Skip to main content
GRAMMYs Breaking News
Breaking News
  • MusiCares Launches Help for the Holidays Campaign Apply HERE
  • Recording Academy
  • GRAMMYs
  • Membership
  • Advocacy
  • MusiCares
  • GRAMMY Museum
  • Latin GRAMMYs
GRAMMYs
  • Advocacy
  • Membership
  • GRAMMYs
  • Governance
  • Jobs
  • Press Room
  • Events
  • Login
  • MusiCares
  • GRAMMY Museum
  • Latin GRAMMYs
  • More
    • MusiCares
    • GRAMMY Museum
    • Latin GRAMMYs

The GRAMMYs

  • Awards
  • News
  • Videos
  • Music Genres
  • Recording Academy
  • More
    • Awards
    • News
    • Videos
    • Music Genres
    • Recording Academy

Latin GRAMMYs

MusiCares

  • About
  • Get Help
  • Give
  • News
  • Videos
  • Events
  • Person of the Year
  • More
    • About
    • Get Help
    • Give
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
    • Person of the Year

Advocacy

  • About
  • News
  • Issues & Policy
  • Act
  • Recording Academy
  • More
    • About
    • News
    • Issues & Policy
    • Act
    • Recording Academy

Membership

  • Join
  • Events
  • PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING
  • GRAMMY U
  • GOVERNANCE
  • More
    • Join
    • Events
    • PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING
    • GRAMMY U
    • GOVERNANCE
Log In Join
  • SUBSCRIBE

  • Search
See All Results
Modal Open
Subscribe Now

Subscribe to Newsletters

Be the first to find out about GRAMMY nominees, winners, important news, and events. Privacy Policy
GRAMMY Museum
Membership

Join us on Social

  • Recording Academy
    • The Recording Academy: Facebook
    • The Recording Academy: Twitter
    • The Recording Academy: Instagram
    • The Recording Academy: YouTube
  • GRAMMYs
    • GRAMMYs: Facebook
    • GRAMMYs: Twitter
    • GRAMMYs: Instagram
    • GRAMMYs: YouTube
  • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Facebook
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Twitter
    • Latin GRAMMYs: Instagram
    • Latin GRAMMYs: YouTube
  • GRAMMY Museum
    • GRAMMY Museum: Facebook
    • GRAMMY Museum: Twitter
    • GRAMMY Museum: Instagram
    • GRAMMY Museum: YouTube
  • MusiCares
    • MusiCares: Facebook
    • MusiCares: Twitter
    • MusiCares: Instagram
  • Advocacy
    • Advocacy: Facebook
    • Advocacy: Twitter
  • Membership
    • Membership: Facebook
    • Membership: Twitter
    • Membership: Instagram
    • Membership: Youtube
GRAMMYs

Jerry Cantrell

Photo: Chiaki Nozu/WireImage.com

News
lessons-learned-jerry-cantrell

Lessons Learned With Jerry Cantrell

Facebook Twitter Email
Alice In Chains co-founder discusses MusiCares MAP Fund honor, progress on new Alice In Chains album, songwriting and inspiration, and the importance of MusiCares
Steve Baltin
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

Alice In Chains' co-founder Jerry Cantrell is set to join elite company at the 8th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert on May 31. The vocalist/guitarist, who will receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his commitment to the MusiCares MAP Fund and helping other addicts with the addiction recovery process, joins previous event honorees such as Alice Cooper, Chris Cornell, Anthony Kiedis, Dave Gahan, and James Hetfield.

Along with certified interventionist Neil Lasher, Cantrell will be the guest of honor at the annual benefit designed to raise funds for the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation. The evening will be hosted by Steve-O and will feature an all-star concert lineup with performances by Alice In Chains, Heart's Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, Billy Idol, Mark Lanegan, Duff McKagan, and a DJ set by Moby.

In advance of the benefit concert, Cantrell discussed the significance of the award, the importance of MusiCares to the music community, progress on the forthcoming new Alice In Chains album, and how collaborating with Elton John on the title track to 2009's GRAMMY-nominated Black Gives Way To Blue brought him full circle.

I saw you play with Metallica at the MusiCares MAP Fund benefit in 2006. That was obviously a special performance, but I know you've been to a number of these shows. Are there any favorite memories for you?
Yeah, that one is obviously a classic. I've been a fan of Metallica and friends with those guys for a long time and that was just great — half Alice In Chains and half Metallica playing together. Obviously, on a more serious note, it's inspiring to see James [Hetfield] take control of his issues, some of the same things I have issues with. And it's just inspiring to see somebody make the effort and make a turn for the better.

By accepting this award do you feel like a role model or a positive example?
A better way to look at it is I admire those guys for the effort they make. It's cool to get here, it's cool to know that you can get here and it's nice to be [proof] that no matter where you find yourself in life you've always got a chance to turn it around.

When you look at not only your bandmates, but even recent examples like Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston, do you feel very fortunate?
A common part of the human experience is if you f*** around with it long enough, it's gonna get a hold of you. That's been the case for me and for a lot of people too. It's not just explicitly musicians, but being a musician and [having] so many friends that are, it's really nice to have an organization like MusiCares to take care of each other. I remember when I first came here in 2003, Buddy Arnold helped me out.

Tell me about the other artists playing at this year's benefit concert.
Ann and Nancy [Wilson of Heart] are the top of the heap. They've been there for us and we've been there for them too. Any time we got a chance to remind people how important their role has been to music and the world and what that means to us, we're always there for them. I look at them as my older sisters, they've given a lot of great advice and they fought through a lot of adversity and I'm very much looking forward to having them play.

When they told me I was gonna receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award, they asked me if I would make a little list of the people I would like to see play. I had just seen [Mark] Lanegan out in Silver Lake and he killed it. God, it was amazing. I hadn't seen him in some years and it was a really magical experience, so I gave him a call and asked him. Duff [McKagan]'s been a friend for years and been very involved with our band as well in various ways. And I don't know Billy [Idol] personally, but I do know Billy Morrison and Steve Stevens, the guitar player. I jammed with Steve a couple of times as well.

Your last album, Black Gives Way To Blue, spawned two GRAMMY nominations. What did that mean to you?
Well, we were very happy to be nominated and lose two GRAMMYs again. I think that put us at zero and eight. Hey, look, dude, it's the old cliché, but it's totally true, it's an honor to be thought of. To be considered one of the [best hard rock performances] of the year, we achieved something. But we were very happy with that, we were very happy with the success that we had. It just felt good, it was hard work and it was worth every bit of it. And we're looking forward to doing it again.

Do you think the new Alice In Chains album will be out this year?
It'll depend on when it's done. We started writing stuff last year. I think we're all good with that now, so now it's time to cut it. So we're gonna try to, but if not it'll probably be out early next year. It'll be out about three or four minutes after we're finished [laughs]. Give the record company time to set it up and plan the attack and tour for hopefully a year, year and a half.

So the writing is pretty much done though?
The thing that set me back is I had some bone spurs [and] cartilage issues in my shoulders. I had the same issue in the other shoulder about six years ago so I've had them both done now. It's a repetitive motion injury from playing. But the repair takes a year [laughs]. So that kind of set us back a little bit, but it takes time anyway — my body started a vacation.

Who are those songwriters that are universal to you?
The earliest examples are the ones that got me started [and] that's the songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. That's what really got me into it. I didn't even know two-thirds of the s*** these guys were talking about, but I felt it. And also I realized this music and these feelings that are coming to me on this piece of plastic have all this weight, all this magic in it and it inspired me to want to do that myself. And then years later to have Elton play piano on [our] last record especially, it's funny how s*** comes around cause that's the guy [who] got me started. It's a really cool thing and it also speaks to the journey of your life, it's going back to what we were talking about with MusiCares. It's a good example not to give up. You never know what is gonna come down the road. There's some pretty cool s*** that happens if you decide to stick around.

