Sober Motivation: Sharing Sobriety Stories - From World Cup Success to Alcohol Addiction | David’s Story

Episode Date: July 24, 2026

David had reached the kind of success most people only dream about. He was performing around the world, creating music, and achieving goals he had worked toward for years. But behind the scenes, he was carrying unimaginable grief.After losing both of his parents within a short period of time, alcohol slowly became more than something to unwind with. What began as an occasional escape turned into a daily battle that eventually led to rehab, jail, failed attempts at sobriety, and nearly losing everything.In this episode, David shares the moments that shaped his addiction, why high-functioning alcoholism can be so difficult to recognize, what finally broke through after years of trying to quit, and how faith, family, purpose, and recovery helped him rebuild his life.This is an honest conversation about grief, identity, relapse, shame, forgiveness, and the hope that recovery is possible—even after years of believing it wasn’t.If you’re struggling with alcohol or supporting someone who is, we hope David’s story reminds you that you’re not alone, and that change is always possible.David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidcorrey/Sober Motivation Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/app/sober-motivation-app/id6759266291Sober Motivation Website: https://www.sobermotivation.comSupport the Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/sobermotivationContact me anytime: [e-mail] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there's anything I've learned in the last 16 years, it's this. Quitting drinking is so much easier when you have people walking beside you. That's exactly why we built the sober motivation app, a place to connect, attend up to 60 live calls a month, make new friends, track your progress, and find support every single day. Not doing everything alone is the turning point for so many. I've created the platform, but you have to bring the willingness. If you would like to join us, head over to sober. Motivation.com, and I'll see you on the inside.

I had to hit the lowest point of my life, cuffs, jail, DUI, verge of divorce, kids, you name it. And at that point, unfortunately, I almost feel like those addicts are, we're willing to accept not waking up the next morning. There's many of times I didn't want to. Alcohol is a slow death. Point blank period. It's a slow death.

You couldn't have paid me to think I was going to have an issue with alcohol. Sometimes the people who seem like to have it all together are carrying the heaviest weight. Today's guest shares how success, loss, and alcohol slowly became intertwined and what it took to find his way back. And this is David's story on the sober motivation podcast. If you could use some support on your sober journey, come and check us out on the sober motivation app with 60 monthly support calls, a community that understands and many more tools to help support you. Head over to sobermotivation.com and I'll see you on the inside. Don't forget to like and subscribe if you're enjoying the podcast and leave your thoughts below in the comments. Now let's get to David's story.

Welcome back to another episode of the Super Motivation podcast. Today we've got David with us. David, how are you? Feeling great, man. Thanks for having me here, brother. I'm really appreciative of this. Yeah, same, man. So what was it like for you growing up?

That's a loaded question and I'm glad we got time. So I think as I got older, I was able to unpack everything. But I was born in Brazil. I came to America when I was two. I was adopted by my parents. And they raised me. So that's always been like a, I don't want to say a struggle, but like when you are young and you don't understand what adoption is

or why your skin colors this way. You have so many questions, right, as a kid. So my childhood was absolutely nothing but love. I couldn't have been of age enough to realize who was looking to adopt me and pick a better pair of two heels. So I had a great childhood. And I think the main thing that I've realized, one of the, like, pivotal things of how I was raised, if I was raised any different, I don't think I'd be here on this earth. And I hold them so high.

Yeah. Where did you grow up? Yeah. So my family's from D.C. and I was raised in Maryland. And I forget exactly, like, I don't have any real memory of it, but we lived somewhere outside of D.C. when I came to America and I was raised in Maryland. And then that's when they moved out to Riva, which is Annapolis area. So it was like a slower, more, I want to say country, but like, you know, out the way. And I had such a great childhood, man.

I mean, we dirtbiked, we craved, we played sports, we fished. It was just like stumbling across the music was really just a nudge from God of something like I didn't plan. It's just something that kind of chose me. And that's why I'm very grateful for the path that I've had. And it's been so unique. I feel like every person's journey is unique in their own right. But being adopted from Brazil and coming here, when the adoption wasn't maybe such a prevalent subject, that was the most difficult part to really understand the uniqueness instead of like feeling like weird about it.

I think that was a struggle of mine personally. Yeah. Like how old were you when you kind of put those pieces of the puzzle together and maybe start working? through that. Yeah, that's a great question. And it's wild. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was about between five and six years old. And if you look at the Wikipedia in Reva, Maryland, there was me and this crab house. And this crab house is a staple. And anyone's been to Maryland knows about the crab cakes there. So he took me after school. We went to go get some food. And before Matt Quest and all the stuff we have on our phone, he just whipped out this big mat. And he was

like son he's like you know i love you right i was like yeah of course he's like he might have a lot of questions but he just pulled out the map he's like mommy and dad mommy and daddy we came from here and we came all the way over here to Brazil and he was like your uniqueness is what's going to carry you in your heart he's like and i never want you to forget your roots and i always want you to know that there's love in this house always for you and i don't remember a day that my dad didn't tell me you love me. And we couldn't be two of the furthest different people. And not that this matters or anything, but I guess this is kind of where like the difficulty of trying to figure everything out was, but I'm this Brazilian kid. They're two, two white people and, which I don't care

what color you are. I'm just saying in my brain as being a younger child, I'm asking all these questions, why is my skin this color and all these things? You know, kids would say things. And I'm like, man, I don't know. Those are my parents. I don't know what you mean. So that was a real beautiful thing. And I don't think it really clicked from me just how amazing and beautiful and powerful my story was until, and we'll get there later. But when I got my deal for the World Cup, I think with Coca-Cola, that's when I was like, wow. I was able to go back to my motherland and kind of just put these pieces together. And so there's just a really beautiful thing, man. So my journey of darkness wasn't until they were taken from me, unfortunately.

I've always been an underdog. I've always kind of operated with I have something to prove. And I really start to like unwind in my sobriety and realize why I was so mentally tormented. For me, their love was unconditional. I might not have physically came from them, but I just had this like obsession to like, hey, man, I'm enough. I don't want to feel like I'm some charity case that you guys came over here. I'm not a project. And that's not how they viewed me at all.

This is what's going on in my brain. So I almost feel like that was like the ace and the whole trick in my bag as far as my mentality, because whatever I put my mind to, I was just so obsessed to accomplish it. And that's kind of been my whole journey, man. Like whatever obstacle was thrown in me in front of me, I was able to move through it. The thing about me and my story is certain people go through things. I feel like the things that I had amassed at that point that I'm going are compounded. And these are things that maybe one sees one or two of them in a lifetime.

But when it happened, it all happened at once. And that's what really just, excuse my language, that's what fucked me up bad. Like, I'm like, imagine getting. And this is what I, when I talk to young people, I always ask them, man, really know who you are and what you want and know if it costs too much, aka your soul. If it's removing you from the moral aspect of what you believe in, it's too expensive. So for me, I have grounded my entire life to get my moment. I get my moment and God just, you know, and this is where I struggle with my faith. And obviously I believe in God, Jesus Christ.

But at that moment, you know, as young adults, we watch, we do what we see, right? And I couldn't really understand. It's like, wow, I'm getting all these amazing moments in my life. My mom dies of cancer. She retired to die a month and a half later. And then my dad passes away Christmas Eve night. and I'm amassing all of this new fame and talent and all these things that I thought I really wanted. But the reality is I struggled with survivors guilt, imposter syndrome.

