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NORM ALPI - 1979
The location that Norm Alpi recorded this talk is not known at this time. A very energetic Alcoholics Anonymous speaker from Monrovia, California, Norm had 25 years and 4 months of sobriety at the time of this talk. Norm says that he was born into an Italian- Irish family that lived in a Jewish neighborhood. He says, “I spent money I didn’t have, buying things I didn’t need, trying to impress people I didn’t like.” Norm first heard about AA from a cellmate while in jail in 1946 after being convicted of a hit-and-run drunk driving accident. He eventually came into AA at age 29 in February of 1954. Norm tells how he really used the hell out of the phone in his early AA sobriety; he called people like crazy. Great energetic, humorous speaker.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 62 Minutes
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NORM ALPI - DALLAS, TX 6-29-73
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 12 Tracks
Length - 61 Minutes
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NORM ALPI - DENVER, CO 1970
Norm is a very dynamic Alcoholics Anonymous speaker from Monrovia, California. This talk is a roller coaster ride with some segments being very funny and others very serious. At the time of this talk, Norm was 16 ½ years sober. Norm says that during his drinking years he spent a lot of money that he didn’t have, buying things he didn’t need, trying to impress a lot of people he didn’t like. His drinking had gotten so bad at one point that his own wife evicted him from their house. Norm had been incarcerated about 25 times and was fortunate enough to eventually meet an AA member in the joint. He’s got a great, humorous story of recovery.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 61 Minutes
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NORM ALPI - GRANTS PASS, OR 1977
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 63 Minutes
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NORM ALPI - LUBBOCK, TX 1975
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 67 Minutes
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NORM ALPI - SOUTH CAROLINA 1979
Energetic speaker Norm Alpi, from Monrovia, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the South Carolina State Convention in 1979. This guy is a really great speaker; he talks a lot; sounds like he drank about 10 cups of coffee before this talk. At the time of this recording, Norm had just over 25 years of sobriety under his belt. During his drinking years, Norm was so obsessed with making a good impression that he used to drive around on hot day with his car windows up just so people would think he had air conditioning. He very comically describes the exhilaration he felt back when he stole cars. Norms says, “If you’re going to be an alcoholic, you don’t stop drinking just because you throw up.” Very energetic talk by a very funny speaker.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 55 Minutes
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NORMAN RANGE - 1979
Norman Range was a sponsee of AA oldtimer, Talbot Haygood. He delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in 1979. Norman said he basically traded everything in life that meant anything to him for a bottle of liquor. Because of a technicality, Norman barely avoided being committed to an insane asylum for life. He tells how he got a lot of help from a lot of people. This is a good, solid AA talk by a man with a great southern drawl.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 46 Minutes
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NORMAN YOUNG - CLEVELAND, OH
Norm was a blind member of Alcoholics Anonymous. He was one of the first 100 members. He was from Youngstown, Ohio. Right from the start of this talk Norman wants to make sure that we don’t forget the three women pioneers of AA; Henrietta Seiberling, Ann Smith, and Lois Wilson. Norman says he was raised in a family of good church people. The family was very strict when it came to alcohol. Because he was blind, Norman played a significant role in getting the AA Big Book converted to Braille. At the end of this talk Norman says, “People who pray together, stay together. May I stay with you forever?”
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 46 Minutes
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OTTO MERZ - LAUGHLIN, NV 1-20-01
Otto, from Plano, Texas delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 11th River City Roundup in Laughlin, Nevada on January 20th, 2001. Otto saw some horrible things while serving in the Vietnam War. He later turned to alcohol and drugs as a way of coping with those memories. Otto still manages to fit quite a bit of humor in this talk. There are some "R" rated stories and some vulgarity contained in this recording. Near the end of his talk, Otto tells a very interesting story about an incident in Vietnam. This incident, many years later, played a major part in his recovery.
Contents - 16 Tracks
Length - 80 Minutes
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PAT MOLNAR - RICHFIELD, OH OCTOBER 2006
Pat, from Columbus, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 2nd Annual Greater Cleveland AA Conference in Richfield, Ohio in October of 2006. Pat has been sober since November 15th, 1981. At the beginning of this talk, Pat thanks Cleveland Oldtimer, Don Casini for all he has done for the fellowship. Pat was born and raised in Cleveland and comes from an alcoholic family. Pat’s father got sober in AA and Pat tells how helpful the early AAs were when his father was trying to get sober. By the age of 16, Pat was already drinking on a regular basis. He had a habit of getting felonies when he drank – and he got a lot of them. Before the age of 19, Pat was sentenced to the state prison for the criminally insane. Pat says he had a big problem with always wanting to get even. After being sober in AA for several years, Pat was still having problems so he sought out the help of a therapist. After some intense therapy, Pat says his life is as good as it ever was.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 51 Minutes
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PAUL MARTIN - CHICAGO, IL 2005
Long Time Alcoholics Anonymous member, Paul Martin has been sober since August 15th, 1947 and had 58 years of sobriety when he made this recording. Paul, from Chicago, Illinois was 83 years old at the time of this talk. Throughout this talk, Paul tells many jokes. He says that his father was a Lutheran Minister who was also a very “badly behaved” alcoholic. Paul briefly talks about Chicago AA founder, Earl Treat and Doctor Bob. He gives a great talk with many insights of how AA was in the early days.
