Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver shares how a near-death experience forced him to get sober and all the good that came from turning his life around. He recounts tales from the road, the music he loves, and what sobriety means to him.
On this episode, Duff talks to Matt about:
- Growing up in Seattle as the youngest of 8 kids.
- Leaving home and moving to LA at 19 to escape the heroin pervasive in the Seattle scene
- The moment he realized he had to get sober to stay alive after his pancreas burst
- How studying martial arts helped him achieve sobriety
- His varied taste in music and how that influenced his sound
- Raising a family and getting to share music with his daughters
- Staying open about his ongoing mental health struggles and seeking treatment
- Encouraging everyone that sobriety is possible and the best way to live.
- And More
This episode is sponsored by The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers – one of the oldest residential drug and alcohol rehab programs. ARC is a non-profit and was hit hard financially as a result of COVID. For more information, and to donate or sign up for their quarterly newsletter, visit thechanceto.org.
About Duff McKagan
Duff Mckagan plays bass in Guns N’ Roses and co-wrote many of their most iconic songs. He formed Velvet Revolver with his former bandmate Slash and has played in many more groups including fronting his own band, Loaded. McKagan has written for Seattleweekly.com and ESPN.com. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller It's So Easy (and Other Lies), and How to Be a Man: (and other illusions). Duff lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife, supermodel Susan Holmes McKagan, and their two daughters.
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