Like, these people saved me. Like I was telling my wife, I would not be here. I would not be here in front of you if these people did not do all of these things years before I came to you. So like my gratitude poured out of me. So they say you grieve, they say. But I'm saying like when you love somebody that much. And at that point, I'm 27, 28 years old. I'm on top of the world.

And everything that I care about and really love that money can't get back or an accomplishment won't fix, that's what I'm sitting in. And I'm at this age where who am I able to connect with that understands what I'm really even going through? Most of my friends still have both their parents. You know, and that alone was just like, I'm like, I don't have any brothers or sisters. So it's just like, as I'm ascending to this place that's a very difficult place to even break through and get, the most important things in my life are taken from me. So I think there's just a, and the crazy part about my journey is, yeah, of course, bro, I was around music, man. I've seen every drug in the world. But like that, I told you how I was raised, bro, like, I'm trying to accomplish things.

So I didn't eff around in high school and college. I was one track mine. Like I'm like, y'all, I want to move close enough to home, but far away from enough. Like, far away enough from it. So I always had a mission, bro. I didn't care what someone thought about me in high school or college. I was already in 2020 when I was like 18 or 15. Like, I saw what I wanted.

So that was always important and part of who I am. So what I think is unique about my story is that I allowed people into my journey to see all of it raw, right? and to wake up Christmas Day and post your dad died and you're like 27 years old and people like view you like your, you know, this whatever they view you as. And I just didn't know what to do, bro. I really didn't. Like I was never been so stuck in my entire life of like, who am I? And then evaluating the people behind me and, you know, they say a lot of things in sobriety,

people, places, things. That could not be more truer because I'm still processing almost the, year and a half sober now, I can't even watch some of the stuff I used to do because I associated with the person I don't even recognize anymore. So that was kind of difficult. So when I first got sober, I was like, bro, you're David Cheney. I don't care about David Corey. Like, we got to figure this out. When I went into rehab, I was 100 pounds, 100 pounds. And so what also happened is while I'm falling into my addiction, what became something that we can hide so. well, I would view me as a professional, right? Because when I got on stage, even people that knew I had

an issue, and I don't even know I have an issue at this point, their famous saying was, there he is, Mr. Show Up every time. So this whole, like, this subconscious is building like, you know, this is my liquid courage. Like, I could do anything. And I'm like, I'll never let anybody make me feel like this low in my life again. So I just became friends with the thing that tried to kill me essentially. I know that sounds crazy. What's the definition of insanity, right? Um, so I think that was really hard for me to shake. But the hardest part too, man, the ego, like that, that alone, like, I haven't been to rehab a million times. I'm not scared to admit it. Um, nothing, just nothing worked. And once again, I'm assuming you've heard a million stories. So for me, a stubborn, driven,

obsessive type person. Yeah. I was a. supposed to stop until it was my time to stop. And I'm the type of person. Sometimes I have to touch the burner 20 times faster than somebody else. I can tell you this is hot and you'll believe me. You're like, yeah, I don't want to mess with that. Me, I'm like, I can't be that hot. He doesn't know he's talking. I will test everything. And unfortunately, but unfortunately, brother, I had to crash out to cash in. It's that simple. And I know that sounds horrible, but I had to hit the lowest point. of my life, cuffs, jail, DUI, Virgil divorce, kids, you name it.

And at that point, unfortunately, I almost feel like all of us addicts are, we're willing to accept not waking up the next morning. There's many of times I didn't want to. And I'm still here, man. So my whole testament to being here is that what I've learned is, The pain never goes away.

That I, every holiday for me, I can feel my survival mode technique kick in where like I zone out and I want really nothing. I'm there, right? Even in sobriety, I'm here, but I'm still very quiet. And I start to like notice my tendencies. But the pain never goes away, but the love you have for them, you keep that alive, man. And that cannot weigh all darkness. And you really got to stay near the light because every day the devil's trying to test me in. New levels, new devils, man.

And I was ascending at a really young age to all these major accomplishments. And, man, talk about not being in touch with who you are. Talk about that you think that an accomplishment is what defines you. I have to do this. And it's like, I just, what I needed to do looking back on it was get low, my man. Get low and tell the people I trust. Like, hey, I need you to hold this down. I don't know when I'm coming back

if it takes a year, if it takes two years. And I didn't do that. I essentially got myself so busy and consumed in the thing I still love, right? I love music. I do this from a very pure place. There's been a multitude of situations that I could have easily turned the other cheek

and done something that's completely corrupt, something that never align with my soul. And I think that's always been an open thing for me, Like, yo, bro, I'm not with that. Like, I do this from a pure place. I operate from a standing Carolyn Cheney mentality of, like, keep your head down, and it can't rain all the time. And that's from, like, one of my favorite movies of The Crow and Brandon Lee.

Like, certain things, man, I'm a movie buff. So, like, there's a lot of things. I love Underdog movies. I feel like those kept me alive, dude, Rocky, like, all of that stuff, man. I don't know. But there was a sinister side created in my addiction that, really didn't mind being the villain at one point. And that is scary to believe that like you're that out of touch with the reality.

So yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. I've talked so much, man. That's okay, dude. I mean, that's what we're here to do. Thanks so much for sharing all that too.

I'm curious to how, you know, alcohol kind of got introduced to and like a lot of people share a story of progression over time. It might not have been in one night where it's like first time I drank and consequences and disaster the next day. Like, what was your experience? Like, was this introduction and then over time, leaning on it more and more?

You know, and then you talk about some of those events that really had an impact on you? Yeah, as I play the tape back, because you got to, you know, you got to go through it to grow through it, bro. Unfortunately, you got to have a lot of difficult conversations with yourself, a lot of tears. And yeah, mine was a very late progression. Clearly, like, I'm in a music industry, man. I've seen people do all kinds of drugs, all kinds of weird things that you see on Netflix now that have been myths for years. So it's like, I had seen things. And I'm like, yeah, that ain't me.

Oh, what can I do? I'm too small to go to jail. So I'm not messing around with that. I'm like, oh, alcohol is legal? You know, and back in the day, bro, that's such a big part of our culture that, God, I remember so many parents now that I remember being around that we're alcoholics, right? And, you know, my dad was an alcoholic, but he's the sweetest man in the world. So I never saw that side of what addiction can do. So I was introduced to it young, but I didn't really start drinking.

Yeah, it was, man. It was such a natural progression. I'd say college, random parties, you know what I'm saying, high school, random parties, not anything I ever leaned on. It wasn't until I started living on my own, had my own bills, no kids yet, but what did you do to unwind when you? went to work and you were grinding. Like, that was our culture, right? Like, I have a couple drinks. What I started to notice was the tolerance increase. I'd have one beer one day. I was, again, I was drunk after one beer when I was like 21, 22, right? A couple beers. I was like, oh my God. But every climb that came with more pressure, my brain didn't know what to run to

to unwind anymore. So, and like I said, I'm not scaling my life that I don't think what I've done is better than anyone or anything like that. I'm just saying, like, I just have recognized, like, when I went to Berkeley on a four-year scholarship, that's a amount of pressure, like, John Mayer, Megan Traynor, like, I'm like, man, like, I'm here, like, I can learn so much. And, like, I just remember, like, the first time buying beers off a homeless dude in Boston, I thought it was like the coolest thing in the world.

