NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A singer who's gotten some major buzz lately tells us an upcoming Nashville show is especially important for him to play. It's linked to a program that changed his life.
Sometimes timing just works out perfectly.
"We're a band," said singer songwriter Adam David, sitting in a room with two friends. "We've been playing the last couple of years together."
There's bass player Alton Coley. He goes by A1.
"Who doesn't love A1 on their steak?" laughed drummer Jon David Anderson. He goes by JD.
Then there's Adam. I should probably mention. He just won the show The Voice.
"Has he changed since he won The Voice?" I asked A1 and JD as they laughed.
Really, the win's been pretty great for the crew.
"I wasn't surprised," A1 said.
"He's definitely the product of consistency," JD added.
"Adam winning the show is the result of that," A1 said.
"I've kinda been giggin and hustlin for a long time, and it's blew the door wide open," Adam said.
Adam talked to me at the Nashville location of Recovery Unplugged, an addiction treatment program that uses music therapy. Adam is an alumni of a Recovery Unplugged program in his home state of Florida.
"Getting clean wasn't easy," Adam said. "I went through everything. Detox. I did the full program down there. I wanted to give myself the chance to be successful, and I didn't want to have to go through it again."
"Without this program, he wouldn't have been on The Voice," A1 said.
"I just celebrated six years clean in March," Adam continued.
"That's an amazing feat," JD nodded.
The guys are one of the acts playing a show on the night of Friday, May 30 at Riverside Revival. It will run from 6pm to 9:30pm. It's called Sober Sessions, a free-to-the-public event hosted by Recovery Unplugged.
"This is the first show we're doing right off the tail of The Voice," Adam said.
Adam said that wasn't planned. Like I said earlier, sometimes timing works out perfectly.
"This is special," A1 said. "Money can't buy this."
Part of the idea is the show will give people in recovery a supportive community. After all, Adam's found his.
"These are my brothers right here," he said, looking over at A1 and JD. "They've been with me through thick and thin."
"He's well deserving of everything," JD said before turning to Adam. "I'm proud of you, brother."
"This is a moment I'll be able to share with my brother," said A1. "This one goes in the books."
Other performers for Sober Sessions include Struggle Jennings, Noah Thompson, and Senie Hunt Project.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
Happy Birthday to the YMCA of Middle TN. They just celebrated their 150th anniversary! A lot has changed with the Y over the years. I have personally seen some of that firsthand when I was a long-time board member at the Northwest Family Y and part of their Black Achievers Program. Forrest Sanders has a look back.
- Lelan Statom
