TED NUGENT Weighs In On TAYLOR HAWKINS’s Death: ‘Substance Abuse Is Selfish’
During today's (Friday, April 1) edition of "The Nightly Nuge", a news-style clip in which outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent offers his take on the news of our world every night, he reflected on the recent passing of FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. Ted said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's heartbreaking on so many levels. Fifty years old with a horrible, long-term celebration of substance abuse. I'm not… Well, I am casting judgment because substance abuse is selfish. His wife and daughter, they should have been taken into consideration. Is spending time with your wife and daughter more important than getting high or less important than getting high?
"I've told the story many times, but I've witnessed it," Nugent continued. "My bass player Greg Arama — so gifted at 15; listen to the bass part on 'Journey To The Center Of The Mind' by the AMBOY DUKES — and the guy was just a gifted, a virtuoso, a savant of groove and musicality. And he started smoking dope and ended up with heroin and died when he was — I don't know — early 20s. And the future he could have had. I told Jimi Hendrix, I said, 'No, I don't want your dope, and it's gonna kill you, Jimi.' Bon Scott [AC/DC] would come to the studio when my band was recording 'Weekend Warriors' [1978] out of Miami and AC/DC was coming in [and working on] 'Highway To Hell' — just phenomenal musical powers. And he'd come in drunk every day with a [bottle of] Jack Daniel's or an Old Grand-Dad [whiskey] and he'd go, 'Hey, Teddy, try some of this.' And he smelled like a diaper. What a talent. What a nice guy. These were all nice guys.
"But what happens is the music can be so overwhelming, the delivery of your comedy or your art or your dream, it can be so obsessive that it's hard to get rid of it. You know how with just a guy that doesn't make music, sometimes it's hard to get a song out of your head? Well, think of how difficult it is for those of us that make the art. And if they don't have a bow and arrow — and a lot of people will dismiss this as being just absolutely too simple, but it's not; it's perfectly simple — if you're so obsessed with delivering your art that you can't escape it, they think drugs and alcohol with help. It only makes it worse.
"So, if you loved Taylor Hawkins — I loved him; I loved the man; I still love him," Ted insisted. "But I love his wife and daughter more. Because they didn't break his heart; he broke their heart.
"So, God rest Taylor Hawkins's soul and all those stoners and drunks that died prematurely. Thank God for every day you're above ground. Breathe deep, concentrate on the positive and show reverence for your gift of life and your sacred temple. Do not poison your sacred temple. It's that simple."
In February 2021, Nugent revealed during a Facebook Live stream that his "mom and dad were alcoholics. I didn't know they were alcoholics. I thought they just had a Tom Collins [cocktail] every night — whatever the hell that is — or a martini with olives," he said. "So my mom and dad were smoking, drinking alcoholics. And I was surrounded, in the rock and roll world, by smoking, drinking, drugged idiots.
"So what's the difference between a person that falls for that versus a person who defies that? I haven't the faintest idea," he admitted. "Because I think God gave all of us everything we need.
"Some people look for an easy way out, and some people don't. I didn't. I think it was just shit luck. 'Cause my brothers and sisters smoked and drank, and they didn't even surround themselves with goofball rock and roll dirtbags. I did."
Ted went on to say that most of his influences "got high — right in front of me. And I admired the living shit out of 'em," he said. "The MC5, they were all stumbling, puking, stupid drunk and stoned, and I admired them beyond description. But then it caught up with them, and I said, 'Oh.' Thank God I didn't go, 'Hey, they're smoking a lot of hashish, and they're just kicking out the jams. Maybe I'll try the hashish.' And luckily, I didn't. Luckily, I watched them blow up. I watched the drugs and alcohol destroy the energy that I admired, destroy the groove that I admired. And to this day, Wayne Kramer is a dear friend of mine. Wayne, I love you, buddy. And he knows I love him. And we have great conversations. And he's probably polar opposite of my ideologies. But not really, because he has a work ethic, and he's a family guy, he's a loving guy, he's a productive guy, he's a conscientious guy, he's a caring guy. But I think to this day, he thinks that dope is essential… I don't wanna presume — I had a conversation with him not that long ago where we disagreed on the use of marijuana and other intoxicants, or whatever category you wanna put 'em in.
"The point is that lucky me, I could differentiate between the delivery of the things I admired versus the occasional and, more often than not, conduct of those that I admired," Ted added.
"Jimi Hendrix offered me his drugs, and I said no. John Belushi offered me his drugs; I said no. Keith Moon offered me his drugs and alcohol, and I said no. Bon Scott offered me his drugs and alcohol, and I said no. I said no to everybody."
Back in 2018, Nugent said that Canada was "absolutely crazy" for its decision to legalize marijuana, explaining that he has "never seen one moment of positive outcome from someone getting high." He said: "I'm all for medical marijuana, I'm all for medical anything, as long as it's really beneficial to people suffering from health issues, but to legalize recreational comfortably numb is a guaranteed script for ruined lives."
Nugent has served on the boards of more than two dozen political and charitable associations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.), and Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) law enforcement program.
Related Articles
-
‘The Day Before’ developer uses unpaid “volunteers” despite being Steam’s most wishlisted game
news
Part-time Fntastic volunteers are given "cool rewards, participation certificates, and free codes" for their work The post ‘The Day Before’...
-
Singled Out: The Sons Of James’ Boswell
news
Florida-based melodic skate punkers The Sons Of James recently released a new single called 'Boswell'. To celebrate we asked...
-
‘Jet Set Radio’ spiritual successor ‘Bomb Rush Cyberfunk’ drops official trailer
news
Cyberfunky style in just 33 seconds The post ‘Jet Set Radio’ spiritual successor ‘Bomb Rush Cyberfunk’ drops official trailer appeared...
-
Agency behind Momoland to debut new girl group next year
news
The forthcoming act will feature 'Girls Planet 999' contestant Nonaka Shana The post Agency behind Momoland to debut new girl...
-
Red Hot Chili Peppers Nominated For Best Rock Song Grammy Award
news
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award in the Best Rock Song category
-
Ed Sheeran Announces Another Impossible-to-Google Album
news
He also shared a performance video of the song "Visiting Hours"
-
Taylor Swift and SZA Officially Shut Down Feud Rumors: ‘So Much Love and Respect’
news
Stans, don't start shit
-
0 Comments
Recent Posts
- Here’s when ‘Only Murders In The Building’ season 4 is coming to Disney+
- Vince Staples announces new album ‘Dark Times’, shares video for ‘Shame On The Devil’
- Tributes paid to ‘9 To 5’ actor Dabney Coleman, who has died aged 92
- Vince Staples Announces New Album Dark Times, Shares Video for New Song: Watch
- Vince Staples Announces New Album Dark Times, Shares Video for New Song: Watch