“NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE” REHAB…AND “SECOND CHANCES”!

“In the music business, it’s very easy to become addicted to drugs. There is always someone around who has some and is eager to share. Although I smoke grass and do some psychedelics, during the ‘60s, in the 70s I use cocaine to give me more stamina when I have to work late in the office or the studio, and Quaaludes to bring me down from all that stress.

 

At the time no one thinks that doing ‘ludes or coke is a big deal…I even wrote a song about it… http://artiewayne.com/lude.html

 

 

 

 NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE

by Artie Wayne and Ben Benay

You can say be mine behind some wine

 

Or you’re a gas on a little grass

 

But when you’re in a lovey-dovey attitude

 

NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE

 

 

Now you can say you’re cute when you’ve had a toot

 

Or you’re okay on Courvoisier

 

But when you start to feel like you’re in the mood

 

NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE

 

 

Now one will make you crazy…two will make you hazy

 

Three you’re lovin’ everyone you know

 

Now people let me school you

 

Those little Ludes will fool you

 

You might marry someone you met an hour ago!

 

 

Right now you don’t care…but you better beware

 

With a witness there in court he’s gonna’ swear

 

He said he loved her to the greatest magnitude

 

His legs were rubber and he seemed to come unglued

 

The judge’ll bring his gavel down and then conclude

 

NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE

 

NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE

 

NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE

 

 

Copyright 2009  by Wayne Art Music and Ben Benay Music.

 

                                                                     

Maybe it’s because I represent the publishing of artists like Sly Stone and Stephen Stills, who are spending millions of dollars on “blow”, that my own “measly” consumption of a gram a day seems insignificant by comparison.

 

It’s only when my co-writer of “NEVER SAY I LOVE YOU ON A LUDE”, studio guitarist Ben Benay, dies of a drug overdose, do I re-examine the direction my own life is taking.”

 

Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne from the forthcoming book, “I Did It For A Song”

 

 

 

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     In his first book, “The Harder They Fall”, Gary Stromberg, former publicist, and film producer wrote, “I had helped build a hugely successful PR firm, Gibson & Stromberg, representing a virtual Who’s Who of contemporary music talent in the sixties and seventies. Touring the world with The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and Pink Floyd. Helping launch the careers of Elton John, the gnome-like Marc Bolan of T-Rex, Cat Stevens, The Doors, Earth Wind & Fire, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, Jethro Tull.  The list went on.  

Who had any inkling that twelve years of nonstop drug abuse was about to take me down?  

It started out as great fun. For someone essentially shy like me, drugs made me bigger and bolder. Eventually, drugs and alcohol got the best of me. The fun became depravity. I was without purpose, wrestled with my demons, and lost. The facade fell. I crashed and burned, but the will to survive took over. I was given the greatest gift I’ve ever received . . . sobriety. And with it came a new life.  
 
Five years ago I decided to write a book about recovery. Not mine, but the stories of many of the musicians I had worked with while I was in the business; Paul Williams, Chuck Negron from Three Dog Night, Alice Cooper, Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), Steve Earle, Grace Slick and Nile Rodgers. But I also expanded the concept to include interviews with Richard Pryor, authors Annie Lamott and Pete Hamill, boxing great Gerry Cooney, comic Richard Lewis and several others. Thus, The Harder They Fall was born.

Last week my latest book, Second Chances (McGraw-Hill) was released. It tells the stories of big time business executives who crashed from alcoholism and/or drug abuse only to reclaim their lives in recovery. People like former CBS Records head Walter Yetnikoff shared their intimate stories with me. 
 
I feel truly blessed to have been given the opportunity to write about something I love. Recovery, for people with addictions is the only hope, and my books carry what I believe to be a powerful message that recovery is indeed possible.” 
 

To know more about Gary Stromberg and “The Harder They Fall” and “Second Chances”

http://www.garystromberg.net 

To order Gary’s new book, “Second Chances” 

http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-Executives-Addiction-Recovery/dp/0071591621/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236265463&sr=1-4