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and the American people coming to you from the city where the West begins. Fort Worth, Texas. Brian Head Welsh was a rock star who thought he had it all. He was the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band Corn. one of the biggest and most controversial rock bands on the planet.
He lived in a mansion, had millions in the bank, and legions of fans all over the globe. He was living the good life. and it should have been perfect. But it was all a lie. Here's Brian Welch.
with his story. I grew up just loving music, man. My parents in 1980 bought me A C D C Black in Black. I turned that record on, it was over. That was like.
I want to be that. I stared at Engish Young. I stared at his picture. Like, it just played. Then I got every album out there and just.
Played that, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osborne, like all these, all these bands. And you know, I just wanted to be a rock star, man. I met the guys in corn. in uh elementary. around nineteen eighty seven.
These guys They went and started hanging out with this other guy named Pete Capra. And he was like, dude, there's some new music. There's new bands coming out. And he showed em red hot chili peppers and faith no more before they either of them got big.
So they started getting into that music, and then they started forming this band away from me. They they went and have moved down to Hollywood, California 'cause we grew up two hours away from Hollywood. And I was stuck with this girl and uh I treat her Sorry. I actually really loved her, but I was stuck back in this bad relationship, and I treated her bad, and she was a really sweet girl, actually. And I was controlling.
I was so insecure. I had the self-hatred that I grew when I was. Probably junior high, you know, I got picked on and didn't like the way I looked and was just. You know, body, I felt like I was fat and just everybody with you, puberty before me.
So it was like, that's the worst, you know?
So everyone's kicking my butt, you know, I'm this little guy, leave me alone. And but but I look in the mirror and something in my mind and my heart was like I don't like you, you're not good enough, you're ugly. You know, all this stuff, all these, you know, and so I carry that. I remember I went down to Hollywood, California, and and visited the guys 'cause they're still my friends, you know? And they were just like, you should move in with us, you know?
Just stay with us, man. You're not doing good. And. And so I moved in with these guys and I became, I started them with their instruments. And I.
Turn into their roadie. I'm carrying their their gear And I mean, they're carrying it with me because they don't got nothing, right? They're like, they have to pay to play. That was Hollywood back then. And so but yeah, but they would I was the worst roadie in the history of roadies.
'Cause they're my friends. I'm like, they tell me to do something. I'm like, shut up.
So I did that for a few years and As Divine intervention would have it. Owls and Chains came out. And then What, some faith and more start getting really big? Metallica was huge. Um Aussie No More Tears, that record came out.
So this low music thing, grunge thing was happening. But uh and so Thank God these guys got out of their little funk rock face chili peppers rip-off thing. And I like chili peppers, don't get me wrong. It was just too much of a copy in them, you know? And so.
They asked me to join. And thank God because I was just partying like crazy. One of my roommates, we all lived together. We lived at the beach, like right. Close to the beach, but you know, the rent was expensive.
But you pile six people in there, it becomes like 200 bucks each, and so. We would like we had one guy in the garage, I was in the closet. Then there's two bedrooms and then a pool room where someone slept in. It was crazy. But I was I loved alcohol.
I was addicted to alcohol from like age 16. I just my dad was a drinker, man. He uh He w he ran some chevrons with my uncle, a couple of like gas stations and You know, one time he was just, he would drink. He wouldn't drink all the time, but he would slip back and forth, you know, and. And then when he when he drank heavy, he would drink heavy.
Like one day he came home, he'd do some bank runs for the business and He had a water bottle and I went to grab it. And I take it. And he's like, give me that, give me that. And I smell like vodka. It was straight vodka.
And I was I didn't confront him or nothing, but I was just like, Whoa, dad's partying. And so we have that that kind of curse in our family line, right? And so I stepped into it at 16. And so When I joined the band... We instantly got Jonathan Davis in the band.
We went to the Huntington Beach Pier. We were just drinking some 40 ounces of beer, and we were like, okay, we're in a band now. What are we going to call ourselves? And corn popped up. Singer.