Yeah, bro, I got the beers. We're going back to the room. And then I think, like, fast forward. When I was forced to drop out of college, I suffered with polypsis disease. And I had no idea what that was. Once again, I'm breaking all these weird things. It's like, what the heck is polypsis? And they were like, hey, man, you need to go see an E&T.

Boston is such an older city. I didn't realize when I moved in my new apartment that all this mold and dust had created like these little balls. Now, if you've heard stories of like Jennifer Hudson or Justin Timberlake, they had like nodules on their throat. Mine were in my nose. So I was talking like this low. Everything was like, I'm in music school. I'm like, dude, I'm here to sing. I can't even talk right now.

So I had to drop out of school. I had to go to E&T in Philly. And they were like, hey, man, you know, you might sing better or you might not ever sing again or you might sing worse. But what we do need to do is do this now. about an eight inch needle stick up your nose remove everything I had to cast over my nose

for about two months and I had to learn how to talk again it took me a year I had to write notes on a piece of paper and then I remember during that time

just what my depression looked like that you know I could have been 11 in the morning could have been 9 in the morning could have been two at night like two a morning like it just didn't matter

what time I just remember I'd start casually start drinking a little more then I get over it and I start opening up for everybody Oh, stage fright Oh yeah You know what?

I'll have a couple drinks Everything is a natural progression And crazy part is when I got on X Factor I made a pact of myself And I'm only like 23 at 24, 25 at this point And I'm like, yeah, I'm not drinking this whole show Even when we lived out L.A., I did not drink until the last day

When I found out I got kicked off They had all the adults And they're like, all right, Andy, I know you guys are adults. Can't let you all go to the bars, but if you guys want to go to the liquor store, we'll take you. And I remember crushing that whole six-pack like it was nothing. And I know that's small. I'm just letting, I started to pay attention to the progression.

Then I get on the Coca-Cola tour. Excuse me, then I do my deal with Coca-Cola. I have an official anthem for the World Cup. My mom dies mid-tort. I come back from Haiti. Excuse me, I come back from Mexico. I'll never forget this story. This is what broke the camel's back.

This is when it was a free fraud. This is when ego plays a significant role in lying to myself. Come back from Mexico. My dad calls me, David, where are you at? And the way he asked me, I knew something was wrong because I was like, bro, I just got back from Mexico. And I was like, you need to get over here immediately. And I'll never forget this. It's like scarred in my brain.

My mom was in the background. Stan, you're scaring them. Well, just be over here as soon as you can. For whatever reason, think about all the other things out there. in the world I could run two to do. But I got in my car and I remember we just did a club event about a week before I left.

So I had like two bottles in my car. That was the birth. Like the real birth. Even before I found out the news, I just remember in that car was just mashing a bottle of Syrac. I'm not a big dude at all, right? So I get there.

Not even 10 seconds. I'm like, yo, cut the shit. What's wrong? I have canned. the day this year. I was like, tell me it's not stage four. It's stage four. I break down crime because in my mind, like when I heard the word cancer in stage four,

I'm thinking death certificate. And that day, that's where it went to 1,000. But it's slow because I'm still in control of doing these big, big things where no one's catching me like that. Because I'm thinking about it

almost like a professional. All right, bro. Memorize your stuff to the point where you could be half asleep. know it. So if you had drinking in the mix, that's a fake, cheap euphoria, right? So not only you're going to remember it, you're going to come with this energy, right? And yeah, when I found out my mom died, that is probably one of the wildest stories I've never shared in my entire life. And I'm glad we're here right now with you, Big Brad. I'm glad we're here to talk about this,

because this shit haunts me to this day. So, and I even recorded a song with my mom's last conversation. I don't know what told me to do that, but I did. It's called Mama, we made it. We are in London, in shortage. And I had known my mom has cancer, right? But I'm like, my dad's, my mom is such a hustler and such a good mom, great mother, the best mother in the world, that she's not even trying to worry me with this. I can't stop thinking about it. I only got one, you know, well, my mom that birthed me, who I've met, who I'm very grateful for, my mom that raised me. That's my mom, you know, and I wouldn't even, I was like, I don't know what I would do if something happens to one of the else. So anyways, we're in London and my dad was just like,

hey, man, over these next, like, you know, this next month or two, like, just make sure you have access to your phone. So I just remember we just got back from a vent. We're all in the hotel and my dad calls me and I've never heard my dad cry. Not like that. Like, just picture this 225, 230-pound army bar. bred dude and I can't even understand what he's saying. And I'm like, pop, pop, slow down, slow down. What's going on? He was like, David, your mom, they said that's two weeks left to live.

Now, at this point, that doesn't even sound real to me. I just remember in the room just collapsing to the floor. My manager at the time, my tour manager and my DJ are like my big brothers. And both of them had lost a parent at that time. So I couldn't have picked a better scenario to console me and these are like my brothers. And still. And he's like, why don't you call your mother? I'm right here.

And I called her. And just like my mom in true fashion, I was like, mom, I'm in London. Dad says you got two weeks left to live. Like, I can't lose you. Like, I don't know how I'm going to exist out here. You saved me. You gave me the best life possible. Like, I need you, Mom.

Like, I cannot let, like, this is not real. She's like, it's like, Mom, you know, I have to go to Asia. that's another like 13, 14 hours away. My mom's response, David, she's like, you are doing everything you ever said you wanted to do. She's like, I could not be more proud of you, my son. She was like, I need you to keep going and keep spreading your message.

I love you. First off, I'm like, how amazing are you for saying that? Just to think of me over your situation. So for whatever reason, I was convinced. So the next day we get on the plane to Asia, I make all the Coca-Cola reps like aware like, hey, man, they're like, hey, you have our blessing. At any given time you feel in your soul, like, you need to leave. That day, over the next 48 hours, is probably the most alcohol I've consumed, and I'm still active.

That's how I knew I, we call it, me and my wife call it the invisible line. Only you know when you cross over from abuse to really addiction, in my opinion, like, And you have to go back and really think where that threshold is crossed. And I know that was my time. So we do an event that morning. I'm exhausted, like 13-hour time difference. And we have two events in the morning, super early. And we have one event at night.

And we get through them. And it's connected to a wine cellar. We're, bro, I also, I abuse my power, right? Like, I'm not being told no. We have access to whatever I want. So I'm sliding into something and professionally covering it. It's such a, like, what I think is a classy way to do it. So we get to Asia, and I look at both of them,

I'm like, bro, I'm not getting a call while I'm working at my mom died. That's not who I am. And I know some people can do that or some people have been in that, but I was like, I wouldn't be here without these people. These people are my life. My parents are my life. So I told them, and that night, bro, we pulled a hangover. I don't know if that was to like make light of the situation, but like we went out and partied in Indonesia like rock stars.

