New Orleans singer, songwriter and guitarist Anders Osborne has been in the music industry for more than 40 years. He’s gained a devoted following over 16 albums by blending deep, funky New Orleans soul, incisive singer/songwriter self-reflection and absolutely lethal six-string skills.
Much like Georgia native Randall Bramblett or Texas musician James McMurtry, Osborne might not be on the top of the charts but his fans have fueled him through four decades of grit, grace and power.
Osborne has also been clean and sober for about 16 of those 40-plus years, and rather than simply keep that struggle to himself, he’s looked outward, coming up with a way to help musicians in recovery stay sober on the road.
That dedication to helping others is what organizers of the 6th annual Recovery Jam say makes him a perfect fit to headline the day-long arts and music festival at The Refinery on April 12.
“We’re delighted to have Anders playing,” said The Recovery Jam’s co-founder, Charleston’s Ray Spellerberg. “Here’s a guy who’s well-established in the music industry and well-loved by his fans, and he’s taking the time to reach out to people who may need help. That’s a really powerful thing.”
What’s in a name?
The Recovery Jam is one of the most interesting festival-type events you’ll find on Charleston’s schedule. Every musician onstage, and most if not all of the production staff, is either sober or in recovery. The festival is designed to celebrate their efforts.
Get it straight, though: This event isn’t a lecture. It’s a day of fantastic music that features Osborne, Grammy-winning vocalist (and former Screaming Cheetah Wheelies frontman) Mike Farris, country singer/songwriter Brian Fuller (who just landed a publishing deal with Sony) and acclaimed Charleston spoken word/rap artist Christian Morant.
No one’s going to preach recovery to you, no one’s going to judge you for having a beer and you can even check out the work of six brilliant visual artists while you walk around with your brew.
This event is a celebration, whether you’re sober or not. It’s about art, not the lifestyle. There will be a section of the festival called “Recovery Row” that offers help and services to those struggling with addiction, but it’s not going to be onstage.
Spellerberg is emphatic about that point.
“It’s a completely different message than what people have been exposed to in the past,” he said. “We want EVERYONE to come out and enjoy great music. The approach is that we’re having a great concert and, oh by the way, these people are also in recovery.”
Interestingly enough, in our separate conversation with Osborne, he echoed Spellerberg’s sentiments.
“I don’t think the idea is to be exclusively sober,” Osborne said. “These two worlds, sober and intoxicated, can live together in a really harmonious way. I think it’s important to stimulate the sober experience next to intoxicated experience. They should not be valued as ‘One is less than the other.’ ”
Clearly, Osborne’s vision more or less matches that of the Recovery Jam, so it makes sense that Spellerberg is delighted to have him on board for the Jam’s biggest year yet, one that sees them moving to The Refinery for the show for the first time.
Which brings us to how Osborne specifically helps musicians struggling with alcohol and/or drug addiction.
Voices of a movement
Anyone who’s been on the road as long as Osborne has knows the temptations of the touring lifestyle, so he created a way to help people avoid it. It’s a program called “Send Me A Friend,” also the title of an Osborne song.
“It was an idea that came up when I had just recently gotten sober,” Osborne said, “and I remember struggling because I had to go back to work. I mentioned it in an AA meeting, and these two older gentlemen said, ‘Well, what if we come and sit with you and keep you company, and give you some accountability?’ And I remember how comforting it was.”
Based on that experience, Osborne developed the “Send Me A Friend” program.
“I created a network using a database of people with some sobriety who wanted to volunteer,” he said. “They come out and they sit with the artist or the sound guy or anybody in the music industry that needs to go back to work. And now we have several thousand people who are registered and who help people every week. It’s been working pretty well.”
And that, he said, is exactly the kind of message musicians, and music fans, need: You can be in the music industry or enjoy a show AND stay sober.
“We have an epidemic in our community and across the nation,” Spellerberg said, “and it’s not talked about in a way that offers hope. Our message of living an extraordinary life in recovery is really a message of hope. And if someone can relate to musical performers and their emotions about recovery on a deeper level, we’ve planted a powerful seed.”
The Recovery Jam will take place from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. April 12 at The Refinery.
1640 Meeting St. North Charleston. Tickets $135. Find more info and the full list of performers at recoveryjamchs.org.
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