Ricky R. AA Male
Ricky R. AA Male

Recovery Radio Network

Ricky R shares a humorous yet brutally honest AA talk about growing up with alcoholism, his own drinking, and the fear and chaos that followed. He describes how sponsorship, service, and spiritual principles reshaped his marriage, family life, and long-term sobriety.

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1:08:04•30 Apr 2026

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Ricky R: From Boone’s Farm to Blackstone and a Life Built on Sobriety

Episode Overview

Simply attending AA meetings was not enough; applying spiritual principles and working with a sponsor changed his life.
Service and "work and self-sacrifice for others" became the core way he grew spiritually and handled problems.
Changing his behaviour at home, such as helping with household tasks without expecting praise, transformed his marriage.
Taking meetings into prison showed him that others were caught for the same things he had done and relieved his depression.
He stresses that grace is available to everyone, but each person has to actively make use of it by giving back to AA and others.

“"Spiritual principles would solve all my problems."”

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? For Ricky R, it started with fear, chaos, and a family line soaked in booze – and turned into decades of sobriety, spiritual growth, and a lot of laughter along the way. Recorded at the much-loved Blackstone gathering, this Alcoholics Anonymous talk is packed with Ricky’s trademark humour and straight talking.

He opens by thanking “God’s grace and you people” for his sobriety since 20 August 1990, and jokes that he’s “a few cards short of a full deck”, sharing stories of setting Christmas trees on fire in the fireplace, drinking from a cup that secretly held dentures, and arriving at meetings in shorts and flip-flops while everyone else wore suits. Beneath the laughs sits a serious message for anyone in recovery or supporting someone who is.

Ricky describes growing up with a father who had “at least 25 DWIs”, his own progression from Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill to jail cells, and the crushing fear that came when he tried to quit drinking on self-will alone. He talks honestly about bad sponsorship, suicidal thoughts in early sobriety, and the moment he heard the line, “spiritual principles would solve all my problems” and decided to actually try the AA programme.

Ricky walks through how sponsorship, service, and spiritual action changed his marriage, his family, and his mental health. From taking AA meetings into a Texas prison to quietly doing the dishes at home, he shows how simple daily actions keep him sober and present. His message is clear: “I need you way more than you need me,” and grace only works if he keeps giving it away.

If you’re sober, curious about AA, or just need proof that recovery can be serious and funny at the same time, this story might be exactly what you’re looking for. What kind of life could spiritual principles build for you?

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