It was the most chilling experience looking back on it because we have to get up and they're obviously coming back with me. And they fly us back from Indonesia. We landed Dubai. We land back in D.C. And I remember drinking that whole flight. And of course, I took advantage of the amenities and how much I could. get and I remember the first thing I did when I landed back in D.C. and got to my, got to my house was I grabbed the beer and I remember chugging it and then remember I told you to bring it

back. I had two bottles in my car. Finish the other one. Surprise my mom at this point she has a wig on and there's massive amounts of people at the house. No one knows I was coming back and this is how I know God is real. This is how I know my mom held on to see me because it went by this fast. I flew back. How many hours? Almost 17, 18 hours of travel. Didn't tell anybody. I get in.

I opened the door. I remember the door. I remember like it was yesterday. My mom had a wig on and the two people that made it for her. I just remember my mom doing this. It's just like a click of her head, right? It's clicking her head. Just, oh, my God, David.

And everyone's like, oh, my God. Aren't you in Asia? And I was like, as soon as that happened and I went and hug my mom, not even less than 10 minutes. was she screaming out of control, body out of whack, and she was in hospice the same day and gone two nights later. So I believe in my soul that she hung on for me. And I wouldn't have that situation any other way.

And one of the most beautiful things I've also never shared is the last night my mom, obviously she's not verbal at that point. Me and my dad slept in the hospice with her. It was probably one of the saddest, most soothing, most beautiful, hard things I've ever experienced. He sat, he slept on the recliner. I slept on the couch. My mom was right here. We wake up the next morning.

I go back to my house, grab some stuff. Real early, just wanted to, you know, hit the gym or something, even if it was 15 minutes, something to clear my mind. As soon as we get there, as soon as I get there that next morning, I ask everyone if they want food, bring it back again. Went to mics, tried to pick up some food. Not even eight minutes on the drive, my godfather calls me and said, David, your mom's eyes opened up. And for anyone that doesn't know what that is, they're about to pass. And I, you haul, I mean, I'm talking skirt it back there and she's gone. I see her take her last breath.

And that's when I saw my dad, which really, really threw me down a real, real dark path, which made me pay attention to more like, oh, my God, my dad might be an alcoholic. Am I an alcoholic? it, but this is when he really, this is where I needed my father. This is the things I would talk to my dad about now. You know, like, he just wasn't him. He lost his best friend, his soulmate,

and that was the first time I basically kind of heard him and being, you know, being raised in such a faith house. That's the most negative I've heard him talk about faith, God, everything. Never, I don't think he ever went to church after that. I don't really, it just got dark. And that's now I remember, you know, all we ever did, you know, not all we ever did. I love my father. But I'm saying we drank a lot together.

And I was supposed to move to L.A. I put money down on a place and something to my soul said, I cannot be far away from my father. There's no possible. I was able to see my mom and I was still working. I don't care how many flights I have to take when I have to leave. So I remained close to him, about 15 minutes, maybe 20 minutes. maybe 20 minutes away. And there's so many nights I can recall just going to check on him

and having to take him upstairs because he's drunk. He can't walk. You know, and I love my father of death. But like, if you've been drunk before, bro, there's a high probability you've probably pissed yourself before. I can sit here and admit something crazy. Like, you're so drunk you can't control your bodily fluids. And that's hard to say out loud, but those things scarred me.

I remember coming back one night, my dad's got his favorite hat my mom bought him on the whole house is black it's like 11 o'clock at night he's in the middle of the kitchen on the island he's got all her pictures around mumbling i love you i miss you i'm gonna see you every day like shit like that is haunting i'm still a young man like i'm i'm not my front lobalism my front part of my brain is not developed enough maturely i felt like in 11 year all over again and i was like i don't know what i'm gonna do here And then, yeah, my dad passed away Christmas Eve night, and that was about two years after my mom.

And I was obviously with the wrong person who I had a child with, who was absolutely to this day, like something I'll just plot it on my downfall. And you add in all these things, bro, wrong people around you, wrong person to lay next to you and your parents dying, while you're trying to navigate new fame, new money, opportunities while trying to keep the life is great guys everything's great i think the part of me that people really appreciate respect was i talked about it and i put that pain in my music and i realized how many random people stories that i had seen on instagram that have helped me they'll never know that

that's why every time i see something powerful or somebody gets one day sober a week 20 years i get a huge empathetic heart because i remember how many times i had to do you know go back and start from zero all over again. And I remember how many random stories have saved my life. And I don't even know them personally. So I almost felt like an moral obligation to, hey man, you want to self-sabotage,

hurt yourself. I know this is horrible to say, but I'm like, you want to help somebody, do what God gave you, put that into music. And that, to me, is what I really feel like kind of separated me. Because there's a lot of stigmas on how I look and I do

this type of music. Man, I watched my YouTube videos for the first time in almost a year and a half a week, two weeks ago. And it was a hard watch because I was able to come up with some of the deepest raw, truthful songs that when you see someone like me, you wouldn't expect me to sing them, patient, I'm only human, gone tomorrow, they crossed my heart. Like, it's just these big songs on my own elephants. Like there's these songs that, you know, I think some people, I have a horrible association with drinking, But I think the thing I've had to realize is I've also had some amazing situations.

I've also had amazing times in my life where I was drinking with friends and having a good time. So I just recognize, hey, bro, that's not for you anymore. And to make light of all this, God could not have removed me from something that was killing me at more of a perfect time. Because I have a 20-month-year-old and an 11-year-old that witnessed a lot of dark things. And for him to give me the grace and to be my biggest supporter is probably one of the most powerful motivation. things. He sees everything. He's 11 going on 20. Kids are brain and he's just like, dad, like, Davey, this is, this is what underdogs are made of. These are the stories people need. These are the stories that make me want to be a better person. He now, like, is so aware, like, you know,

he's 11. Like, he gets older. He can look back and be like, nah, I'm not. That's not for me. My dad went through. Like, so, like, in the disturbance and dark parts of this, there are some major blessings and I would say the number one star player in this besides God my parents is my wife bro my wife yeah is the biggest reason why I'm still here outside of my faith and my family and the spiritual aspect my wife she saw what it how does she describe it she's like babe you were like this perfectly wrapped Christmas gift under the tree And then you open it. And it's all these broken pieces of like the thing you wanted your whole life.

And it's like, well, how many people get these? How can I help put him back together? And not change me because she didn't try to change me until it's like, hey, this is gone too far. I need to set boundaries. But like she never judged me in my worst moments. She never used me in my worst moments. And that's why she's my best friend. And I would do anything for her.

