Jam Alker
Jam Alker is an American addiction recovery activist and speaker, and musician.[1] He is a founding member and frontman of the musical group The JAB. Alker is an active proponent of music as a conduit for addiction recovery.[2]
Early life and education[edit]
Alker was born in Bearsted, England and when he was three years old, moved to the United States with his family. His parents divorced when he was five. Alker has stated that his home life was dysfunctional, as his father was an alcoholic and his mother was codependent. Until he was 15, he spent his childhood moving frequently with his father, after which he moved in with his mother, who lived in the suburbs of Chicago. He went on to attend Maine East High School, during which time he showed an interest in performing in a band.[citation needed]
Career[edit]
Alker spent his late teens and early 20s in bands such as the Malcolm Palmer Band.[citation needed] He began using music as an avenue for self-healing while he was residing in the drug rehabilitation facility Rosecrance in Rockford, Illinois and found that his peers in the treatment center responded favorably to the music.[3] These songs would go on to form the basis of his first solo album.[4]
Solo career and recovery speaker[edit]
After being released from treatment Alker released his first solo album, Sophrosyne, in 2016. He began to perform regularly at recovery events and Chicago-area venues as a way to promote the efficacy of music as a form of addiction recovery.[5]
Alker has also served as a speaker at recovery events and venues such as high schools and middle schools, healthcare facilities, and corporations. He has espoused the goal of reducing the stigma of addiction and to promote the possibility of a full and fulfilled life in recovery. In 2019, Google invited him to speak at both its headquarters—in Palo Alto, CA, and Chicago, IL.[4]
The JAB[edit]
Alker began to form The JAB in 2018, as he needed musicians to support him in live shows. By 2019 the band was complete: Alker on guitar and vocals, Terry Byrne on guitar and keyboards, Ryan Herrick on guitar, Alex Piazza on bass, and drummer Tom Stukel.
The JAB released its first album, CONSUME, in February 2020. Recorded with Duane Lundy, the album was distributed through The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Records.[6]
Personal life[edit]
Relationships[edit]
Alker has (number) children.
Substance abuse[edit]
Alker has been vocal about his substance abuse, which at the time he justified to himself as the lifestyle of a rock star.[2] By the early 2000s his drug addiction had grown to where he was spending upwards of $2,000 per week on heroin.[1] Alker checked into Rosecrance in 2014 after becoming a father. He began writing music as a form of treatment at the recommendation of his addiction counselor, who felt that it could help him process the traumas that led to his addiction. Alker has stated that his work also helped his peers in the treatment center.[3]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Official Website". Jam Alker. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Steve, Wildsmith. "Chicago's Jam Alker finds a second life as a recovery evangelist through music". The Ties That Bind Us. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Alker, Jam. "Rosecrance Alumni Reflection: Jam Alker". Rosecrance.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Love & Addiction | Jam Alker & Caroline Dehnert Moyer | Talks at Google". Talks at Google. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ↑ Dawson, JT. "Jam Alker: From Rock Bottom to 'Sophrosyne'". Behind the Set List.
- ↑ "Official Website". The JAB official website. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ↑ "Jam Alker -Breaking Barriers". Drug Stories. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ↑ Ryan, Jim. "Butch Vig Of Garbage And Filter's Richard Patrick On Power Of Music At Face The Music Foundation Benefit". Forbes. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ↑ Hernandez, Breanna. "Jam Alker talks about how music saved his life". Muse TV. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
External links[edit]
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