I believe it might have been in Parade.

It could have been in a different

interview, but correct me if I'm wrong,

but I think you've said that your wife

saved your life.

>> Oh god.

>> Along those lines.

>> Yeah.

>> Why is that?

>> Because I was running pretty hard. I was

running hard

back in the day.

>> What does that mean?

>> Well, I was drinking a lot, which that

didn't stop after we got married, but

she beat it out of me after a while. I

was just doing everything. I was I was a

kid in a candy store, you know,

especially after I got successful.

>> Mhm.

>> And never had any money before, never

been around any of that stuff before.

And then all of a sudden, it became a

tool that was useful till it wasn't.

When faith came along, I was burning it

wide open when we met and uh she started

tapping the brakes for me.

>> How did she do that in a way that didn't

repel you?

>> Well, look at her.

>> Well, I mean, Right. Yeah. I mean, yeah,

she's she's got a lot on offer. This is

this is for sure. But like I would

imagine, we don't know each other well,

but that strong willed guy.

>> Mhm.

>> High gear, high intensity, high

velocity, kid in a candy store, like

Faith is incredible on a million

different levels. And you also have a

lot of options around.

>> Mhm.

>> So, what allowed her to dial some of

those things back, which ended up being

really important long term for you and

for both of you? Mhm.

>> without scaring you off in a sense.

>> Well, A, I knew that I was at a point

where I needed to slow down.

>> Got it. So, you had the self-awareness.

>> I had the self-awareness that that I

needed to slow down at the time. B, when

we met, we were 28 years old. So, we

were a little older. We both had

success. And then C, once I met her, I

didn't want to lose her.

>> What was it about her?

>> She's just magic. She's magic. Not just

her singing and her looks and all that.

Then of course that's all a bonus. But

as a person, she's just magic. She just

lights up a room and she lit me up and

still does. And I wouldn't be the same

artist had had I not met her. I

certainly wouldn't have the career that

I've had had I not met her. Certainly

wouldn't have lasted as long. I wouldn't

have lasted as long. I would have burned

out really quickly, I think. Especially

if I had lost her after I found her. If

I had lost her because of not

sort of bringing myself around a little

bit, then I definitely would have

been in a downward spot.

>> So, you guys met a 28. When did you

change the drinking?

>> It took a while. I mean, it certainly

calmed it down quite a bit and it

fluctuated. You know, it would be times

where it was not bad, then times where

it was bad, and then it just got to

where it was just got out of control,

and it was that's when she set me down.

Well, actually, she'd set me down a few

times, but actually, there was one

morning in particular where I woke up

and realized that it was 7:00 in the

morning.

I was going to have to take the kids to

school soon and I realized I had a

bottle of whiskey in my hand at 7:00 in

the morning and I had the bottle in my

hand. I walked straight back to the

bedroom and told her that I need help.

She goes, "All right, let's do it. I'm

with you." And she stuck by me the whole

time. And look, it's not been a linear

path as anybody knows that's ever gone

through that kind of thing. It's not a

linear path. There's always pitfalls and

steps backwards and steps forwards, but

um she's a rock. She's a rock.

>> You know, this is just a random random

thought, but

at some point, if you haven't met Lear

Hamilton and his wife Gabby, Lear

Hamilton's

>> I know Lear is. Yeah.

>> Yeah. In any case, a lot of parallels.

>> Yeah.

>> In your lives. And I think also Gabby

Ree

>> who used to be a professional volleyball

player. In any case, just a lot of

parallels, intensity, right?

>> High gear

>> and it's very common, at least among my

friends certainly and even in my case

way back in the day. It's like that type

of intensity can also get misapplied or

reapplied to something like alcohol.

>> Absolutely.

>> It's not always a selective intensity.

>> No, it's not a selective intensity. And

then when it becomes a physical

dependency, then then you're in trouble.

>> Then you're in trouble.

>> Yeah. How has fatherhood changed you?

>> Wow.

Well, you certainly see with different

eyes and it changes what your definition

of love is more so than even getting

married. I think when you have children,

there's such a responsibility and a

weight that comes with the all the

brightness and the light and the love

that causes you to realize that that's

your true eternal life

is your children and how they carry

their perception of you forward.

And it's a scary proposition because

you're not going to do it right. Nobody

does it right. You just hope you do 30%

of it right and you just show up, you

know, and do the right. But I think the

thing that it changed more than anything

and I think anybody would tell you this

and it's and it's pretty simple is it

takes a lot of the selfishness out of

you. And part of you has to have that, I

guess, in order to to succeed and to to

push forward. But um boy, it takes a lot

of selfishness out of you and puts a lot

of drive and passion and responsibility

in thinking of the future

in your path, which provides more

structure for you. Mhm.