And I love is so strong. It's my best friend, dude. And she's the biggest reason why I'm here. And moving to North Carolina was the smartest thing I've done. And as I recognize this today, it was the only place I've been able to be to have success in my sobriety. And I don't even, the crazy part is this, to know how much I was drinking and how, bro, 96 pounds was the smallest I was. It was like so bad to the point where it's like, now comments are getting backed. Like in my hometown when I would go home,

words getting around like, yo, I think Dave is doing Coke. I'm like, bro, I've never done cocaine in my life. But maybe I haven't stated this, but I was dealing with body dysmorphia on top of addiction where I wouldn't eat for days in a gym obsession. So aesthetically was what,

is you know how people are like, man, you got a six-pack, but like they're unhealthy, like their diet's horrible. It was, it's the, perfect version of why social media in general is devilish if you don't really understand reality. Things can look good, but you have no idea what's going on. Be careful what you worship. Be careful what you feed into because people aren't going to tell you the raw truths. And that's what I think has been special about my journey. I have had the outlet to put it into music. And I think that's what's really outside of my wife, of course, and my faith is music has

saved my life in so many ways. It's so deeper than to me than to make a dollar. And I fell in love with this before I knew before the internet and before I knew what money was, bro. Like, that's why I think when I came to North Carolina, I'm so used to a fast-paced life. It wasn't until I sat down, got quiet, and I really got the answers from God I needed. And now I look at it like, dang, why did you ever drink? It's the craziest. It's like, yo, bro, how much money, time I've wasted on something that was killing you. It's insane, bro. I mean, I must have spent hundreds of, I mean, it's just taking advantage of all the people

that were going to hook me up. And then I look back on it as my wife would always tell me. It was like, Dave, baby, you don't think people knew you were an addict. You don't think people use that to take advantage of you. You don't think people were ever like, oh, yeah, if D.C. comes, man, just if you get, give him a couple bottles. He's alcoholic, you know, come, whatever it is. Now that I play the tape back, how much easier is it to see when somebody's an addict how much you can take advantage of them?

It's sick, bro. We live in a sick world, unfortunately. And like I said, the smallest cliches, they're cliches for a reason. People, places, things. I'm not around the same people anymore. I don't live in the same area. I don't have the same expectations on life. I don't put all this pressure on me.

And I'm in the present for the first time. And I really believe not only the alcohol kept me. stuck. But I started to become the shit I used to make fun of. That was the heart, like, oh, look at this drunk loser. Bro, that was you. You can't throw rocks from a glass house, bro. Like, that's, and that's what I was doing. You want to talk about living in hypocrisy? It was, it was horrible, man. Like, so that's why I say sometimes it's hard when someone will be like, hey, man, I loved, you know, this song. I'm like, oh, God, yeah, was I drinking then? Yep. Oh, you know, that's great. I try to keep it to myself because it's so,

hard for me to go back and play the tape. But I realized that's, that's where I was, man, and I had to give that version of myself grace. Because at that point, I knew nothing else to do. I have no mom, I have no dad, I'm estranged from my entire family. I have zero brothers, zero sisters, a person that I'm with that's trying to take full advantage of me. And I'm so consumed with this, and I'm like, man, that's not even a real issue to me. Like, here, just get out of, like, let me buy some time. Like, this is the issue. And when my dad died, bro, that, that was it. I just became a different person. I was a savage, bro. I was like a night version of Batman. And I had no rules. I almost felt like I made a deal with the devil. And that was scary for me. Tito's was my thing,

man. I'm crushing handles a day. And the crazy part is we'll get to a spot at night and then like, someone will start drinking like man this thing's strong and I'm thinking this is how messed up my brain is oh man you went like that's like my fifth one you don't even know it like don't and in my industry you can get away with a lot of things and that's what I'm saying I started abusing the things that I knew common people might not be aware of but I don't even wear sunglasses like that anymore if you look at my Instagram look how many photos I'm wearing sunglasses now I wear them when it's really sunny out I'm on a golf course. But I don't even remember last time I did the interview where I'm looking at you face to face. Well, looking, I always look in the eye, but I don't remember last time I didn't

have glasses on because I'm always trying to hide. Then I had jaundice. My skin is weird. Like, I'm emaciated. I'm so skinny. I don't even realize it. And then everything is kind of coming back to my wife behind closed doors. And it's like, this dude doesn't even know it. My wife put a tracker on my car. There was so many things I didn't realize. It was that bad. I was so lost. But yeah. And I'm sure you do as well, Brad, but I get asked

about advice a lot of times from younger kids and be careful who you lay with. If you're not me and you don't have a problem, but you take it too far one night, like really step back and think about, is this something I have

to do today after I just did it then? I think Denzel said it the best, man. Amen. Don't play golf for a week or don't do this for a week. If you're not, I mean, grant, that's a horrible thing. I can be addicted to golf. I am addicted to golf. But it shouldn't be an issue.

You know what I'm saying? If I asked you to do something, and I realized that when someone really said it to me for the first time, I'm like, yeah, I'm not worried about it. But clearly I'm on, I'm headed towards blackout mode. So I think like, yeah, I can put it down tomorrow. Bro, if I didn't go to the gym, and sweat that stuff out every day, I wouldn't have been able to operate.

So, like, in real time, I'm tricking myself while trying to maintain the status quo of a face card while not letting anyone into the self-sabotage behind closed doors. And it caught up with me, man. When I got down to North Carolina,

the first two years we were here, worst two years of my life. Worse than when my dad died. Now, not worse of how that moment felt, but now the consequences are kicking it. So am I bad if I'm ranting, dude? This is always so...

No, you're good, man. It's always so cool to talk about, man, you know, just to be able to share this because so many powerful stories that people have got a chance to share. And I want to know, I want people to know, like, when I jumped back out and released my first song, Sober, that was the coolest experience in the world. man. I never in my life.

What song is that? It's called fake news. And such a powerful song, man. And kind of coming off like the sexual R&B to jump into like, hey, man, this is where I'm at in my life and I'm going to wear this. And I want to create some sort of awareness without being too preachy, without being too overbearing and kind of slowly, the reaction was so incredible. and I've always been an artist. I'm very diverse. I always said, like,

hey, before I die, I want to be able to play back every kind of genre. And this year alone was, like, in my personal opinion, some of the most personal music, and I never thought it would be possible to create music sober,

which is crazy. So for the first few months, when I was in there, I just made sure I had, like, a water next to me because I was always so used to, like, in between takes going, grab my cup. So to now realize I don't need any of that, it's just a blessing, bro. I'm just happy to be

here. Like I said, I, for all of these things that transpire in my life, I felt like, I put myself on the island, man. I mean, I hated Father's Day. I hated Mother's Day. I hated Christmas. Every holiday, I'm getting on a plane. I'm going somewhere. Black out, black out the curtains in the hotel, get messed up. Go rogue. for six or seven hours and then somehow creep back onto your timeline during during batman hours where the worst things could happen and they they did and it was like yeah yeah just to kind of get out of that cycle of the same shit every day and every addict has their they're fixed I had my loop I knew hey man don't go to this too many days in a row right switch it up like it's sick that we have

to like think to like, bro, it's part of your lifestyle. Listerine bottles, cologne bottles. I was putting alcohol everywhere. And it was just crazy. Like even when I got sober and like double checking the house, like, where's your hiding spots? Where's your hiding spots? I think the first six months, it wasn't even hard to like dump it out.

It was just like, you idiot. I was more mad, right? But like, you know, a lot of these. golf events, they are liquor sponsors. I'm not even thinking about that. Like, now it's just like, man, I'm just happy to be here, bro. My motto is this, man, you might, you might appreciate this. If you like it, I love it. Like, that's where I'm at in my life. What someone else does is not my business, but if you're asking me, I'll tell you. And to be honest, bro, I got a pretty good gauge on reading the

room. You'd be surprised how many people, when I play golf or like, you know, you got three to four or five hours with somebody. I'm like, my man, are you asking questions just to know? Are you asking about you? Are you asking for somebody? How many people I've had like broke down their walls? I'm like, nah, man, it's me, brother. I just haven't met anybody that was real enough to tell me the truth.