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 43 Minutes
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PAUL MARTIN - CLEVELAND, OH MAY 1979
Paul, from Riverside, Illinois delivered this great AA talk at the Cleveland Intergroup Dinner in Cleveland, Ohio in May of 1979. He opens his talk by stating, “My name is Paul Martin and I’m a shy, sensitive alcoholic.” Paul joined AA in 1947 and has been sober for 32 years at the time of this recording. Paul begins with a lot of jokes and the humor continues through much of this talk. While in World War Two, Paul destroyed two aircrafts, both belonging to the US Navy. Paul says that his father’s drinking had caused great harm to the family. At 21 years sober, Paul visited his father whom he hadn’t seen in 27 years. He made amends. His father died shortly after that. This is a great, humorous and spiritual recording.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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PAUL MARTIN - CRESTED BUTTE, CO 7-10-94
Paul Martin, from Riverside, Illinois recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 11th Crested Butte Conference in Crested Butte, Colorado on July 10th, 1994. In 1947 at the age of 25, Paul got sober. He was 72 years of age when this recording was made. This talk is peppered with a lot of one line jokes; the crowd loves him. Paul tells of hearing Big Book story author, Paul Stanley speak way back in 1948. Paul Stanley made the claim then that AA, by itself was self-sufficient. It took years before Paul Martin realized what he was talking about. As well as telling his story, Paul also speaks about Earl Treat, the man that started AA in Chicago. Good talk from an early Chicago area AA.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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PETE SAGER - PRISONER #13213
This is an Alcoholics Anonymous talk by a man who spent many years behind bars, PETE SAGER - PRISONER # 13213. Pete shared his AA recovery story on July 21st, 1984 in Boca Raton, Florida. The occasion was the 28th Florida State Convention. Pete tells us that his early life goal was to become a big-time hood. He began by robbing stores and gas stations but would never do so unless he was all “snockered up.” He eventually progressed to bank robbery, also while very drunk. One of Pete’s many prisoner numbers was 13213. Pete goes on to say that he committed many extremely serious crimes while under the influence of alcohol. He spent many years in prisons paying for his horrendous mistakes. While in prison, Pete tells us that he once viciously stabbed a guard while high on “spud juice.” Pete tells us that he eventually got into the rooms of AA. He knew both Bill Wilson and Dr Bob and had visited them at their homes on several occasions. This AA talk is filled with excellent reminders of how spiritually and morally damaged we can become while suffering under the ravages of alcoholism. However, it’s also a very inspiring story, telling us that no matter how far down we may have fallen, we are all still capable of becoming an AA miracle. This guy’s got some really great stories.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 50 Minutes
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PETER MARINELLI - IOWA 6-9-07
Peter, from Union, New Jersey recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Iowa on June 9th, 2007. Peter had gone through seven treatment centers. While still drinking, Peter had alienated all of his family members and had no place to live. His father went looking for him on skid row. He finally found him and Peter was in such bad shape that he collapsed into his father’s arms. Peter has been sober since June 23rd, 1988. On that particular day, Peter had his moment of clarity in a, “Roach-Infested, dirty hallway in lower Manhattan.” He no longer wanted to die. He’s a very strong advocate of being hard-nosed with the newcomer as far as telling him what needs to be done. This is a very inspirational talk.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 62 Minutes
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PETER MARINELLI - WEST ORANGE, NJ 4-27-02
Peter gives a great talk on this CD as he usually does. He shares the story of his first drink and where that drink lead him. Peter talks at length about how the bottle brought damage to his family. It’s an inspiring talk. He ends with the story of how, during meditation, he saw a vision of his dead mother and how God used that vision to keep him sober…..even today. This is a great message from one of God's messengers. (Review written by Michael C of Charlotte, NC)
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 44 Minutes
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PHIL P - WEST VIRGINIA - 2003
Phil, from Ravenswood, West Virginia gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Area 73 Speaker Assembly in West Virginia in 2003. Phil has a great West Virginia accent. He says he’s a good ole boy with Cajun roots. Phil got sober on July 15th, 1996. He experienced his first drink at age 11 and his first drunk at age 13. Phil said that for him, staying drunk was a full time job. At the end of his drinking, his liver was gone, he was totally emaciated and was dying. His family took him to a "dry out" house. He was told that he wouldn’t live six months if he began drinking again. At age 46, Phil got sober. He talks about his inner fear and realized that his spirit was gone. He finishes this talk with a discussion of his newly found spirituality and just how good life is now that he’s sober.
