Marcus King looks back on his experiences with addiction—and how he found clarity through sobriety.
In a new essay for Billboardthe US hitmaker, 28, has written about his past struggles with drugs and alcohol, candidly admitting that two years ago he “didn’t think I’d live to make another album”.
King explained that he believes the genesis of his addiction was exposure to substances from a young age. “Addiction ran in my family and partially ruled my life for a while. I had my first drink around the age of 12 or 13,” he recalled, adding, “I was often the youngest at a party.”
“I drank in an attempt to calm the demons after years of trauma and abandonment that I had not yet learned to deal with,” King noted. “Drugs and alcohol helped me summon my muse and overcome my social anxiety.”
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Marcus King in April 2023.
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The “Too Much Whiskey” creator “spent most of his teenage years and early 20s under the influence,” he noted.
As a result, King admitted, he only partially remembers some of the highlights of his early career. “There are many moments, incredible career-defining moments, like the first time I played with Eric Clapton, Little Feat and Lynyrd Skynyrd, that I just can’t quite remember,” he said.
Eventually, according to the essay, King “tried many times to quit drinking,” but his “sense of self still fell when I fell off the wagon.”
“I’m certainly not the first to self-medicate,” he added.
King wrote that “the music industry can be isolating with grueling hours on the road, often away from loved ones and little time to focus on your health”, noting that he made positive changes in the interest of his future.
“What I’ve learned over the past two years is that sobriety and mental health is a journey, not a final destination,” he wrote. “Every day I just need to move forward and lend myself compassion when I don’t live up to it – when I fall, I have to remind myself that I’m not screwed, I’m just screwed up.”
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Marcus King in April 2023.
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The star concluded her discussion of sobriety by saying, “Substance addiction disorders really are a disease, so don’t pass on the blame. Condemnation only pushes those of us who are trying to stay sober deeper into the darkness. It erodes our sense of self and our connection to to you—the very things that could be the lifeline of sobriety.”
In the past, King — who married Briley Hussey in February 2023 — has also been vocal about his journey with mental health.
“I struggled with it. Bipolar ran in the family,” he said Premier guitar in April. “I had abandonment issues and bad attachment styles — all things I’m exploring now [while trying] to become the best partner I can be.”
“I would just get annoyed,” he added at the time. “I’m still learning how to address them and recognize them.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
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Source: HIS Education