And like, I keep it real. Like, hey, bro, if you're not me, cool. I understand. I wish I could just enjoy a glass of wine and dinner. That ain't me. Yeah. It's just not who I am. Like, hell not.

Like, that is not me, dude. Like, I used to clown people like that. Like, so, like, and that's how, how, how, how the hypocrisy is insane. So, I just wanted to really just, through my music, keep showing people. Because when I got sober, bro, I became a new father, learning how to be sober again, working and being a husband. They tell you in the first year of sobriety, don't put too much on you. I had pushed the limit so. far that it's like, bro, sink or swim. You did it too late, but you just did it perfect time for you

and the life that you want. So that's kind of what happened with me. Yeah. I'm interested too. Thanks for sharing all that. I'm interested too. When did things switch for you, right? Because you're bringing up the ego element successful in, you know, all these other areas of your life, but internally really struggling. Some people around you, it sounds like they definitely knew. Some people might not have known. How do you start reaching up for help? You went to rehab. too, right? It was more than once? Like, how do you get into rehab?

That's your choice? Yeah, so basically, you know, I've known for such a long time, man, and this is why there's so many intangibles, like when I feel like somebody's getting sober. And this is why they say people play some things. It wasn't one person around me that can relate to losing both parents.

So who am I going to around me that I'm with on a day-to-day basis to do work that I can really talk to about that. So I'm suppressing that. Then if you make the statement like, hey, man, I'm not really feeling this. It's like they put the pressure on you to do this. And I'm not blaming them.

I'm just saying, and then I'm like, man, I don't have time to take a seat right now. I do not. I'm this age once. I got the energy. So it's like as I started coming to these little weird obstacles, I still knew deep down inside. I think that guilt just drove me into an extra gear

to be like, bro, You drink. So what? Be smart about it. Be a professional. Not realizing I'm creating a habit in a cycle of actually living. And I mean, shoot, man, to be 100% honest with you, it got to a point where I knew how bad I was, where I would schedule everything. I'd be like, hey man, can you come over at like 9 in the morning? Because I'd be up at 6 in the morning, still going to the gym, sweating it out, have myself a nice little cocktail. So I'm chilling at that point. No shakes, right? But I'm drinking progressively. But they're not really. realizing I'm not slurring. I'm not none of that. But by 435 o'clock, 6th at the latest, I am a different human. And I'm realizing this stuff. And I would even have the shoots and do things where I can control it. That alone is a major problem. So at a certain point, I became

unreliable. And every day was an excuse. Like, man, I'll come out tomorrow night. We're not missing anything. And then the other side of it was I'm in a different space of notoriety, so I have to really move smart with where I go. So that's where I really went inward, and that's where isolation was created. When my dad died, I had nothing but time, money, and space. So I was bringing everything to me to the point where I wasn't even going out, unless I had to, literally. Like, bro, there's no way to get out of this. This is what you have to go do, either getting paid or this is a promise you made. You cannot break that face card. But in music, get this for yeah bro wear your sunglasses oh he's an artist you just get away with a lot of stuff

you're not wearing your sunglasses into rehabs and stuff like that i mean you can and i did at first because i'm so in bro it's all ego once you quiet that crap and realize what's really important you know how much more frugal i became how much more in touch with myself who david really is what i really enjoy i'm a simple person bro i have my fixes i love the gym i love golf i tell my wife all the time for any human watching this, no matter how busy your schedule is, if it's 15 minutes to 30 minutes a day, find something that fills you up. It can be silly, it can be nostalgic, it can be passionate, whatever it is, because we all need that, right? And I realize after a while of kind of getting in this habit, I'm like, yeah, it can be that simple. Even though life is not simple and you're still going to keep getting bad days.

just like, what did I do today that made me laugh or smile? Are my kids happy? Like, this has made me go so much more outward than inward as far as, like, being present. Like, it would go inward and I would shut down and I wouldn't talk to anybody. And my wife has put up with a lot, bro. So it's just like I've changed so much.

But I think the biggest blessing in this is, man, how good does it feel when the wife looks at you and says, hey babe, I'm going to be going for like 10 hours, 11 hours. You got the kids, right? I got it. You can put the kids down in night. I got it. When they really trust you.

Yeah. When it's, you know what's crazy? Bro, we did an event. It was a golf event when we went to Pittsburgh last week. And I just, I don't know why, but I was like, you know what? I want a club soda. And I want, I want pineapple in there. I want limes in there.

I want lemon there. I just, it was hot. I wanted that. Now, granted, I used to drink Tito's and Club. That was my thing. You couldn't pay me to drink. You couldn't pay me to drink, right? But I just came back and I was just like, hey, babe, you want some try it?

She just looked at me like this. I'm talking about a millisecond, but that millisecond could last of the lifetime. You could see all the years of my abuse and the PTSD. And she looked at like, oh, yeah, that's good. I'm like, what you thought it was alcohol? She's like, no, I just, yeah, you did. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like, that's how much trauma.

When you're in addiction, you do not realize how many other people you are affecting because you're so selfish, you're so narcissistic, you're so egotistical, you're so dark. Man, I heard a lot of people. I had to make amends. And I told them, I was like, bro, if you can forgive me, I promise you I'll be everything that you used to believe I was times 20. And sobriety is not only giving me a new life, it's giving me a different purpose. And I think as a man, you know, when you're shifting in life, your foundation has to be so strong. Because bad days are a part of life, bro. I think that was the misconception in the early sobriety.

Like, oh, I get sober. My life is perfect. Hell not. Things can follow you for years. You know what I mean? Like, there's stuff that's happened eight years ago that's still coming up today. And I'm like, God, I don't even know who I was eight years ago. And I still have to deal with it as a sober man and have to go have to live.

difficult conversation. So the progression was just so incremental and so small, though. Like it was like, but they're so major when you look back because how I look at it like, he's crossing over, he's getting closer, he's getting, there, that's an addict. In plain sight, you can sit here and fight with yourself, David, addict behavior. But there is a part of addiction where you are functioning. and some function at a very high level. And I don't think people even whiffed for two seconds.

I'm falling into addiction with everything going on. Bro, social media, you can see everything that's going on. So to see me go one day and I'm doing this, and next day it's this death and this death. And oh, my God, wait, he's adopted. He doesn't have brothers and sisters. And what is he going to do? Like, you know, bro, yeah, I had a suicide attempt. And it was one of the scariest days, bro.

I never forget it. I was at the gym. I was at Edgewater Fitness and Edgewater, Maryland. I'll never forget it. And this was the first time and the last time. I never, I didn't. So I was on the treadmill. And one of the trainers, who I'm good friends with,

he could just tell I was going through it. I'm sobbing in the gym. It's peak hours. Now, I'm at the end on a treadmill. So I'm constantly going like this, but I just remember he just jumps up. He's like, you want to talk about it? You good man? I'm here for you.

And I was like, you have no idea how much that meant. And I'll never forget this if I don't see anybody again. And he's like, what? He's like, man, don't talk like that. You know me? I'm just like, I'm just joking, but I'm being serious. Send off my last text messages to about four or five people, put it on an airplane mode, have a whole plan written out, and everything is at the house waiting for me.

