Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, a very meaningful day for people whose lives have been affected by suicide and to those who have contemplated it themselves at one time or another. One of those people is Papa Roach frontman, Jacoby Shaddix, whose life had spun so far out of control that he planned to commit suicide by hanging himself in a hotel room in Sausalito, CA. A longtime alcoholic, Shaddix had reached his tipping point when his wife, Kelly, wanted to end their relationship and experience life without him. The prospect of having the last conversation with his family by phone is what inevitably inspired him to endure the pain that he was going through.
Shaddix channeled his pain into writing lyrics instead, but he was hesitant to allow his fellow members of Papa Roach to turn the lyrics into the song that eventually became “Before I Die,” from the band’s most recent album entitled The Connection.
Thankfully, Shaddix came to his senses before it was too late. It would have been a devastating loss to Papa Roach fans around the world if he had gone through with his plans, but not nearly as devastating as it would have been to his son, Jagger. As you watch the video below, you can see that Shaddix is a very loving father who is finally at peace with his life.
Papa Roach isn’t the only hard rock artist showing their support for World Suicide Prevention Day. Shinedown posted this video on their Facebook page earlier today in conjunction with “To Write Love On Her Arms” (TWLOHA) – a non-profit organization that aims to present hope for people struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and thoughts of suicide while also investing directly into treatment and recovery.
If you, or anyone that you know, has been contemplating suicide, please look into organizations that can help. As it says it bold letters on TWLOHA’s website…YOU CANNOT BE REPLACED!
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