What does it mean to you to be honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award?
That the award is honoring Stevie, who's an incredible musician and then also a person that made changes and turned his s*** around — it's a hell of an effort. It's nothing easy. It's doable, but it's not an easy thing and I can tell you that from experience. It takes some balls for sure, and it takes some serious effort at times. To receive this, what it means, is I'm very honored. And obviously that it started with Stevie, that's a pretty great thing. As a guitar player you don't get much better than that.

(Steve Baltin has written about music for Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, MOJO, Chicago Tribune, AOL, LA Weekly, Philadelphia Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, and dozens more publications.)

GRAMMYs

Jerry Cantrell

Photo: Courtesy of Iron Mike Savoia

News
musicares-map-fund-benefit-honor-jerry-cantrell-neil-lasher

MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit To Honor Jerry Cantrell, Neil Lasher

Facebook Twitter Email
Alice In Chains co-founder and Sony/ATV Music Publishing executive to be honored for their commitment to the addiction and recovery process and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

The eighth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert will honor Alice In Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell and certified interventionist and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Senior Consultant Neil Lasher at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on May 31.

Cantrell will be honored with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, and for his commitment to helping other addicts with the addiction and recovery process. Lasher will be the recipient of MusiCares' From the Heart Award for his unconditional friendship and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization. All proceeds will benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation.

Hosted by television personality Steve-O, the evening will feature a special performance by eight-time GRAMMY nominees Alice In Chains featuring guitarist/vocalist Cantrell, guitarist/vocalist William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. GRAMMY-nominated musician Moby will DJ live during dinner. Additional artists will be announced shortly.

"Jerry's role in shaping the world of rock music is profound and ongoing," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and MusiCares. "His artistry as a guitarist is inspiring, and his contributions as a songwriter have earned Alice In Chains millions of fans around the world. And Neil has built an extraordinary career spanning more than 30 years in the music industry, and a parallel career in the field of substance abuse where his name has become synonymous with recovery and survival. But what unites Jerry and Neil are their unwavering support of MusiCares and our recovery programs, and their unselfish capacity to be of service to music people struggling with addiction."

"From what I've seen, addiction can be an occupational hazard in the music business and I know firsthand how the MusiCares MAP Fund helps artists and members of the music community find the resources for recovery," said Cantrell. "I've been a supporter for a long time, and I'm proud to help raise awareness and funds so this organization can continue to save lives."

"I've been very fortunate to have two rewarding careers — one in the music industry and one in the field of addiction recovery," said Lasher. "I've made countless friends in both, and have wonderful memories spanning many years. And because I've seen the ravages of addiction take their toll on artists, crew members, myself, and others who work in the music business, I've been a supporter of the MusiCares MAP Fund from the very beginning. Their programs give people their dignity and their lives back."

Alongside fellow Seattle bands Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, Alice In Chains changed the face of popular music. Cantrell's contributions to the landscape of modern rock music are undeniable, and the music he has written has not only moved millions of people, but has stood the test of time. After several years honing his skills with local bands in the Seattle area, Cantrell formed Alice In Chains in 1987, alongside bandmates Kinney, Layne Staley, and Mike Starr. The band quickly developed a devout following, and by 1989 signed with Columbia Records. Over the course of their career Alice In Chains have achieved international acclaim, releasing albums and EPs that have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide and charting 13 top 10 rock singles. The band also had two consecutive albums debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, including 1994's Jar Of Flies, which became the first EP in history to achieve the feat.

Upon Alice In Chains' hiatus from touring in 1996, Cantrell continued to write prolifically, releasing two successful solo albums. Four years after the passing of Staley, in 2002 Alice In Chains reformed and subsequently released Black Gives Way To Blue in 2009. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, landed two No. 1 songs on Billboard's Rock Songs chart, spawned consecutive GRAMMY nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2009 and 2010, and was certified gold. Cantrell was also voted Best Guitarist of the Year by the readers of Guitar World magazine. Firmly re-established as one of the world's preeminent rock bands, Alice In Chains capped 14 months of touring in support of the album with a sold-out arena run, and are currently working on their next album.

Lasher is a certified alcoholism and substance abuse counselor, and a certified ARISE interventionist. Sober for approximately 25 years, Lasher has emerged as an active leader in creating alcohol and substance abuse recovery opportunities for individuals in the music industry. He has been a consultant for MusiCares and its Safe Harbor Room program, which was first established backstage at the 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast to provide a support system to artists and crew members struggling with addiction issues. Lasher is also a consultant to Caron Treatment Centers and a member of Caron's New York advisory board.

In addition to his accomplishments in the field of alcoholism and substance abuse, Lasher is a music industry veteran who has worked with Pat Benatar, James Blunt, Billy Idol, Huey Lewis, Rob Thomas, and many more top artists. He has more than 30 years of experience, including work at radio and major record labels and his past 20 years in the music publishing industry. In his role as senior consultant for Sony/ATV Music Publishing in New York, he works closely with creative and licensing executives on priority artists and projects. Sony/ATV Music Publishing owns or administers more than 750,000 copyrights by such legendary artists as the Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Diane Warren, and Hank Williams, among others. The company's growing current roster of chart-topping artists includes Akon, Colbie Caillat, Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Shakira, Taylor Swift, and KT Tunstall.

For MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert special dinner and concert ticket information, contact Wynnie Wynne 310.392.3777 or wynniew@grammy.com. General admission seats will be made available via Ticketmaster beginning March 23.

Alice In Chains
News
Interview: Jerry Cantrell Of Alice In Chains alice-chains-jerry-cantrell-just-happy-be-nominated-ninth-time

Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell Is Just Happy To Be Nominated (For The Ninth Time)

Facebook Twitter Email
The singer/guitarist reflects on his many GRAMMY nominations, including this year's for Best Rock Album, living a sober—but still creative—lifestyle, and why any generation can eventually "turn into the old man yelling at the kids to get off your lawn"
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Feb 8, 2019 - 10:55 am

Few active musicians sound as balanced over the phone as longtime Alice In Chains singer/guitarist Jerry Cantrell does. When you've been through as much as he has—two eras of Alice In Chains, one with now-deceased original lead singer Layne Staley, the next with current singer William DuVall; a brief solo career; and countless collaborations with rock/metal royalty like Danzig, Ozzy Osbourne, Duff McKagan, just to name a few—you either come out the other side in one of two conditions: a mess, or really, really wise. 

Cantrell, fortunately, embodies the latter. 

Now more than three decades into his career, Cantrell has earned nine GRAMMY nominations for his work with Alice In Chains, starting in the early '90s with the gritty alt-metal wail "Man In A Box" leading up to now, with a Best Rock Album nod for the band's sixth studio album, Rainier Fog. The band's lack of actual awards doesn't bug Cantrell, though. He's just happy to be here. 

If anything, he finds his always-the-bridesmaid status funny; the last time AIC attended the GRAMMYs, nine years ago, Cantrell says the band wore Susan Lucci buttons as a joke, in reference to the longtime soap actress who famously earned 19 Emmy nominations before finally winning in 1999. "We were like, 'If we lose we're going to put on our Susan Lucci buttons," he laughs. "And we did; we lost and we put on our buttons as we walked out." 

Golden gramophone or no, Cantrell says he's never been in a better place. He's been on the road with Alice In Chains and basking in abundant appreciation from fans—just enjoying life. Below, the iconic guitarist continues to laugh about his GRAMMY (or lackthereof) status and opens up about his rock 'n' roll elder status, living a sober lifestyle and what's next for Alice In Chains.  

Congrats on the GRAMMY nomination! Though, of course, I know this isn’t your first. 

Oh, thank you.

Going back to the first year Alice In Chains was nominated, in ‘90 for “Man In The Box,” what stands out to you about that time?

Oh god. It's so long ago, I couldn't really give you any clear recollection. I mean everything was moving so fast. Most of us, the [Mother] Love Bone guys that turned into Pearl Jam, and used to be, some of them used to be Green River, and Soundgarden. Those guys have been around for a number of years. But I think Nirvana, and us, we were a little younger. 

But it happened really quickly for all of us. And every step every one of us took helped the other. It was really cool to be a part of all that. The thing that means the most probably, is the music. Because the music is still being played. It still means something to people. You turn on any rock radio station and hear any of it at any time. 

OK, here’s something I always wanted to know: Is it bizarre to you that that entire cross-section of bands is now referred to as "classic rock"? And spun on Classic Rock radio?

It's great. I mean, it's a big long-term goal that you set for yourself: to be one of those bands that stands the test of time. And even maybe even the music can live on past the individuals in the band. And if it makes enough of an impact with people, and speaks to them in a way where they make it their own. 

All we can do is satisfy ourselves personally, as friends, musicians and artists. To try to keep making the best music that we can. And from '91 til right now, every time we put a record out we've been very fortunate to be considered with our peers and get some attention for the effort laid down on the tracks. And we've been really lucky that way.

We haven't been so lucky to win [a GRAMMY], but we've been nominated a bunch. I think this is our ninth nomination.

We've got a couple of technical ones for our work, and production. As for the music, this is our ninth one. Yep. 0 in 9, baby. [Laughs.]

I mean, Willem Dafoe is still waiting for his Oscar. 

Well, of course. There's always those folks. We're like the Buffalo Bills, who go to the Super Bowl four years in a row, but just can't quite get it over the edge.

It's the old cliché, it's just an honor to be nominated, and to have people in the community, and the fans care about your music. You can take a little validation from that. That you're still operating at the peak of your powers. We still feel like we're at the top of our game, musically. And our fans are still with us. We're still making rock ‘n’ roll that matters to us. And turns out it matters to other people too. It's f**king great.

Yeah, absolutely. As someone who has rode out the ebbs and flows of rock’s popularity—or lack thereof—what do you make of where rock as a genre stands today? 

Things are always changing, right? That is just the essence of existence, and life. There's always change happening. Nothing is f**king static. It's going somewhere. Where it's going to go, who the f**k knows. But as far as I've been alive, there's always been rock. And it's always spoke to me in a way that was really powerful, and visceral. And not just rock, just music in general. Being a recording artist, whatever your genre.

I think any generation can turn into the old man yelling at the kids to get off your lawn. "They don't understand anymore." And I remember my parents didn't like my music too much either, so it's totally normal for that to be the case. I'm just lucky I still have something to focus on that I dig doing. And that I've got my friends around me to make that music with.

Somehow, after 32 years, there's still millions of fans. That we get to stand in front of, and travel around the world, and play our music to. And new stuff is just as important as anything that we've putting out before. We've always been an in-the-moment, now-thinking band. We don't look too far back, and we don't look too far forward. We're always trying to forget about what we've done before.

We don't need to worry about sounding like ourselves, because that's just how we sound. It's an established thing. So really it just comes down to pleasing yourself. I believe that this record is as strong as any record we've ever put out.

"As a creative person, if you're lucky enough to have a creative catalog that we have, which may not be gigantic but it's potent as f**k." 

Speaking of Rainier Fog, I read an interview you did with KEXP where you said that you were grateful to see that you “could still do it.” Was there was ever a time when you were seriously questioning that about yourself?

I think everybody has questions. You have to question yourself occasionally. That's just part of life. That's what moves you forward from being in a place of fear, or of doubt. And if you've had some success like we’ve have, those thoughts can be kind of daunting, too. Oh sh*t, we've got to top that. Sh*t, there's another record. As a creative person, if you're lucky enough to have a creative catalog that we have, which may not be gigantic but it's potent as f**k. And it's really good work.

