I’ll admit it. I used to think pop stars who canceled tours “due to exhaustion” were just being divas, or worse-yet, downplaying a major drug or alcohol problem… until I suffered a breakdown on tour that effectively ended my career as a performing musician and sent me into a tailspin of depression, anxiety and alcoholism that lasted a decade.
As the founding drummer of Maroon 5, I endured physical and psychological injuries from the relentless touring in support of our album “Songs About Jane,” and in those days, there wasn’t a whole lot I could say to prevent the problem from escalating to the disastrous point that it did.