2 weeks Ago By Ken Sweeney
U2 star Adam Clayton has revealed how rock star Eric Clapton got him off the booze with a “hardcore” phone call. The bassist, 64, recounts his battle with the bottle while fronting new RTE series Ballroom Blitz, in which he tells the story of the showbands which once played across Ireland. He opened up about his struggles while discussing the late Brendan O’Brien, of The Dixies, with his daughter Aideen, who told how her dad turned to alcohol after being forced to give up performing.
And Adam revealed it was Clapton who persuaded him to quit, following a missed gig after a three-day bender during the Sydney leg of U2 ’s 1993 Zoo TV Tour. Reflecting on that time, Adam admitted: “It was a real struggle. I had reached a point where I knew something was wrong, but it wasn’t until I missed a gig that I realised just how bad things had gotten.
“I didn’t want to lose music — it was the only thing that had ever truly given me anything. “So I was lucky, a friend of mine knew Eric Clapton and they organised a call and he was pretty hardcore about it. “He wasn’t soft at all, told me you’ve got to get yourself into The Priory, and they’ll take care of you.
And I was there maybe ten days going ‘I don’t want this’. “Then I realised it seemed to be the only cure.” Adam has remained sober ever since and appeared deeply moved during his chat with Aideen.
Part one of Ballroom Blitz, which airs this Wednesday night on RTE One at 9.35pm, will also hear of the incredible career of Irish showband owner Bill Fuller. It tells the Kerry native ended up with a chain of ballrooms across Ireland and the US .
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