Jonathan said, what about corn? Couple stories going around, but we just thought it was cool because it was. with a K and a backwards R. People are doing that like crazy now, right? Back then it was like different, you know?
Spell a word different, you know. It was a cool branding thing, and we tested it in Huntington Beach, small little beach town. No one knew what corn was. We just plastered stickers everywhere. Stop signs, businesses everywhere, all over the place.
Everyone in this in the city was going. Man What is corn? What is this? K-O-R-N? What is that?
We knew that people would either love it or hate it, but they would not forget it. And so yeah, we start playing shows around in Orange County. We played anything that we could do to get people to do our shows. We would tell our friends. We found a place that had school buses, and we rented a school bus and put a keg in the back and said, give us.
10 bucks. You can ride in the bus. We're going to go play Hollywood. Anything we could do.
So we got there and our name started getting around. This weird band Corn is coming in. They're they're bringing a bus with all these fans and they're the place is going off. And so a record company started hearing about it.
Next thing you know, we got a couple of different record companies getting ready to uh offer us a deal. We ended up assigning with Immortal Records. Um it's a it's a it was a label off of Sony Music and so We recorded our first record. That's when we got introduced to meth amphetamines. And uh May have Yeah.
It's crazy because I didn't like it the first time because I'm used to going to sleep. You know, you got a routine in life. You're like, you get up, you spend your day doing whatever, and you go to sleep at night. You can't sleep on meth. They should put a little sign on it, right?
Can't sleep on this. And you've been listening to Brian Welsh. He was the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band corn.
Well, he's sharing his story here. And my goodness, what a story. You know, the typical 16-year-old kid going through some bad things in high school, and that's a whole lot of us folks. When we come back, More of Brian Head Welsh's story here. on Our American Stories.
Lee Habib here again, and I'd like to encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. On Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app. Or wherever you get your podcasts. Every story we air here is uploaded there daily. And your support goes a long way to keeping the great stories you love from this show.
coming. Again, Please subscribe to the Our American Stories podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets, and kids. But with Anibay, you never have to stress about messes again.
At washablesofas.com, discover Anibay Sofas, the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699. Made with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics, that means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, our sofas feature changeable fabric covers, allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly.
perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus they're earth-friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washable sofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life.
That's washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra-durable LGX Boom Portable Speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go.
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Free, binge-worthy, always on. Check us out at TiVo.com. I bet you've probably been to the doctor's office in the past few months. I bet you had to hand over personal info, like your insurance, your ID, maybe even your social security number. And I bet you weren't thinking about how your doctor is just one of many places that has your personal information.
If any one of them isn't careful, it's a good bet they could accidentally expose your details to hackers and identity theft, putting you at risk. Fortunately, Lifelock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a Lifelock US-based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back. With plans covering up to $3 million for stolen funds and expenses. Don't take chances with your personal info.
Help protect it even when it's out of your hands. Save up to 40% your first year with promo code iHeart. Call 1-800-Lifelock and use promo code iHeart or go to lifelock.com/slash iHeart for 40% off. Terms apply. Hey, what's up, it's Marla Lopez?
Back to school. It's an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming, and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in.
Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. And we continue with our American stories and the story of Brian Welsh.
who is the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band. Horn. Let's pick up. where we last left off. I just, I didn't know.
I thought it was like a couple hours high or something. I didn't know. I just was oblivious. And so, yeah, I just, I tossed and turned, I hit my friend up at 10 a.m. I was like, dude, I didn't sleep all night.
And he's like, I know, dude. Let's go to Taco Bell.
So He picks me up, we go to Taco Bell and I start eating his taco. And like the roof of my mouth is like sore or something from the meth. And I'm like, and if I can't, I was like, this tip, taco taste gross.
So everything I loved, it took away my sleep, took away my Taco Bell. And so I don't know why I continued, but when we were starting corn, man, this guy. Yeah, th when we once we figured out that you're supposed to stay up on it, Then we're like, okay. Oh, we just won't sleep. And we would go two or three days without sleeping freaking all.
