Duff McKagan, the bassist for Guns N’ Roses, recently opened up about a traumatic experience during his teenage years. While on the Rockonteurs podcast, hosted by Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp and session musician Guy Pratt, McKagan revealed that Iggy Pop helped him through a “bad mushroom trip” that he experienced when he was just 14 years old. The Stooges frontman’s performance that night brought him down and helped him to recover from the psychedelic experience. McKagan has often spoken about his issues with substance abuse, which is something he has been sober from for the past 30 years.
McKagan confessed that he had turned to drugs and alcohol as a way of coping with his panic attacks, but as time passed, he had to rely on them more and more. His addiction was eventually so severe that he became hospitalized with acute alcohol-induced pancreatitis in 1994. At that time, he hadn’t drunk a glass of water in over 12 years and was on the brink of losing his life. This incident forced him to confront his addiction and embark on a journey towards sobriety.
The bassist’s third studio album, Lighthouse, was recently released. It features collaborations with the likes of Iggy Pop, Slash – his Guns N’ Roses bandmate – and Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell. McKagan’s story of addiction and recovery is one that he often shares, with the hope that it can inspire others who have struggled or continue to struggle with similar issues. In recent interviews, he has been keen to raise awareness of the impact that addiction can have on mental health.
McKagan’s experience with Iggy Pop shows the powerful effect that live music can have on people’s lives. For McKagan, Iggy was more than just a musician; he was a “waypoint” in his life’s journey. The healing power of music is something that many people have experienced, and it is just one of the many ways that music can contribute to the betterment of people’s lives
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