As Flaming Wrekage’s brutal fourth album tickles your earholes, you know this is something special. …
Many people are of the opinion that rock stars are the epitome of cool—how cool their shows are, how cool it is to do drugs, drink, get all the girls–but no one really gives a second thought to the people behind the scenes, the people who know these rock stars and have to support them when the going gets tough. Really tough.
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Steven Adler addled his brain with drugs back in the 80s during his tenure as drummer for Guns N’ Roses, abusing substances to the point that he was dismissed from the band. He was an addict. His life was in danger. His mother, Deanna Adler, refused to let her son give up on a battle she knew he had to fight. In a unique run of shows, Adler will be performing with his band, Adler’s Appetite, and sitting down to a very intimate Q & A session with Deanna, discussing the drummer’s tainted past. Before that, Deanna has very deep and honest reflections to share.
People forget that these rock stars are somebody’s brother, somebody’s lover, somebody’s son. For Deanna, she faced a magnitude of hurdles once her son had been thrust into the rock ‘n’ roll spotlight. “I’ll be honest, I never, ever, to this day, ever think of my son as a “rock star”,” she says. “He’s just my son. Steven Adler. How did I feel? It was very hard, very hard. I was hurt, so ashamed, I felt so alone. It was very hard.”
Deanna documented her experiences with Adler’s tumultuous lifestyle in her book, Sweet Child of Mine: How I Lost My Son to Guns N’ Roses, a collection of diary entries, letters and photographs that served as an outlet for her to cope and ultimately resonated with many other parents in her situation. “I think the reason I finally wrote this book is because my younger son, Jamie, he said, ‘Ma, you’ve got all these stories to tell, why don’t you write a book and let other parents know they’re not alone?’ Believe me, drugs are very prevalent all over the world and I want parents to know, people to know, they’re not alone, there’s help out there.”
“After the book was published and I had it in my hand, all of a sudden, all the anxiety in my body went away. It was okay, it was okay to say ‘My son is a drug addict.’ Now, my son is okay, and he’s alive! He’s been through so much, so many overdoses, a coma, a heart attack, a stroke, and he’s still alive! I don’t know, God has to have something special in store for him, that’s all I can think of.”
Sometimes, and this is very true, when these musicians get famous too fast–too much money, too many women, the lifestyle itself–they think they’re better than everybody else. ‘I’m a celebrity, I’m a rock star.’ Steven never did any of that.
[ Deanna Adler ]
Such is Deanna’s narrative that she has had several people approach her in confidence and relay their experiences of drug addiction in their children–some of the subjects of these stories have not survived. When it comes to drug addiction, in a way, Deanna’s book is a handbook for other parents, be their children musicians, artists, accountants, she’s almost given them license to say, ‘I’m not alone. It’s okay to admit to this issue being in my family.’ “A few years ago, my daughter-in-law, she kept telling me, ‘Go to an Al-anon meeting’, where family members go and talk about their son or daughter or sibling and their drug [and alcohol] addiction. I didn’t want to go, I didn’t want to know anybody’s problems.
“Finally, I went to a meeting and believe me when I tell you, I walked out of that meeting and I felt so good, because I really don’t have it so bad like some other people! They’re telling these stories and I was thinking, ‘Oh my god!’ It was crazy. Once in a while I’ll go to an Al-anon meeting and listen to other’s stories. But no, I don’t have it so bad, I’m lucky, I’m blessed, my son is alive!”
Don’t ever think for one moment that the strength and closeness the Adler family share means Steven Adler is in any way a mama’s boy. “Steven is not a mama’s boy,” Deanna says, smirking audibly. “He never did anything I said to do, he did what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it. In fact, I have three sons and the saying in my house is, ‘Whatever mother says, you must do the opposite!’ They never listened to anything I said, they had their own minds, that’s how it is.
“If somebody said to me Steven is a mama’s boy – please! None of my boys are mama’s boys, they’re all good to me but they don’t listen to anything I say!” Deanna finishes, laughing.
Steven Adler is a person. Having spoken to him recently, he is not in any way defined by his experiences, nor shaped by his errors in life. He’s quite the character, funny, cheeky, and perhaps too quickly judged by his past discrepancies. “Sometimes, and this is very true, when these musicians get famous too fast–too much money, too many women, the lifestyle itself–they think they’re better than everybody else. ‘I’m a celebrity, I’m a rock star.’ Steven never did any of that.”
“When you watch Steven play, he sits down at those drums and he has the biggest smile on his face and is the happiest guy in the world and he feels so blessed to be able to play the drums. He is so excited to come to Australia. Everybody falls in love with him.
“Even though he was on drugs, nobody cared. They just loved Steven.”
Deanna Adler has been at the forefront of her son’s journey and been his constant supporter. He is and always has been a musician, and Deanna’s observation of Steven’s work on the drums with and without the drugs has been a point of pride. “He plays so much better today that he’s sober. He practices three, four hours every single day. I don’t know what to tell you, you’ll see for yourself. He’s a great guy. All I know is that Steven is alive and well and he’s looking forward to playing in Australia.”
Adlers Appetite performing Appetite For Destruction in full at the following dates:
Wednesday May 16 – Discovery, Darwin NT
Thursday May 17 – The Gov, Adelaide SA
Friday May 18 – Capitol, Perth WA
Saturday May 19 – The Backroom, Brisbane QLD
Friday May 25 – 170 Russell, Melbourne VIC
Saturday May 26 – Max Watts, Sydney NSW