Okay. Spun out meth heads, you know, looking, but we try to write songs, try to write a song. When you're high it sounds like the you're Mozart or something. Then you sober up, you wake up the next day after a three-day run or something, you listen to it, and it's like You're not even in key. It's just like, what is this?
It sounded so good on on the drug. And so, yeah, it was off and on, but we started It was off and on with that drug. But, you know, we would get sober. The producer would be like, you know, Yadda's got to get off that stuff. We need to record an album.
We got the record done. We started touring right after that and started gaining fans right away. But like we knew we had something, but I never thought we would get like real big. I I thought that maybe we could get like a club level big. Maybe like tour tour America, you know, and play some clubs and pack out just l like crazy, you know?
It was crazy crazy but small, and it just started growing. And it was a trip because uh When our second record came out, it hit number three on Billboard. Out of the whole country. I see myself at 3 a.m. on MTV.
You know, we're all corn's playing they're playing the corn videos. And then I look out my window and I see a beat up VW bug and I'm like wait When I watch my heroes on TV, I thought they were rich and famous. I'm like I got a little bug out there, so the money wasn't pouring in yet.
So yeah, the second record came out, man. And when you tour, a crazy thing is you don't think about when you're a kid. Is that The touring cycle is just It's like anything else. You get up and you do the same thing every day, right? When you get on the road, you're in a different city, and at first you're just like, oh man, we're in Baltimore, we're in.
you know, wherever it is. And you're like, this is so cool, but then... It's the same people. and you load into a a building that looks the same you don't have time to go look at the city and you get up and you play the same songs. The only thing different is a crowd.
But it starts to feel like the same thing. And within like a two or three years, I realize that it's not all glamorous like you think. Even the big shows, it's the same thing, man. You do the same thing every day, and it's like a career. It's a career, it's a fun one because you're playing, you're doing what you love.
So We're thankful though, because we kept growing and growing and growing. And after our second record cycle, we went into the studio, started really going for it and uh Our record company was just like, let us do whatever we wanted. We don't really understand this corn band, but people seem to like them, the guys with the suits.
So Let them keep doing what they're doing.
So we went in and that's when we got a little bit more. We just wanted to Right, things that we didn't, the first couple records, and we get we wrote Goth the Life and Freak on a Leash. Those big songs, that record, we spent a lot of months and that came out, went through the roof, man. TRL and MTV was huge and. We were just on there every day skyrocketing.
I called my dad then. And I was just like, dad, we are number one in the country this week. Selling like 150,000 records a week. It was crazy. And we were on T V every day.
MTV News followed us and It was surreal, man, to be in that. mainstream of pop culture. It's just It was crazy. I mean, we were selling out arenas. left and right, all over the place.
And Money was just pouring Pouring on us We couldn't make enough. We were getting money from shirts, we were making money from records, we were making Money from just guarantees, you know? three to five hundred thousand dollars a night or something like that and back then, you know, It's a lot now. What am I talking about? And so it's just like, you know?
And it was just crazy. And by that time I had gotten married, all of us had gotten married and had started having kids. But meanwhile, we're on the road being the rock star too. And so we just It was like Vegas. What happens on the road stays on the road type of thing.
We had some good times, but it It seemed like every year that passed it got a little bit darker and darker and then darker, you know? And uh we started losing. Our souls, the soul being the mind, the will, and the emotions. She started losing our Our core of who we were. It was like when I saw Philie or Jonathan or Monkey.
I was like, that's not him. And I look in the mirror and I'll be like, That's not me. You know, they look at me and s that's We just became A different people. Within a year or two after we had we got married and had kids, Divorces Five out of five. 100% failure.
Everybody got divorced. Broken homes. kids goin' with whoever And divorce settlements, millions of dollars going to these girls and. Our wives and they're they're just some of them just blowing through it. Mine was the worst ever.
I was on tour. My biggest And One of my greatest memories is touring with Metallica, System of the Down, and Kid Rock. My wife, when she was 14, she ran away from home.
So she lived kind of on the streets and on couches. And so in Huntington Beach, she left Lake Tahoe and moved to Huntington Beach.
So When we were married and I was on tour with Metalka, she ended up running into some old punk rock dudes. That were from when she was a kid, right? They used to like, well look out for her 'cause she was 14. And so She was like, hey. I married this guy and da da da.
Come hang out with me. He's always gone.
So they've ended up moving and and partying. start stealing things out of my house. Taking things to a pawn shop. And my friend owned the pawn shop, so he'd call me and say, dude. You send me a picture or whatever.
That I saw this in your living room and I'm like what?
So I call my wife, I'm like, Who are you having over our house? She's like, nobody, just trying to lie. And I heard rumors and everything.
Meanwhile, one of the punk dudes. She ends up Getting a boyfriend. And I don't know what to do. I'm on tour with Metallica. This is my dream come true, man.
I'm riding planes with him. This is crazy. And I end up Flying home. I was like, I'm taking this kid on the road. I don't know what I'm going to do or how I'm going to do it.
But I have to protect her because there's these meth heads and skin heads around my kid, right? She's my little girl.
So I take her. with me and I'm like, I need someone. I call management. I need someone. to help me with this kid on the road.
And I'm like, what am I going to do? We ended up going into the enemy's camp and stealing one of theirs. Britney Spears' dancer was off the road with her.
So we st so we hired her. She was They were uh We hired her. In between tours with Brittany, and she became my daughter's nanny.
So we did that for a little bit and Man, we just tried to make the best of it. I My heart was broken because my wife cheated on me with my daughter around, and the skinheads were in my house. And I just hatred started rising up. I just. We had these These guys that were in the crib uh because we toured with Ice Cube, you know, from NWA and so we hired this guy from Ice Cube and so he was connected with the Crips in LA and so I'm like talking to him.
at night all drunk or high on drugs insane men. This guy has done this to me. I need to do something to him. Can your guys, can I pay for. These are He was like, yeah, you can do that.
And you've been listening to Brian Welsh, the co-founder and lead guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning band Korn. Tell the story of his spiral up. with wild success, something even he couldn't have dreamed of. And at the same time, is spiraling out of control. of his personal life.
The next thing you know, they're at the top of the billboard charts. and touring with Metallica. And as each year passed, Brian noted, Things got darker and darker. We became different people. There were five guys in the band, there were five divorces, and there were five broken homes.
And then Brian Welsh gets an idea in his head. that he should take his daughter with him out on the road in this Highly dysfunctional setting. with men who have no idea how to be responsible adults. What happens next? Stay tuned to Our American Stories, the story.
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Shop now at washable sofas.com. Add a little. to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Stop settling for weak sound.
It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra-durable LG X-Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it. The future of sound is now with LG X Boom. And for a limited time, save 25% at lg.com with code FALL25.
Bring a bull. X boom. Looking for entertainment everyone will love? TiVo Plus has you covered with over 300 free channels. From movies for Family Night to kids' shows, live news, sports, and your favorite TV series all in one place.
No sign-ups, no credit card required. Just turn on and enjoy. And with new channels and fresh content added all the time, there's always something to watch. Teebo Plus. Free, binge-worthy, and always on.
Check us out at Teevo.com. I bet you've probably been to the doctor's office in the past few months. I bet you had to hand over personal info, like your insurance, your ID, maybe even your social security number. And I bet you weren't thinking about how your doctor is just one of many places that has your personal information. If any one of them isn't careful, it's a good bet they could accidentally expose your details to hackers and identity theft, putting you at risk.
Fortunately, LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a LifeLock US-based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed or your money back, with plans covering up to $3 million for stolen funds and expenses. Don't take chances with your personal info. Help protect it even when it's out of your hands. Save up to 40% your first year with promo code iHeart.
Call 1-800-Lifelock and use promo code iHeart or go to lifelock.com/slash iHeart for 40% off. Terms apply. Hey, what's up, it's Marla Lopez? Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect.
Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking.
Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. And we continue with Our American Stories and the story of Brian Welsh. He's the co-founder and lead guitarist. of the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band. Horn.
Let's pick up. where we last left off. I got guys that will do anything, you know? And uh, he said. You cross that line, you can never go back though.
You're gonna have a target on your back. And so I was just, I could never do that, but I just wanted to so bad. And it was. Man, I just I made the best of it. I had her on the road for like two months and uh it was crazy 'cause we had these big old, you know, like that guy, that guy with the Crips guy like pushing my daughter in a stroller.
You know. Another Hispanic dude named Lok, we hired him. He had hellbound tattooed on his head. You'd be pushing the stroller to So we got off that tour. I ended up getting the, she was so spun out, my ex, she didn't show up to court.
I got full custody of the of the kid and uh I was a mess too. I wasn't much greater than her, but uh One night I was at home. And uh I ended up, you know, doing some drugs or whatever. I took some Xanax to go to sleep and. I ended I woke up at 3 a.m.
And I went to check on my daughter. And uh everybody had left by that point and she was gone. She was not She's like two and a half years old, three years old, gone out of her room. And I'm like, Juneau, where are you? Like, where are you?
Look in all the beds. She's gone. And I go and I look at the back door, and it's like cracked open to the backyard, and we have a pool. And so I rush out there. And right by the pool There's a lounge chair, you know, where you lay out on, and she's sleeping right there.
Like, her feet are on the ground, and she's like that. I felt like the biggest Loser. She could have drowned. She went looking for me 'cause that was my smoking chair. And so I quit right then.
I was done and uh And I I started working out. He's got sober, stopped drinking. And by that time, Uh corn did our untouchables record. The whole record, everybody got divorced around then, so everybody was in full-time, like party mode. And that's when I I had to get sober.
So it was it was hard 'cause everybody was like going Richter, man. And uh So I tried to live sober, right? That lasted. I don't know, a few months, and then I fell back into the stuff. I just hired nannies to take care of my daughter, and that's when it got really dark, man.
Really dark. Vicadan was taking like. Dozens of bike it in and uh We had these doctors that would write us prescriptions, give us anything we wanted, right? They're called like we call them rock doctors because hey I'm having anxiety on the road, Doc. Here's some Xenix.
My back hurts from Playing every night. Here's some biking in, you know? And so It was really dark, man, and it got even darker, though, because that's when I got I said I would never do crystal meth. After what those skinheads did, after seeing my ex-wife walk away from her daughter. I was like, I'm never touching that stuff.
That scum, scum of the earth drug, right? I got drunk one night and I was like, he used to love that high. I'll just do it once. I ended up Getting the dealer's number. I ended up an addict worse than before.
So I was like, I felt like a loser, but I'm like, I'm going on a world tour. I gotta I started putting this meth in like wherever I could hide it. I put it in put it in plastic and put it in deodorant, like scoop the deodorant out, put it back in. And then just try to hide the smell in case drug docs came. I was like thinking of everything, man.
And uh yeah, I took it to uh everywhere. I took it to Asia, took it to Europe. I ran out in Europe, had my dealer send me some in a candle. 'Cause he made candle. He he had this tweaker candle business, right?
He thought he was going to get rich off candles.
So he's like, I'll put eight balls in a candle, and then I'll make the candle, and it'll be inside. And so. I don't know if they have these x-ray machines that can see what's inside. You know, they see a ball or something inside a candle. I didn't know.
I'm thinking, like. I could get popped. You know, and so I... By that time, the internet was starting to come out, it was like 2003 or something, and it was growing. And you could track your package even on FedEx.
And so I'd started seeing this package come from, you know, went to California to New York to London, and then. And I'm watching, I'm like, okay, it's coming. I'm watching my meth come on the internet. And it's like. I'm I'm in this nice hotel and I s and I see it says delivered.
Got the email or whatever. And I go down there. And I grabbed the package and they didn't arrest me, so I got away with it. And finished the tour, and I felt like the biggest loser then, man. I mean, loser, loser.
How much guilt can you carry, right? The sins on your back. I'm like, oh, gosh, the secrets. And uh it was it was s too much to bear, man. And my parents are still together to this day, fifty-three years together or something.
You know, right? That's a miracle. That's a miracle. And so I would my my mom would come over and I'll say, Hi, Bri. How you doing?
I'm j freaking up for two days. Hey, mom. How's it going?
So I just felt so bad. They didn't raise me to be this. You know, my daughter, she's this perfect little Shirley Temple kid. I mean, she's just so sweet. Hi, Daddy.
You know, and I just. And I remember we had one more tour. It was two thousand four, it was with Corn Lincoln Park. And I got so bad where I'd started thinking about killing myself, and I was like, I'm no good for my daughter. She deserves better than this.
She would be better off without me. The rock star dream didn't satisfy. I had some good times, but it was just everybody in my band's miserable. Most of the other bands out there struggle with addiction, and everyone's miserable, and everyone's struggling with addiction. Or you're you're a just a a bitter X drunk, right?
And you're just like. Yeah, that was good idea. I don't want to be either. I don't want to be the partier or the ex-bidder guy. Let's just end it all, man.
If I had a little bit more nerve to kill myself. Thank God it didn't happen. By that time, I had some friends. They ended up inviting me. to come to church with them.
Um I was doing some real estate deals with them. And uh I resisted at first for a little bit, you know. Because I just thought Christians were like Ned Flanders from The Simpsons, man. It's just like. Why are you so happy?
Just want to choke you, you know? How are you doing today? God bless you. All right, brother. Say, shut up, man.
What world you living in? But they kept asking me and I was like, you know, I'm just gonna go check it out. They're sober. I tried to go to outpatient rehab to get off of meth, and the dude's like, I don't have any luck with meth. I'm sorry.
And I'm like, there goes my hope. And so I'm like, I'm stuck with church only. That's my only option. God is so kind, man. As a last resort, he'll still take you.
When you're all done with everything else that you tried on the planet. He's there still for you. And I ended up going to church and uh It was crazy because all these different people, like three different people By that time I moved back to Bakersfield where Corn grew up, where we moved to school, right? And By that time, uh there was There was like three of my friends, one of them that got me the meth, hooked me up with that dealer. You was telling me you should go to church, man.
Come to church with me. I'm like, what are you going to church? What? And I'm still high, and I'm like, no, man, I don't need that. Then the guy, the real estate guys, invited me to go to church.
And I'm thinking about going with them and then there was someone else, I forget who, but they oh yeah, this punk rock dude that used to beat up people. He'd smash bottles on people's heads. He was telling me about Jesus. I'm like, what? You're weird, man.
What happened to you? And the next thing you know, I finally gave in, and I was like, the church people. They get s that they don't do meth in church, I don't think.
So I should go there. Maybe it'll rub off rub off on me, you know? And I get in there and I see, like, there's these like. Hispanic dudes just look like gang members, you know, and they're up like praying together and I'm just like why? It's not Net Blanders.
And you've been listening to Brian Welsh, the rock star, co-founder, and lead guitarist of Corn. walking us through his life. And the descent into What's as close to hell on earth? as one could muster. His ex-wife doesn't show up in court for the custody hearing of his baby girl.
And he gets full custody, and then came this night that you would have thought would have been the clarifying moment. But the lifestyle came back, pulled him back to the drugs, To the drinking and to everything else. By 2004, he's on tour with Lincoln Park. and he's considering killing himself. But then he thought the final chance was church.
And as he said, God is so kind. As a last resort, He'll still take you. When we come back. The Redemption Story of Brian Welsh. here on Our American Stories.
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Hey, what's up, it's Marla Lopez? Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in.
Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. And we continue with our American stories and the story of Brian Welsh.
He's now on a journey that many of you listening have been on in your lives. Let's pick up. where we last left off. These guys look scarier than the corn concert fans, you know? Crazy.
And people started telling me, yeah, see, that she used to be in prostitution. He used to be a gang member. They turned their lives around. I'm like, So, you guys really believe in this stuff? I thought it was just like a thing to be a good person.
You know, you go to church and you say you go to church, and then you're like, you know, you're proper and all that. But I started seeing a whole new angle and I'm like Because I was like if God is real where is he Look at all the pain in the world, right? Look all the you know, you don't see nothing. And they start telling me, No, he comes by the Spirit, and He lives in your heart, and He starts to reveal Himself to you inside. And I'm just like What are you talking about?
This sounds awesome, man. But at the same time, I'm like, you're weird, you know?
So it was a battle going on. It was like You know, it was like evil and good was uh It was just back and forth. And so I was just there, and I felt something. I felt a piece, and I was like.
Okay, this is my plan. Since I'm a public person, everybody knew who I was, especially in the hometown back then. I was like, I'm going to receive Christ, I'm going to get him in here. Then I'm going to go home and talk to him. and see if it's real.
If it's not real, then all these people are crazy. And I'll try something else. or kill myself.
So I receive him. And I said the prayer. You know, I actually asked Christ in my heart when I was 12, real quick, on my bathroom floor, when someone told me. Jesus was the Saviour of the world. And I was like, if there's a savior, then if it's true, then why not just do it?
Jesus, will you come into my heart? Amen. Then I went back to watching Jason hack up people on Friday the 13th. But so when I was on meth at the church, I went home, and I received Christ, I went home, and I was like. Here we are.
You know, I felt like that little boy again. I was like, Lord, that guy, but I prayed like I was a Christian for 10 years. I was so desperate. I wanted my daughter to have a good daddy. She deserved it.
So I'm like, Lord, I am a loser. I'm gonna ruin my life. I'm gonna die from these drugs. This kid deserves a better dad. And I am nothing.
I'm a lost soul. Are you real? I prayed so hard, and I was just like. Just look at my heart. You know, I want to get off these drugs.
It was all about I needed something from him, right? And that's okay. But then, you know, after a couple weeks, it just I was going. They said, just go to church, bring your garbage. The pastor was like, bring your garbage to church.
You don't have to clean up for me. You don't have to clean up for God. Just show up. Just start the relationship. And I I would I would go high on meth to church, man.
One day after church, I was at home and I was just I was somebody bought me a Bible and everything. I was sitting there and uh And I was just looking through the, it seemed like every word was talking to me, saying something to me, you know? And I was just like, and I was like, I Sounds cool, it's all cute and everything, but how do I know it's real? I'm just in my heart, I didn't say it out loud, I'm just wondering, like, How do you know if this stuff's real? People say brainwashed from this, you know, and I just.
Instantly, like right then, it would have been like two or three weeks or something like that. It's a blur, but. I just remember like something came around me. And it s it was like swirling. And I kid you not.
It was it was a touch from The spiritual world. Where God is, God is spirit, it says, God is spirit, He is the big main spirit, the source of life, came around me. wrapped like love around me. From another dimension, and I was just like. And I looked up and all I could say was, Father?
And I was looking for like some angel or being or Jesus like this around me. And I was just like, I felt. I felt accepted, I felt forgived, I felt... I felt um Brand new. I felt like I wasn't an addict, but I was uh Doing meth that week?
It was like You know, it says in the Bible, it says that he calls things that are not as though they are. It was like he was pouring everything into me that I was to become. Yeah, and I was just like I was just I was done. I was like I couldn't talk and it the feeling was there for a few minutes and I don't know, ten minutes or so and I was just self it felt like forever, man, and And it was And it just lifted, it kind of lifted, and it was like I was like, what was that? Oh my And I and I got it.
It was like God revealing himself to me. And I was just like, oh my gosh, God just came into the room and revealed Himself to me.
Now He is omnipresent, He's everywhere. But sometimes we feel it more. He's always there. That's where faith comes in. But I was like, oh my gosh, God is real.
He sees everything. He heard me. And I was like, He sees everything. Oh, and I started thinking about everything I've done. All the junk, man.
Everything. All the secrets where I thought I was alone. And then I go to church and just hear that. All that's forgotten or washed away, and it's like it never happened. He wipes the slate clean, start over.
Brand new everything. It's they call it good news. That's pretty good news, right? He promises to be with us. That's who wants a God that doesn't understand, right?
Jesus came and got annihilated. God became a man and and became Annihilated on the cross for us. He knows our sorrows. He knows rejection. He knows everything you've been through.
He's been through. He knows it all, and that's why Jesus Is The best.
Now When I first got saved, I was just woo! Going back to church, I'm like, oh my gosh, I love to get high for so many years. And now I'm feeling a high that is like, From a spiritual world, it's real, tangible. I'm feeling it. The Holy Spirit's real, comes inside of you, and you feel things.
And I'm like, I'm like ah. Everywhere I go, I'm like, Jesus, Adam, people are like, you're weird now, you know? I just felt I had a strong knowing, I can describe it like that, to go home and quit the band. I went home and I sent off emails to everybody because those dudes could talk me into anything. If I would have called them and said, dude, I'm going to quit the band, they would say, no, you're not.
Shut up, come on, come over, let's go get let's go get drunk.
So I sent emails and I said, guys, I love you. I got to quit the band. I want to be home with my kid. I got God in my life. I want to get to know him.
And I just. I'm sorry. And I love you. And they were in the middle of doing a record deal. And they had Uh EMI I think it was offering them $23 million.
I quit. I didn't get a piece of that. I just didn't want to serve money anymore. I was like, I just want to follow God. And He was saying, It was pretty simple to me actually.
Go be a dad. Stop touring. But $23 million, yeah.
Well, you made how much money before that, and look at your life.
So it was pretty simple to me. And so I quit and uh I went through a lot of things. Jesus started taking me through some sufferings to cleanse my soul. It's called fire. Uh, like it could be called fire, and it purifies like gold.
Fire purifies gold and makes it the shiny thing that we see. And so, He does that with our souls through negative circumstances, through allowing things to come into your life to challenge your love for people, to challenge your faith. Are you going to still believe? And it's the most. It's it's it's the way you go to maturity.
And it's real. I'm telling you guys, this is the most realist thing I've ever experienced. The Lord sent me back to corn in 2012 after I was away. My big story was: hey, I am. I'm the guy that left it all to follow Jesus.
You know, that was my thing. It became my prideful story. And next thing you know, he sends me back. He goes, Hey, you're not better than them. I want you to be with them too.
And so I'm back with the band now, and life could not. Be better. I promise you, it's the best thing I ever did. And a terrific job on the editing by Greg Hengler. And a special thanks to Brian Welsh.
who was a rock star who thought he had it all The co-founder and lead guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum band. Corn. And my goodness, what a redemption story this is. He just hit the bottom. And hit the end of the line, and on his knees, doing what, well, many of us have done in our lives.
If God, if you're real, where are you? And how many of us have made that plea? And in the end, he made that deal in the beginning, and it was a deal. And he admits it: I'm going to receive Christ, get him in my heart, and talk to him. And see if he'll fix this mess I made.
He wanted his daughter to have a better daddy. In my goodness did the Lord allow him to be that man and become it. He started to go to church. He was told to bring his garbage, to bring his junk. The perfect Christian doesn't exist.
Bring your sin, bring your baggage. I felt accepted, he said. I felt forgiven. He talked about this spiritual moment where he truly had an encounter. With God, he said, God revealed himself to me.
and I wiped the slate clean. He talked about the new high he found from the Holy Spirit. and he quit the band Cold Turkey. even on the cusp of a twenty three million dollar recording contract. and the task ahead of him was simple.
Be a dad. Go be a dad to your daughter and be a good one. And then, of course, years later, Returning to the band, having healed his heart, fixed his life and become the father he needed to become. A beautiful redemption story. We've done redemption stories on Pete Maravich, Daryl Strawberry, Brett Favre, Johnny Kesh, Steve McQueen, and so many more.
They're a part of all of our lives. We love telling them here on our American stories. The story of Brian Welsh. Here on our American story. Time for a sofa upgrade?
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Chances are, you've been to the doctor recently and you've probably handed over your insurance, your ID, and even your social security number. Your doctor is just one of many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose your details, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back.
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Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming, and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions.
Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. This is an iHeart podcast.
