Kakki wrote (*quite* a looooooong time ago!):
<< There was an article about the Taylor family that I read a few years ago
where I recall JT saying something to the effect that it was a sort of "myth"
that he spent time in a hospital for psychological/drugproblems and that his
parents were just eccentric and had far-out ideas and felt it would be
worthwhile for all of the kids to spend a year in the hospital whether they
needed it or not. It said that his borthers and sister also spent time there.
Sounds pretty abusive to me, and if true, may account or some of the
"demons." {snip} However, I also recall that "Cold Blue Steel" is supposed to
be about his heroin problem, so maybe he did struggle with it on and off.>>
Kakki, please don't take this at all personally, but I would really like to
set the record straight about this. Here is what was said on 60 Minutes II,
several months ago in an interview by Bob Simon with James Taylor. For this
purpose, I am only quoting the part that is relevant:
Bob Simon: His writing habits began early, but not easily. James Taylor
started writing songs during a stay at a psychiatric hospital, MacLean,
outside Boston. His parents committed him there when he was just 17, after he
was diagnosed: suicidal.
James Taylor: It was a rough passage for me. My family was kind enough and
smart enough to sort of put me in a nut house for a while, which was really a
great thing. It allowed me to think of myself as different and to realize
that I had to find my own way. And this basically sort of gave me time out
and protection, real protection. A locked ward is real protection.
BS: It saved your life?
JT: (nodding) It saved my life. I believe it.
BS: And after graduating from high school at MacLean, he set out for New
York City to play in a Rock and Roll band. Only 18, he was hooked on heroin
within a year. (To JT:) Your dad had to come get you.
JT: Yeah. He didn't have an awful lot to do with me as I was growing up. We
didn't communicate a whole lot, and he was sort of distant, but I think he
heard it somehow in my voice when I called him up, and he just said, "Stay
right there. What's your address? Just hold on. I'll be right there." And
within 24 hours he had rented a car and driven up. He knew that it was
important that he come and bail me out. I wasn't in good shape.
BS: At it's worse, did you think you were going to die? Ever?
JT: Did I think it was life-threatening? Yeah. I should of... I overdosed a
number of times, maybe 5 times. I should of... I really should have been dead
at least 3 times. I should... I should have gone down.
Later on in the interview, Bob Simon went on to say, "He finally kicked his
drug habit in 1983."
IMHO, it sounds like James Taylor's parents were not abusive for sending him
to a hospital, but rather saved his life, and there doesn't seem to be any
"maybes" about his heroin problem. Thanks, Kakki for bringing this up, as
maybe some others here read the same article, and perhaps this way, the
misinformation won't spread any further.
Hugs,
Ashara
