Posts by Steve Wildsmith
Guitarist Ricky Byrd unveils a soundtrack for some ‘Sobering Times’
All photos courtesy of Kayos Productions Although he was on the cusp of 30 back in the late summer of 1987, guitarist Ricky Byrd felt more like he was about to turn 80. By that point, the drugs and the booze were breaking down his body as much as they were his mind, he told…
Read MoreSerenity for Randall Bramblett means watering the roots of his sobriety
Courtesy of Ian McFarlane Throughout the 1970s, you could find Randall Bramblett at the forefront of some of the most adventurous rock ‘n’ roll endeavors in popular music. A Georgia boy who made a name for himself in the Athens scene, he was tapped by Gregg Allman to play as a sideman and session musician…
Read MoreAfter giving it over to God, Chad Mattson of Unspoken finds success in sobriety and music
God helps keep Chad Mattson sober, but when it comes to navigating fame, the singer for the Christian band Unspoken often looks to his refrigerator. There, written on a brown paper bag that’s followed the Mattson family from New Jersey to Maine to their current home in Tennessee, is a small reminder to keep the…
Read MoreAltogether herself: The surreal and sober journey of country maven Jaime Wyatt
Courtesy of Magdalena Wosinska The first time Jaime Wyatt cracked open a beer in the woods at 9 or 10 years old — “Miller Genuine Draft, and it tasted like the can itself,” she adds — she didn’t plan on becoming an addict. Like most of her peers in recovery, that was never on any…
Read MoreSinger-songwriter Anjimile drapes sobriety in the gossamer sounds of wonder
Courtesy of Kannetha Brown The gossamer strains of “Giver Taker” take flight with the lead-off track “Your Tree,” a gorgeous, ambient song of reflection and gratitude that colors every song on the artist’s new album. There’s good reason for it, of course: The bulk of the record was written while Anjimile — born Anjimiile Chithambo…
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