"Blondie" keyboardist sings new tune as drug counselor at NYC's Carnegie Hill Institute
It's been a long strange trip for founding member and hit songwriter Jimmy Destri of seminal mega-pop group Blondie. Destri, originator of the band's unique punk-pop synth sound and writer/lyricist of half of the band's catalog -- including three of the band's seven #1 hits, "Atomic", "Picture This" and the group's meteoric 1999 comeback song "Maria" -- and a 25 year drug addict, is now clean, sober and using his talents to cure other addicts.
Destri, last seen publicly at Blondie's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2006 and coming off an especially deadly 5 year, thousand dollar-a-day cocaine run, says he was "below rock-bottom; I was the walking dead, thinking there was truly no way out."
"I had been to three costly, prominent rehab facilities, various in-treatment programs and had spent hundred of thousand dollars, but nothing could reach me."
It wasn't until he went to went to his last program, a decidedly un-glamorous hole in the wall in the icy north that he was able to start putting the pieces together.
"For the first time ever, I was given an alternative way to get sober that didn't include having to submit to a "Higher Power" and it just hit me like a kick in the teeth. Once clean I knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to helping others in the same boat; the dead enders who've tried everything else."
For the past several years, Jimmy has focused exclusively on getting his Credential Alcohol and Drug Counselor certificate (C.A.S.A.C.), an intensive psychodynamic accredited course leading to a medical professional license, and working full time at New York City's Carnegie Hill Institute, a renowned drug and alcohol treatment facility run by psychiatrist Harvey Karcus and in business for over 30 years.
According to Dr. Karcus, "Jimmy is one of the best counselors we've ever had and has a true gift for caring and teaching others."
"At first we thought he'd have ego problems given his past success and fame, so we gave him the 6 am shift to test him out; to see if he was serious about working here. Jimmy showed up everyday at 5:30 am. He moved up really fast and now runs the most popular groups. Not surprisingly his group for musicians struggling to get back to writing and playing sober is S.R.O."
When asked if Jimmy missed touring and playing with Blondie, Jimmy insists that he is finding his new career path extremely fulfilling. "Besides, we have several patients that I know and played with from the old days", he says.
"In a strange way, I still feel connected and hear about what's going on in that world all the time. Plus, I still write music and there is some talk about doing another Blondie album. I hope it comes to pass but in between you'll find me back, counseling, at Carnegie Hill."
For more information on the Carnegie Hill Institute, visit www.carnegiehill-inst.com