And I hit that loop again to bring it back. the loop of all the bars I can go to, and I know that it's like a 10-minute loop, no matter how drunk I get, well, I believe in my brain, that I can make it home, right? And I go to a spot. I'll never forget it.

And I pull out, and as I'm pulling out, you see this car behind me viciously pull out too. I'm like, oh, there it is, going to jail. And I'm like, eff it. If we're going to jail, we're going out in style. And I speed, because I'm like, nobody's stopping my plan. And my plan is my last goodbye.

to go to my parents' gravesite. And they're both buried next to each other near the loop of my home. And I get there and I realize as I'm pulling in the cemetery, I'm like, why don't I know that person? And it's the first person I met when I came to America, my best friend, my brother.

And I'll never forget it. And it was him and his wife and he got out of the car and he just sat there and we cried for a long time and he hugged me. And that was the first idea in my brain that I said out loud. I was like, hey, bro, I think I have a serious problem. I think I need to go to rehab. And that started probably eight years of failed

rehabs and, you know, spurts of sobriety. Pittsburgh was the longest when I lived there before I moved to Charlotte. I had about four months. Nah, about five months, four and a half, five months. Ego. I took off. No, man, I need to be doing music. This is my time. I'm young. And I get offered to do Sunday night football. Story I've never shared before. One of the best moments of my life, bro. horrible for the addiction I'm speaking personal accomplishment right yeah

but no one knows that story no one's no whatever no professional if you go back and watch it like it's 80,000 people Sunday night football you couldn't even tell a thing you want to know why

because it wasn't until after we go out to the field we do the practice run the practice run is where it's real quiet so you're getting zero feet feedback if it's good or not. It's literally like just pillars staring at you, which is super daunting. You're like, you think you're doing good and everyone's like this. Like, bro, everyone's focused on them. They don't have all the effects on. They don't have like the mic where it's

perfect yet. So you hear every little, you know, thing. And I never forget it. He's like, all right. Hey, man, we're going to come get you in 30 minutes. You got your room back there. Now I remember in the room, they had wine. In my brain, I didn't even try to crawl into something. I'm four and a half, five months sober at this point. No one knows this, by the way. We never shared this. In my brain, I'm like, you know, dang well, that wine ain't going to do nothing to you. That is not strong enough. So in that hallway, when you see Patrick Mahomes and everyone come through, there's that, there's that, like, special bar right there. And I guess it's where, like, season ticket holders have it because they're behind the glass and they can

touch the fans. Bro, I went in there. Took a shot. Two or three Titoes on the Rocks, Club soda went out there and I bodied it I killed it like I own that thing I can say that to this day like that was one of my best performances think about that pressure you're singing our country's anthem

I hadn't I had not at that point done the work to control anything and right after that I'm not realizing bro you're an addict you just drank your kryptonite as soon as I was done the rush of emotions the euphoria the oh my god bro and dot dot dot

that and you're getting invited to all these people's rooms these people don't know i'm an addict my wife does you think she's gonna blow up my spot yeah no she's sick to her stomach she's like praying like yo just be cool granted i'm gonna ring your ass out when you get home and this ain't gonna fly with us but i'm not gonna publicly shame you right now but i'm gonna say stuff when people leave and that's where i relapsed and that was my darkest relapse and then i tried I have a 30-day successful. And then I, like, first of all, Pittsburgh is one of the best places I've ever lived in my life. I'm a sports dude.

If you haven't lived in Pittsburgh, it's one of the greatest cities ever. I'm so blessed I live there. And my wife's a Pittsburgh girl. But my mental health can't deal with the fourth cloudiest state in the United States of America. My mental health can't deal with you are stuck inside for six, six and a half months of the year. All these things now I'm like paying attention to. And I'm like, I don't. and, you know, it's a drinking time.

That's promoted. Like, that's what it is. Like, it's drinking. But, you know, also has a huge sobriety community. But, like, I'm like, that's when we started talking about moving. I'm like, yo, I need to move. We need better quality life. You need the sun outside.

Then we move to Charlotte. I get sober the month before I moved to Charlotte. And I go, and I've never told anybody this story. They were so, I don't say, obviously everyone was desperate, but, like, just so open. to try everything. I went on an Abigain retreat. Are you familiar with ayahuasca and abagane? Yeah, I mean, I've heard of it. I'm not an expert by any means. Yeah, bro. And this is how I know how capable I am. The trial, I went to Costa Rica for a week.

And just to get to Costa Rica from Pitt, landed in Texas, Costa Rica. And then it was a seven-hour drive to like this like no man's land. bro I think I was 40 days sober tell me why I relapsed in Costa Rica on the second to last day and it was so ironic because I asked them to take notes

while I was sober this whole time doing these experimental you know not the experimental drugs to become an addict there like the healing drugs that they they talk about and I know this

this is a touching situation or anyone, you know, but people that do want to know, it did work. It made me open up things that I had never said. And there's two things that stand out the most to me is like, I was like, bro, take the cape off. Take the cape off and come home. And I was like, yo, the show's over. Meaning like, you don't have to put on anything anymore. You need to get in touch with yourself.

This is no longer serves you anymore. And I just. kind of gave up, man. I was like, no, no way. I'm still in denial. Still in denial. So the last day we're there, I go to the bodega. They don't even, you know, I'm just, and I start drinking.

The whole way there, I mean, the whole day, and the whole way to the airport. And my wife is so like, oh, my God, how could he do that? And she meets me in Florida. And we even try it, bro. I tried to regulate it. It was the last hurrah. and it took my life to hell when I was here in Charlotte for two years and every worst thing that can happen to you cuffs jail mental asylum correctional facility DUI and I never forget it the

most uh it didn't there was people around me like I broke down and fell to my knees in Atlanta and I never looked back and here I am today never looked back I was on the verge of everything. And we could clearly unpack hours and hours of this. But my main thing to this is alcohol is a slow death. Point blank period. It's a slow death. You couldn't have paid me to think I was going to have an issue with alcohol, especially in the culture and how things were laid out of how we grew up. And it will take the soul. It will take the man. It will take the woman. It will take the family. It will take the money. It will drain you to nothing. And the messed up part is you start to accept this version of you.

And you really don't know how to exist. I realized like, dang, I really started from ground one. Like, before I ever knew what alcohol was, who were you, bro? How did you even exist in this world? And I realized, like, I'm a man of purpose. I have to be driven by something. And I feel like addicts put that obsessiveness in other positive ways. It's the gym, if it's golf, if it's music, if it's art, whatever it is.

You just got to find your thing. And that's, it changed my life, bro. Sobriety has changed my entire life. And I'm very grateful for the people that have supported me, for the people that still support me. For you having me on here, man, if there's anything that I've said in here that can help anybody, I just want to sit back and say all the times I've seen strangers' testimonies,

there's always been something I can relate to. And some days we need to hear that. A lot of days we need to hear it. But I guess lastly, what I'll say is, I don't even think about alcohol anymore, man. I really do not. I'm actually kind of disgusted by it in the aspect of like, I can go out and do anything, bro. Like I'm around people like, you know, do you. You're not me.

Like I said, if you like it, I love it. If you want to know the truth about it and how it's affected my life of why I don't do it, I'll share it with you. Yeah. But I'm not here to ruin your vibe. You're here like I'm paying to do this. So it's like, if you ask. If you're disrespectful and you're doing something I feel like it's in my face, I'm going to say something. But I just can't believe how removed from it I am.

I can't even think about it, bro. Like it doesn't even like, I don't even think about it anymore. That is the greatest blessing I've gotten through this because there wasn't a minute I couldn't go without it. Yeah. I think that's what people worry about, though. I mean, people that are still drinking, it consumes so much time, effort, and energy, thoughts, everything and they're worried that it's always going to be that way, but the truth is it isn't. I look at it back to the before I ever drank at all. I never thought about drinking.

You know, like it was never a part of my life. And once I started drinking, that took over. But on this side of things, yeah, I mean, you see it everywhere, but it's not all consuming like we might think it's going to be in the beginning. Like that fades. Yeah, man. And it's just hard to even realize. Like I said, like I really do believe that like being an artist helped me get away with a lot of things that were cringe, that people might not have told me in the aspect of drinking and partying too much, but it's so embedded in the culture of entertainment, I feel like that's an easy excuse and an ego-driven way to get, like I said, like, man, I had to crush the ego, like a million pieces. Like, I don't care. Like, man,

I don't put half as much pressure on myself to exist in this world anymore. I just make sure I wake up do the right things and I know right from wrong I just I couldn't breathe bro my parents saved my life like that's not normal I'm adopted there's all these new stories out these are happening on the most definitive holidays I'm like yo how do I bounce back from this I don't even know who I am I don't know who to trust I don't know what's real around me I don't even know who I am anymore that's how bad it was and this is what I would tell people I want you to imagine and close you to imagine and close your eyes, the two closest people in your life that you can't even think if they left this world, what would it do to you? You can't even touch it, right? But I just want you to imagine. And I want you to

imagine that it happens back to back. And I want you to imagine that it's on the worst holidays. And I want you to imagine that you have nobody. It's no mystery why I became one. And I think that's where my grace was given because a lot of people were so empathetic about it. because they're like, yeah, I can't even touch that thought, brother. I don't know. But the reality is no one is exempt from death. It's a part of life. And it's part of love.

It's part of love's journey. And it's part of our job to keep that love alive and not let the darkness consume us. And I genuinely believe that. When the love can outweigh the pain, you'll hold on to the great memories and learn to preserve the legacy instead of living the dark. And that's what I want people to know. It does get better. But when I tell you, it's not easy.

And when I tell you, you really, I self-talk all the time. I might look crazy, but I'll be in the car and I'm like, yeah, that's not it, brother. That's not it. That's not the move. Ha, ha, that's cute. Funny thought. I still have to retract my brain sometimes. But that's just part of it.

But the older you get, man, when you have kids and stuff and you're married and you're working, like, got other shit that consumes your life. That's real life. But you're going to, like say out loud, hey, man, I'd rather go drink than take care of my kids. That's going to sit well with your soul? It's not, bro. There's no way you can look me in the eyes and tell me that, oh, yeah, yeah, I'm going to go get messed up. I'm going to go down the basement, tell my wife to take over all the parental obligations,

and I'm just going to sit down. Like, bro, that's not reality. My son is 20 months old. And the blessing is he'll never have to know that part of his father existed. He will get the talks, but he'll never have to. to see that, but my 11-year-old did. And our relationship is stronger than it ever was. I have so much love for him. That kid is, when I adopted him, that was a full circle moment for me. I adopted my wife's son, he's now our son, and I bawled like a baby in that courtroom. And I was like,

I want to make this kid so proud. I want him to look back and be like, my dad's a fighter. And that's what I'm showing him through action. Outside of love, I do. give him like I don't ever want him. I want him to think dang he was so down and he gets it. You know what he says to me all the time? It's like hey Davey like I don't even know what I would do if mommy died or you died or at least both of you. He's like man I was like I keep saying like when you say these things out loud you can't it's too hot to touch right? I didn't know what else to do so I had you know you have to go back and forgive those parts of you and you got to switch up your routine and people and places, man, because that's important too. I just feel like he got me out of it.

I've lived such a traveled life, bro. I've traveled the world. I've lived. I've done so much stuff that I don't identify with that anymore. I don't use that as what defines me as a man or a human. It's be a good father, be a present father, be a great husband, suffer and work through the hard days as a team. Say these things out loud because at this point, I don't have to go through that again. and I choose not to. And I don't know what's your take on AA or going to groups is or going to rehab. I definitely would love to hear your opinion and what's worked for you. Yeah, I mean, hey, I'm with you, man.

Whatever works for somebody. But I don't think it's the worst idea to have some people that have been through it to have conversations with that understand. You know, people want to do meetings or go to rehab. I mean, I think that there's benefits to, you know, to everything, man. Yeah, I think anybody, I mean, if you're trying to be a great golfer, are you going to hang out with basketball players? Probably not. I mean, except basketball players like the golf, too.

And I think same goes for this. But, I mean, I look at this whole journey, too, in many different angles. I mean, not drinking is just the starting line. So, like, that, like, that's great. But I do that. And, yeah, you do that in the first day. I mean, I'm more interested, too, like the people I hang out with personal development. And the other stuff you said that's so important, right?

Mentors for life and not drinking and getting sober. Like, I mean, it's a requirement for the next level. But I don't see it as, I don't see it as like the end because I got sober. And then that's the end. You know, I've made it. Yay. Like I don't see it that way. I see growth as, you know, something we can always plug into.

I appreciate you, David. Jumping on, man. And sharing so much, dude. Wow, man. That went fast. Yeah. I didn't even realize it was that fast. Hey, Brad, I appreciate, you know, you sharing this with people and whatever parts you feel like are going to hit the right people.

I'm just glad I was able to speak something on it. But I would say the power for me is in the faith, from the family. And I'm a purpose-driven dude, man. And I think every single human was born to shine. I think every single human has a talent, has a gift. And even if they don't see it, we all have something to offer. And I feel like when you can get real with yourself and lock into that, you can realize how silly all that extracurricular nonsense really is.

I just believe that. Dive into your purpose. Yeah, 100% man. And I hear a lot of people, too, as they get sober, they either start trying to get closer to maybe what their purpose is or really plugging into something that is going to maybe help them fill the time. You know, we spend a lot of time drinking. So you've got to find something else you're going to do.

That's how I stumbled across golf. I played in high school, man, and that was something I was really trying to do. But I was like, and I forgot to say this is the last thing, but like, when you are newly sober, you will start paying attention to the timeframes that you drink. Mine was between that 12 and 3. So yeah, golf was able to kind of consume a lot of time. And I was like, yeah, I'd be drinking right now. So I would almost force myself to be outside.

you know at first and now I just realized like wow you just yeah it's a lot of time there's a lot of downtime so yeah I just want to say thank you for having me bro and to anyone watching this that's struggling feel free to always reach out to me I'm happy to be a ear or a voice to you and it's not impossible it's not you can you can't trust me yeah beautiful man thanks so much yeah Brad.