adj. 1. . Alex Dobuzinskis, (818) 546-3304 alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) Betty Power, lead singer of the band Betty Power, grabs a broken guitar string during the concert on Sunday. (2) Ozzy Ruffo warms up before his band, Pseudocipher, played at the event, held at Rancho San Antonio in Chatsworth. Michael Owen
|
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion