Drugs never helped anyone’s performance. I did not leave the best for last, but the worst for a final statement. A drug, is a drug, is a drug. Any drug you consume will affect your performance in someway. There are no casual drugs. Alcohol and tobacco are legally obtained yet year after year they claim more victims to their addiction. These drugs have a very high casualty rate in the music business.
I played at a party for a famous pop singer one Saturday in Tiburon California. We were one of many groups of entertainers. There were country bands, rock bands, dancers, and artists all showing off their talents. This was in the Hippy days. The thing I remember the most is the amount of drugs consumed in one afternoon. The first thing I saw when I walked in to set up was a meat platter full of cocaine. Through out the day as the pile got low it was filled again and again. I saw first hand how bad the human being can get with consumption when money was not a concern.
The person who invited us there was a C.E.O. for a major air craft manufacture. He was second only to the owner’s son. To my amazement, I witnessed his slide from power and unlimited income, to being arrested for breaking into a pawn shop and steeling an AM radio. At the time he did this he had enough money to not only buy the pawn shop, but the entire city block! His down fall only took two months. As far as I know he never recovered. Our paths never crossed again. I have never met anyone who could control this drug.
If we were meant to smoke we would have been born on fire. Anything you smoke will affect your vocals. For some people pot smoking will change your hearing, and affect your timing. Why would anyone take something that changes your voice, affects tuning, and messes up the tempo.
When I was back stage at the Oakland Coliseum with six major acts, Arrow Smith, AC DC,Van Halen, Foreigner, Pat Travers, Jefferson Star Ship, one thing they all had in common was they were totally straight. When you have to play in front of 30,000 people, you will straighten up your act or you won’t stay there long. Now what happened after the performance, well you had to be there I guess. But that is when you can party, not while your guests are. Music must be fun to make other people have fun watching and listening to you. Drugs on stage will never be fun, funny, or fair to your audience. Remember you are only as good as your worst performance. As it says on the home page I thank the Lord for the time to practice. It is a true gift to be a musician or entertainer. May God bless you in your performance and…break a leg…..
