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Follow on Google News | Drummer Shane Evans breaks silence to address studentsMusician will share story of meteoric rise and comeback from the brink
By: MT Productions Evans, 42, will address a group of students from Lumpkin County Middle School in Dahlonega on Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Evans’ speech titled, “Rock, Recovery and Redemption” will touch upon the meteoric rise of Collective Soul, his departure from the group, his substance abuse problem and the long road to recovery. “I've been clean and sober for three years and I'm finally at a point where I can discuss my triumphs and tragedies in public,” Evans said. “So if I am to tell my story, I want to tell it to someone who will listen and learn from my mistakes. I want this to really count.” Almost two decades ago, Evans was riding high as the drummer for Collective Soul. The Stockbridge- “It's nothing short of a miracle that I'm still alive. Drugs robbed me of almost everything including my family, friends, my home, and my dignity,” Evans said. “Through sobriety I've gained all of those things back and more. My life today is blessed and I want to share my experiences to help others.” Evans said he was dismissed from the group in 2005 because of his excessive drug use. His mother's demise from complications of diabetes, the accidental death of a girlfriend and a pair of DUI arrests pushed him further into despair. Evans said he hit rock bottom while living on the run from police at a run-down motel in Loganville. He says he was two days away from being homeless when he finally made the decision to get clean and sober in August 2009. Weeks after his decision to get sober, Collective Soul was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and Evans was on hand to celebrate the honor. “I still love all of the guys in Collective Soul because they are my brothers and we shared a lot of wonderful and life-changing experiences,” After completing a yearlong recovery program at Waypoint Center in Dahlonega, Evans became a substance abuse counselor, helping others to overcome their addictions. This year he celebrated three years of sobriety and plays drums in the music choir at The Source Worship Center Church in Canton, Ga. In January 2013 Evans will be the musical headline at the 22nd annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction hosted by MidAmerica Auctions, and will be featured in Ken Mansfield’s “Rock and a Heart Place”, a book chronicling the spiritual journeys of 20 famous musicians from the rock era. End
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