It's also in two different eras of the existence of this band. It was four guys before, and it's four guys now. This era of the band is, we've done some amazing things. I think the band's playing better than we ever have. The work ethic of everybody is really evolved. And we're still making music that we care about, and other people do too. As long as that's the case, we will continue to continue our journey, and see where it goes.

As someone who repeatedly pushes themselves to live in the current moment and, as you said, not look back, what is your relationship to AIC’s earliest hits? Are you amenable to playing them at most, if not all, of your shows?

Well, they're still fun to play. And they're still really good songs. You see people light up when you play them. There's a reason why people connected to them. And one is not greater than the other.

The fact that we did it, or the fact that people care about it, or the fact that it's so many years on... For whatever reason those songs, those songs are what they are. I think there would be a lot of pissed off people if we did a show, and we didn't play “Rooster,” or play “Man In The Box,” or play “Would?,” or “No Excuses.” 

But it's a challenge too because we only play a certain amount every night. So we're trying to do a mix of things that are new, or trying to whip out some old stuff we haven't played before. Basically every tour we try to grab a couple of tunes that insert, and replace. But there's a good chunk of stuff that you know that you're going to play. And at this particular point of the band, with this being our third record, it's pretty much half and half.

And everybody knows the new stuff as well as the old stuff. So it's cool. They care about it the same way. We made three full-length records before. We made three full-length records now.

At some point I think you have to kind of take into account that there are just special things. I remember the Metallica guys, we've been really good friends with those guys for a long time. I remember they were going to do a, like an all-request tour, right? And they got all the input from their fans, and it ended up being pretty much what they play anyway. [Laughs.]

Makes total sense. Switching gears for a moment, GQ recently spoke to musicians about thriving creatively while staying sober. As an artist who has spoken publicly about the friends you’ve lost to substance abuse—and staying sober yourself—how would you say that you mine your creativity in sobriety? 

Getting f**ked up is fun, and that's why people do it. Especially when you're young. It's a part of life. It's a part of a lot of people's experience. But it comes with a price. It generally doesn't end good. 

I've been super-creative f**ked up. I've been super-creative not f**ked up. It's been so many years for me that I just don't really think about that anymore. I think, at some point it becomes an impediment. It works until it doesn't. Let's put it that way.

It worked for a while. And I think that's the case probably for most people. Maybe takes you and puts you in a different mind space, and kind of maybe opens your perception to some stuff, but the costs are so f**king high. You know what I mean?

And hopefully, being on the other side of that. I don't miss it at all. But I'm also not ashamed of it. Nobody's perfect, and I certainly am not. You just kind of figure it out as you go. Life's pretty good right now. And has been for some time.

Any idea what’s next for you and Alice In Chains?

Still just trying to figure out what I want to do next, and what the band wants to do next. Right now we're kind of at halftime of this campaign. We toured from spring of last year, til November. And then we've taken a couple of months off. We're going to start up again in March, and go all the way until fall again. And then that'll be the end of the campaign. And we'll probably take some time to step away from the band for a little bit. And then figure out where we go from here. That's what we do. That's what we've been doing for the last three records. And that's been 12, 13 years now. And it seems to work pretty good.

Well on a lighter note, is there anything in particular you really enjoy about going to the GRAMMYs? 

I haven't been in a while, so it'll be a trip for me. I think the last time we went was probably on Black Gives Way To Blue, I guess.

I'm sure it'll be a good show. I'm just happy to be nominated and just to have people react to the record that we're really proud of, that we worked our asses off on. And see where we go from here.

Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: FEVER 333 Tackle The Tough Issues

GRAMMYs

Dean DeLeo, Eric Kretz and Robert DeLeo

Photo: Matt Sayles

News
duff-mckagan-and-members-stone-temple-pilots-added-musicares-map-fund-lineup

Duff McKagan And Members Of Stone Temple Pilots Added To MusiCares MAP Fund Lineup

Facebook Twitter Email
Benefit concert to honor Chester Bennington and Tony Alva May 30 in Los Angeles
Crystal Larsen
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Loaded, Velvet Revolver) and Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz are the latest performers announced for the ninth annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert, taking place May 30 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

They join previously announced performers Chester Bennington with surprise guests; Tony Alva and his band Chicken Noodle Project featuring Ray Barbee and Matt Rainwater; Early Morning Rebel featuring vocalist Nathan James, guitarist Dustin Bath and drummer Joshua Mervin; rock musician/songwriter Ida Maria with drummer Dave Krusen, bassist Jenni Tarma and guitarist Stefan Tornby; and GRAMMY-winning musician and songwriter Slash. Artist Mix Master Mike will DJ and comedian Andy Dick will make a special appearance.

Bennington, lead vocalist of two-time GRAMMY-winning band Linkin Park, will be presented with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award by Mike Shinoda, co-lead vocalist and producer of Linkin Park, for his dedication and support of the MusiCares MAP Fund, and for his commitment to the addiction recovery process. Alva, legendary skateboarder, surfer, musician, and original member of the skateboarding team Dogtown Z-Boys, will be presented with the MusiCares From the Heart Award by Anthony Kiedis, lead vocalist of multi-GRAMMY-winning band Red Hot Chili Peppers, for his unconditional friendship and dedication to the mission and goals of the organization.

All proceeds will benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation.

All proceeds will benefit the MusiCares MAP Fund, which provides members of the music community access to addiction recovery treatment regardless of their financial situation. For MusiCares MAP Fund benefit concert dinner and concert ticket information, contact Wynnie Wynne 310.392.3777 or wynniew@grammy.com. General admission seats are available via AXS.com.

GRAMMYs
News
planting-seeds-recovery

Planting The Seeds Of Recovery

Facebook Twitter Email
With organizations such as MusiCares, recovering addicts have access to more help and support today than ever before
Michael T. Mena
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

The 17th century English poet John Donne famously wrote: "Death comes equally to us all, and makes us all equal when it comes."

It's easy to embrace death philosophically, and perhaps easier to accept when friends and loved ones die of "natural causes." But when deaths are public, premature and of quite unnatural causes, the loss seems unfair. In life there was nothing equal about the otherworldly talent of artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, Layne Staley, and Whitney Houston. In each case, these premature departures left a hole encased in sadness, anger and frustration. Adding insult to injury, drug and alcohol addictions were the obvious culprits that shortened the life spans of these artists whose music moved millions.

In the face of such music-related tragedies, friends, family members and business associates are faced with many questions, among them: "What could I have done to help?"

While there is no easy answer to such a question, it's important for people to understand that help comes in the form of organizations such as MusiCares, The Recording Academy's affiliated health and human services nonprofit organization. Established in 1989, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need regardless of their financial situation, with services that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.

Echoing Donne's equality theory, MusiCares Senior Director Harold Owens points out that addiction is an equal-opportunity offender. "It's the same disease for everyone, even if the circumstances are different," says Owens.

With music-related careers, drug addiction and alcoholism are "occupational hazards" to a certain extent, according to Owens. A musician who is constantly on the road and putting in late nights in the recording studio is susceptible to the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol. Owens emphasizes that organizations such as MusiCares provides support and hope.

The MusiCares MAP Fund has emerged as a leading force in helping to address the problems of addiction in the music industry. Helping to raise funds for its addiction recovery resources, the MusiCares MAP Fund will host its annual benefit concert tonight in Los Angeles. The event will honor Alice In Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell and certified interventionist and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Senior Consultant Neil Lasher for their dedication to the mission and goals of the MusiCares MAP Fund.

A longtime supporter of the organization, Lasher will receive MusiCares' From the Heart Award in recognition of his profound work in helping musicians in recovery. At the 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1997, he and several colleagues helped initiate the Safe Harbor Room, MusiCares' support system at major industry events for artists and crew members facing addiction issues.

