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Tommy Vext wouldn’t be alive today were it not for grace — and a phone call. The heavy metal singer and songwriter was poised to throw himself in front of a train when a young kid in the throes of addiction reached out for help. That one decision — to answer his phone and step up as a sober brother — saved Tommy’s life and kept the former lead vocalist for Bad Wolves on a path that today serves as an inspiration to everyone who comes into contact with him and his message. This episode of the Roll-Call with Chappy podcast unspools a career and life trajectory like none other — from unimaginably low lows to a life full of personal and professional highs; from multiple near-death experiences to transcendent peace and inspiration within his recovery.
Host Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff takes Tommy through an amazing set of life milestones. You’ll hear about the traumatic childhood roots that shaped the life of Thomas Cummings, who grew up a biracial New York kid in a home dominated by addiction and mental illness. Their conversation touches on the emotional toll that violence took on Tommy’s family — and the powerful ways in which 12-step recovery ultimately transformed his life, as well as his loved ones’. He has gone from being a young boy powerless to protect his mom, to buying her the safe, comfortable home in which she lives her life today, supporting others through her work with AlAnon.
It’s all about breaking the cycle, showing up and doing the work. “We’re not in the results business. We’re in the work business. We try to show up and do what’s right and wonderful things happen,” says Tommy, who has 37 songs ready for release, a forthcoming biography and plans to tour internationally. You’ll appreciate Tommy’s brutal honesty about the fear, pain and loss he suffered repeatedly coming up — even as he somehow resisted relapse. Whether confronting his brother’s homicidal mania or working with musicians who don’t share his ethos, Tommy explains why nothing shakes his bedrock of 13 years’ sobriety: “There are no mistakes in God’s world.”
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Connect with Peter Meyerhoff:
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Tommy Vext wouldn’t be alive today were it not for grace — and a phone call. The heavy metal singer and songwriter was poised to throw himself in front of a train when a young kid in the throes of addiction reached out for help. That one decision — to answer his phone and step up as a sober brother — saved Tommy’s life and kept the former lead vocalist for Bad Wolves on a path that today serves as an inspiration to everyone who comes into contact with him and his message. This episode of the Roll-Call with Chappy podcast unspools a career and life trajectory like none other — from unimaginably low lows to a life full of personal and professional highs; from multiple near-death experiences to transcendent peace and inspiration within his recovery.
Host Peter “Chappy” Meyerhoff takes Tommy through an amazing set of life milestones. You’ll hear about the traumatic childhood roots that shaped the life of Thomas Cummings, who grew up a biracial New York kid in a home dominated by addiction and mental illness. Their conversation touches on the emotional toll that violence took on Tommy’s family — and the powerful ways in which 12-step recovery ultimately transformed his life, as well as his loved ones’. He has gone from being a young boy powerless to protect his mom, to buying her the safe, comfortable home in which she lives her life today, supporting others through her work with AlAnon.
It’s all about breaking the cycle, showing up and doing the work. “We’re not in the results business. We’re in the work business. We try to show up and do what’s right and wonderful things happen,” says Tommy, who has 37 songs ready for release, a forthcoming biography and plans to tour internationally. You’ll appreciate Tommy’s brutal honesty about the fear, pain and loss he suffered repeatedly coming up — even as he somehow resisted relapse. Whether confronting his brother’s homicidal mania or working with musicians who don’t share his ethos, Tommy explains why nothing shakes his bedrock of 13 years’ sobriety: “There are no mistakes in God’s world.”
Connect with Tommy Vext:
Connect with Peter Meyerhoff: