Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, now 17 years sober, is set to open the doors to a residential recovery program, Divided Sky, in his native Vermont with the caseworker who helped him after he was arrested for heroin possession and driving under the influence in 2006.
Phish Cram the Jams and Trampolines Onto Cubicle-Sized Stage for 'Tiny Desk' Concert
“We want to be available to everybody that needs help. It’s a place of healing,” Anastasio told People . “Everybody who works there is in recovery. Virtually everyone understands, and there’s no judgment.”
After taking OxyContin in 2000 after a dental surgery, per the outlet, Anastasio developed an addiction to the prescription painkiller. Four years later, however, he developed a substance abuse problem and nearly lost his family. That year, Phish went on a two-year hiatus from 2000 to 2002, and again in 2004 until 2008. “I lost my band, then I almost lost my family,” he said. “Drinking and drugging, for me it was a slow death of isolation.”
When the frontman was arrested for heroin possession and driving under the influence in 2006, he thanked the cop. “The minute I got arrested, I was relieved,” he said. “I knew it was over,” Anastasio says.
He pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge, and spent 14 months in a drug-court program, completing maintenance on a fairground in upstate New York. According to the outlet, Anastasio hasn’t touched a drink or drugs since then.
Melanie Gulde, his former caseworker from almost two decades prior, serves as Divided Sky’s program director. “She saved my life,” Anastasio said. “She’s a badass, but she’s also very loving.”
Phish Bring 'Evolve,' and a Goofy Aerosmith Parody Cover to 'Tonight Show'
“I hope people take away the fact that humans are resilient. Recovery is the greatest gift we can give ourselves,” said Gulde. “Divided Sky came about as Trey’s desire to give back on a bigger scale. I have had countless people tell me that Trey has been an inspiration for their own recovery. We must do the work, and that is exactly what he does.”
The center does not put patients through detox, which Anastasio said helps to keep the cost ($7,500 for 30 days, with financial aid available) down. “So basically, you know you’re a drug addict, you’re an alcoholic when you walk in the door. If you need to do detox, we are connected in the local Vermont sober community with places where we would send you to a medical facility to detox,” he said. “Some people need longer than others. There’s a staff that assesses the condition that your loved one is in, and some people would come 20, 30 days, other people might need 90. It’s based on your individual situation. Some people might need longer and that’s perfectly fine.”
In April 2024, Phish performed four sold-out concerts at the Sphere in Paradise, Nevada. The legendary jam band kicked off their summer with the first of three shows at Mansfield, Massachusetts’ Xfinity Center this month. Their run will wrap with a four-night stand at Colorado’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Park from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
Anastasio, who will celebrate his 60th birthday just a few weeks after the tour concludes, recently spoke to Rolling Stone about the lessons he’s learned from sobriety. “I learned who my friends were, and how lucky I am to have a family, in all directions,” he said when speaking about the band’s hiatus. “I mean, I was in trouble at that period in time, and I’m glad I survived it.”
“It’s impossible to describe the level of the love within the band,” he continued. “All four of us have gone through a lot of things over the years. It’s been 40 years. When it was my turn to crash and burn, I don’t have enough words to describe how much they were there for me.”
Trey Anastasio on Turning 60 and the Song He Wants to Play at the End of Phish's Final Concert
Most Popular
Comments / 0