Gary G. – Sober Since February 1983

Gary G. – Sober Since February 1983

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation with Gary G. gives a straight-up look at what long-term recovery can look like for someone rooted in both music and alcoholism from childhood. Gary grew up in a house where his dad led a big band and his mum sang in it, with music filling the rooms and late-night rows fuelled by her drinking.

He recalls seeing alcohol dominate the home and quietly clocking that something "wasn't quite right" with his own drinking years before he admitted it out loud. By college, Gary was booking rock bands for his dad, playing drums in a popular cover band, and working six nights a week in hotel clubs and country clubs. The booze was free, the parties were constant, and his career was thriving even as his drinking slowly took over.

There’s a striking moment when he describes sneaking a half-pint into his tuxedo at a gig and realising, "this is not good" – but still being unable to stop.

The turning point comes in a shopping mall, when an old acquaintance, John, walks past and casually says he’s quit drinking, quit smoking dope, and goes to AA where "life is good." That one sentence sticks in Gary’s mind until he finally calls John, turns up to a snow-covered meeting in February 1983, and hasn’t had a drink since.

As Gary puts it, "I knew that everything that I'd tried wasn't working, that I looked at AA as the last hope." Across nearly four decades, he talks about sponsorship, 90 meetings in 90 days, long-running home groups, Zoom meetings from Guthrie, Oklahoma, and the spiritual reading he still does every morning. He reflects on marriage, divorce, and learning to be a better partner without leaning on alcohol.

If you’re curious how AA basics and steady connection can carry someone through 39 years of sobriety, Gary’s story is well worth your time – what parts of his journey do you relate to most?