Sobering Times! Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with More Than 30 Years of Sobriety, Ricky Byrd Is Sold-Out-On-Fire with Recovery
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ISSUE 72, FEBRUARY 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sobering Times! Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with more than 30 years of sobriety, Ricky Byrd is sold-out-on-fire with Recovery. Photo Credit: Frankie Byrd 16 www.recoverytodaymagazine.com ISSUE 72, FEBRUARY 2021 Exclusivesive Interview Intervi with Ricky Byrd Interview by Rob Hannley, Editor in Chief, Recovery Today Magazine fter all the things a guy We who are sober, know the truth. FRROHGDELW+HèVRQĆUH7RGD\DV like Ricky has seen and he has for many years, he writes done, I mean, imagine for Since we’re talking drugs and about, performs and completely Ajust a moment, the life addiction, it’s always the same gives of himself to the sober of a Rock Star. It’s a bit different story and it doesn’t matter community. than someone working the normal whether you’re a Hall of Fame <RXWRXUWKHZRUOGĆUVWFODVV Rock Star or a…. “butcher, baker, Since 2012, Ricky has channeled and pretty much everything is candle-stick maker”, it’s all his insane creative talent as done for you, when you play, you the same, same master, same a message of hope for those play for 10s of thousands or more darkness, same despair and the hopeless, like he once was, as well than a hundred thousand people same hopelessness. as those grateful, …as he is now, to who scream and yell because they be in recovery. love what you do. Rock and Roll Hall of He began creating this fusion Fortune, Fame, and virtually no Famer, Ricky Byrd of kick ass music but laced with one says “No” to you for anything. powerful lyrics which connect Long ago, more than three with the soul of the addict like decades ago, our cover and cover This is what we, well, usually precision, guided missiles. He, and feature this month, Ricky Byrd those who aren’t sober, see. his longtime good friend, fellow put the drugs and alcohol in Rock Star, and Recovery Today the rear-view mirror but his Magazine cover, Richie Supa, co- passion for sobriety hasn’t wrote a song, now considered to Ricky has used his insane, creative talent to channel a message of hope for those hopeless! www.recoverytodaymagazine.com 17 ISSUE 72, FEBRUARY 2021 be a recovery classic: “Broken Is come out with a new A Place,” which talks about the album, dedicated to pain, suffering and the “hole in sobriety called, “A Clean the soul…” of those who continue Getaway.”$ĆWWLQJ to suffer from addiction. name because if you were addicted and now Ricky’s worked with virtually sober, you’re one of the every big name in Rock and Roll fortunate ones who got Royalty. He’s Recorded and/ away and ….lived to tell or toured with Roger Daltrey, the tale. Ian Hunter, Southside Johnny, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Mavis Staples, Billy Ricky is back Squier, Darlene Love, Ronnie now with a new Spector, Brian Wilson, Steve Album, again Miller, Graham Nash, Don Felder, Alice Cooper, Bruce Springsteen, dedicated to Steven VanZant, Mick Taylor, sobriety, called, Dion, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Bramlett, Billie Joe Armstrong, Sobering Times Bill Medley, Paul Shaffer, Bobby It kicks ass! Whitlock and many more. We were thrilled and He’s spends most of his time honored to again spend traveling to treatment facilities some time with Ricky, to around the country to lead rehash some funny-ass, Rock Star, recovery music groups. Imagine, crazy stories and then to jump just for a moment, having a guy right into the deep, deep, meat of who’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of addiction as well as the pure joy of Fame come to a treatment center recovery. you’re at and lead you in a musical group! How cool is that. We’re thrilled to feature Ricky once again in Recovery Today. -Interview by Rob Hannley, We were honored to feature Ricky a couple years back and As always, you’ll LOVE this Editor in Chief, Recovery Today he blew us away. He’d just interview. Magazine Ricky Bryd Rock and Broken is a Place by Ricky Byrd Poure Me Roll Hall of Fame Acceptance speech for Joan Jett 18 www.recoverytodaymagazine.com ISSUE 72, FEBRUARY 2021 Ricky Byrd’s Bio Back in New York City, he recorded a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, guitarist demo of the song, put it up on social media, /singer- songwriter Ricky Byrd (inducted in and the response was overwhelming. 2015 with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts), has That’s when he realized how strong the had a career in music spanning over 40 years. combination of music and recovery could be. He wrote a second song, and then a Although best known for his time spent with third, and he didn’t stop until the seeds The Blackhearts, Byrd has also recorded and of his 2017 Clean Getaway album were played with Roger Daltrey, and toured with Ian planted. Hunter and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes respectively. He has also been blessed to Inspired to present these recovery- have had the chance to, at one time or another, based songs on a different stage, Ricky share the stage with music royalty including made calls to treatment facilities, offering to Paul McCartney, Ringo, Alice Cooper, Bruce come in with his acoustic guitar and perform Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Joe Walsh, them to the clients. He did, and the response Mavis Staples, Dion, Brian Wilson, Smokey was so powerful that he’s been doing it ever Robinson, Jimmy Page, Graham Nash, and Elvis since, on the road as a Recovery Troubadour. Costello…to name just a few. He’d play his acoustic guitar, sing those songs, talk to people, listen to people, help people. Grateful for all of his many musical In doing so, he was also helping himself. He achievements, Ricky is fond of saying that one kept writing, traveling, and visiting treatment of the greatest gifts he’s been given happened facilities, schools, and juvenile detention on Sept. 25, 1987 when he started his journey centers. in recovery. Simply put, “it was time.” He’s been clean and sober ever since, doing whatever he “It was quite the education for me,” Ricky can to help others recover. It’s his passion and admits. “I found that there was a real what he’s most proud of. connection…a tangible something I could do to help…a reason my checkered past in rock’n’roll ê7KHUHèVWKLVGDUNKDOOZD\ĆOOHGZLWKSHRSOH just might bring about awareness, maybe caught between denial and surrender,” he says. prevention, maybe even lessen the stigma of “I’ve been blessed to have this next life and addiction.” because of that gift, I feel I’m responsible to turn around and wave at those people in that dark Ricky Byrd has since given away thousands place and just go, `hey man, come on, follow me.’” of copies of Clean Getaway at his recovery music groups across the country. The CD has The starting point of Ricky combining his music garnered great reviews across-the-board with recovery began in 2012, when he co- and he’s currently working on a follow-up wrote a song with his friend, Richie Supa. The ĆOOHGZLWKVRQJVRIDGGLFWLRQUHVXUUHFWLRQ two wound up writing what is now considered and hope. Taking it a step further, he has a recovery classic: “Broken Is A Place,” which HDUQHGKLV&$6$&7 &HUWLĆHG$OFRKRODQG speaks to the inherent hole in the soul of those Substance Abuse Counselor) credentials and who continue to suffer under the great weight of &$5& &HUWLĆHG$GGLFWLRQ5HFRYHU\&RDFK addiction. credentials. It hit a nerve. As his card says, “Have Recovery Will Travel.” To Get Ricky’s Album “Sobering Times” and connect with him here: http://rickybyrd.com/ricky-byrd-store.html www.recoverytodaymagazine.com 19.