"Not everyone realizes that the GRAMMY Awards is a production that begins with rehearsals on a Thursday and lasts until the broadcast on Sunday," says Lasher. "Musicians, managers and executives needed a convenient place to reinforce their sobriety. The irony is that the first Safe Harbor Room was a bar at Madison Square Garden. The booze was locked up."

Today, Safe Harbor Rooms promote recovery and a sense of community for artists and crew members nationwide at major events such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the Vans Warped Tour.

While a sense of community can be helpful to the addiction recovery process, challenges emerge for friends and loved ones of musicians who are battling addiction. According to Al-Anon Family Groups, an organization dedicated to helping friends and families of alcoholics, "Family members and friends do not cause the alcoholism, and cannot control or cure it." The organization invites people to offer encouragement and compassion while understanding that addiction is a disease. At the same time, Al-Anon teaches people to work on themselves and not focus on the addict. This loving detachment can be difficult to practice, particularly in music circles.

Lasher recalls a story about a prominent rock band in which a concerned drummer confronted the lead singer and suggested he go to rehab. The singer insisted he was "replaceable." When asked about this type of real-world scenario, MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer states, "If you care about human beings, you have an ethical duty to try to help them. Losing a job is a small price to pay to save a life."

Kramer was arrested in 1976 and spent more than two years in prison due to his drug addiction. Now clean, Kramer is a music composer for film and television and the founder of a nonprofit organization, Jail Guitar Doors, which raises money to buy new guitars for prison inmates as a means of therapy.

While some may believe that concerned loved ones cannot help an addict who does not want help, Willingway Hospital Medical Director Dr. Robert Mooney disagrees. Mooney provides addiction medicine and psychiatric services to alcohol- and drug-addicted patients at the privately owned specialty hospital located in Statesboro, Ga.

"We've had patients arrive in the backseat of a sheriff's car, resisting, handcuffed and shackled," says Mooney. "These patients can be just as successful as someone who comes to Willingway freely."

While addiction remains a complicated issue, MusiCares Executive Director Debbie Carroll is proud to point out that education about addiction in the music industry has come a long way. For example, MusiCares has developed a program that assists band managers with their efforts to keep a band and crew sober while on the road.

"We've developed a Sober Touring Network, designed to provide support regardless of where an act travels," says Carroll. "Once a tour is planned, the manager can rely on this source to find 12-step meetings nearby the hotel or venue at each stop. In the rare case that a meeting is not convenient, we can help access a support person to meet the person in need or bring a 12-step meeting to them."

With the resources provided by organizations such as Al-Anon Family Groups, Willingway Hospital and MusiCares, addicts — along with their friends and colleagues — have more access to help and support today than ever before.  

"Sometimes, I'll get a phone call from someone who is calling simply because their manager or a friend told them to call me," says Owens. "I can often convince them to allow me to help them get sober. When I can't, I plant the seed that I'm here when they're ready."

(Michael T. Mena is a partner in the Redondo Beach, Calif.-based PR and marketing firm Ileana International Inc. He is a former record industry executive who enjoys championing music and music-related causes.)

Top
Logo
  • Recording Academy
    • About
    • Governance
    • Press Room
    • Jobs
    • Events
  • GRAMMYs
    • Awards
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
    • Store
    • FAQ
  • Latin GRAMMYs
    • Awards
    • News
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Cultural Foundation
    • Members
    • Press
  • GRAMMY Museum
    • COLLECTION:live
    • Explore
    • Exhibits
    • Education
    • Support
    • Programs
    • Donate
  • MusiCares
    • About
    • Get Help
    • Give
    • News
    • Videos
    • Events
  • Advocacy
    • About
    • News
    • Learn
    • Act
  • Membership
    • Chapters
    • Producers & Engineers Wing
    • GRAMMY U
    • Join
Logo

© 2021 - Recording Academy. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • Contact Us

Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.