Skyler Ray grew up in Vancouver, Washington, facing abandonment, foster homes, and homelessness by the age of 18. What followed was years of drinking, drug abuse, and a severe dope addiction that left him in and out of jail and prison throughout his 20s.

00:00 Skyler Ray’s Dark Years & Introduction

00:47 Locked In Podcast Beginnings

01:37 Road to Recovery Tour & Spreading Hope

04:07 Giving Back Through Music and Recovery

07:07 Skyler’s Difficult Childhood & Foster Care

14:09 Moving In With Dad & Early Teen Challenges

17:39 Abandonment, Attention Seeking, and School Life

22:05 Homelessness as a Teenager

25:48 Addiction, Street Life & Paranoia Park

29:45 Homeless Addicts: Myths & Realities

33:31 Doing Whatever It Takes for Drugs

36:26 The Harsh Cycle: Jail, Addiction & Recovery

42:09 Jail Psychosis, Paranoia & Dark Stories

46:00 Wild Tales from Behind Bars

50:55 Life on the Chain Gang & Dorm Drama

53:45 Jail, Prison, & the Desire for Change

56:33 Deciding to Get Sober for Music & New Perspective

01:00:23 Building a New Life: Boundaries and Accountability

01:02:44 Why Recovery is So Hard

01:03:28 Rebuilding Through Music After Sobriety

01:09:02 Meeting Kayla & Leveling Up Musically

01:12:00 Getting Hepatitis C & Overcoming Shame

01:14:39 Family Relationships & Setting Boundaries

01:17:31 Lessons to Younger Self & Final Reflections

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