Brent Smith: "health is part of who I am now"

Tuesday, January 15th, 2013 2:45pm

Shinedown singer kicks destructive drugs and over-eating habits.

After a four-year struggle with cocaine, painkillers and alcohol, Brent Smith is celebrating his return to health.

As part of an extreme health regiment, he has dropped a total of 70lbs. He became conscious of his weight problem after TV presenter Kathy Lee Gifford joked that she "thought he was Meatloaf".

"The weight came on about four years ago" says Brent. "I’ve toured for over 12 years, and for the first two records I was addicted to cocaine, OxyContin and alcohol. The coke and Oxy kept my weight down. But for the third album I quit the opiates and started to crave sugar. I was still drinking a lot of alcohol and started to pack on the pounds."

Speaking on Gifford's comments he said they "really stung. I’m a fan of Meat Loaf but she wasn't talking about a musical comparison. My heart kind of fell on the ground – it was like the performance didn't even matter."

He also spoke out in the supporting role which his girlfriend has played - "Teresa sat me down in November last year and said, 'Listen to me. I love you and I’m not going anywhere. But this lifestyle that you’re leading is not going to work.'"

"I felt like I’d been in a death spiral and I realised I needed to be healthy and strong for my family. It’s amazing how much clarity I have and how my body feels so much better – health is such a big part of who I am now" said Smith.

(Classic Rock)