Contents - 9 Tracks
Length - 45 Minutes
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PO BOY RICE - BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC - 1986
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length - 54 Minutes
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PO BOY RICE - MAY 2004
Po Boy’s message is a real hardcore story about his life, alcoholism, and eventual recovery. At the time of this talk, Po Boy was 73 years old. He’s from Conyers, Georgia and proudly states that he is very “countrified.” Po Boy grew up in the Deep South; his daddy was a moonshiner and a sharecropper. He was still in diapers when he had his first taste of liquor. Po Boy says that because of his poverty he harbored a lot of resentment while growing up. He ended up on a prison chain gang for four years. A few days after getting out of prison he was driving drunk with his mama, had an accident and killed her. He went into prison again in October 1937. He escaped from that prison twice. After that he was placed in maximum security and while escaping from there he released 100 more prisoners. After spending 20 more years in prison he was finally paroled. Po Boy then begins telling the story of his recovery. He tells of taking his fifth step with his sponsor and having not just a spiritual experience, but having a “spiritual conniption fit.” He eventually got a full pardon from the state of Georgia. At the end of his talk, Po Boy says, “The problem that you have today or any problem you may have out yonder in the future, is never, never, never greater than this source of power that I’ve been trying my level best to share with you folks here this morning. Thank you. I just love every one of you.”
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 58 Minutes
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RAY GRUBNEY - COLUMBUS, OH 4-1-06
Ray, from Newton Falls, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Columbus, Ohio on April 4th, 2006. Ray jokingly says that he became addicted to alcohol while still in the womb. His mother drank while she was pregnant and when she stopped drinking, he became restless, irritable and discontented. Ray grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and he was raised by his grandparents. He says he clearly remembers helping his grandfather make “Home Brew” in the basement. His grandfather had a milk route and would deliver alcohol as well as milk. Ray describes his first AA meeting and how underdressed he felt. His sobriety date is February 3rd, 1966. Ray gets quite emotional when he tells of his recent bout with cancer. He was to have his bladder removed. On the day of surgery, he and his sponsor did some very intense praying just prior to his surgery. Ray said he had a sense of calmness going into the operating room. When the doctors sliced him open, they found that his cancer was gone. Ray’s got a great story of recovery.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 56 Minutes
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RED ALDRIDGE - ARKANSAS 1994
Red, from Buena Park, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Springtime in the Ozarks Conference in Arkansas in 1994. Red has been sober since December 2nd, 1962. He has a great speaking voice and delivers a great message here. Red gives a nice, clear definition of alcoholism. His drinking began while he was serving in World War Two. Red tried some whiskey at that time and knew that he had found the, “Elixir of Life.” On a good part of this recording, Red shares stories about how drinking affected his long career as a pilot – both in and out of the military. He tried white knuckle sobriety for a year. When he finally got into AA he had a real problem accepting the word God in step number three. Throughout this talk, Red shares many, often humorous stories about his experience with the bottle. Towards the end he talks about dealing with his emotional immaturity.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 63 Minutes
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RICK ROBICHAUD - RICHMOND HEIGHTS, OH 9-23-95
Rick, from Kitchner, Ontario recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Freeway Breakfast Group in Richmond Heights, Ohio on September 23rd, 1995. Rick joined AA on August 15th, 1983. He begins his talk by expressing his gratitude to the local members for taking him to all of the historic AA sites in town, such as Dr Bob’s house and grave, The Mayflower Hotel, etc. Rick says he grew up in a family of drinkers in a small town in Nova Scotia. He was sent away to a reform school at the early age of nine. Rick’s big dream in life was to become a country music star in Nashville. His progressive drinking landed him on the streets of Ontario where he lived for six years “with the hippies.” He and some friends would actually inject wine into their veins. Rick ended up in a psychiatric hospital ward where he was strapped down to a bed for three weeks. Rick says he eventually had a spiritual awakening that brought him into the rooms of AA.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 50 Minutes
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ROBIN W - HOUSTON, TX 11-9-02
Robin, from Chicago, Illinois gives a very passionate and opinionated AA talk at the 18th Annual Spirit of Houston Conference in Houston, Texas on November 9th, 2002.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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RON WHITE - CALIFORNIA 6-19-03
Ron from Carson, California gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Desert Pow Wow in California on June 19th, 2003. Ron grew up in poverty-stricken south central Los Angeles with five brothers and an alcoholic father. He grew up full of self-loathing. He eventually became a lawyer but lost everything due to his drinking. Ron gives a very vivid description of the terrible physical condition he was in at the height of his drinking. He was living on skid row in Los Angeles and his grooming habits were non-existent. Ron very emotionally shares how he got back on his feet with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous. Great talk.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 62 Minutes
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SAM RICHARDSON - CLEVELAND, OH 3-11-90
Sam, from Warren, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 7th Anniversary of the Helping Hands Breakfast Group. The first few minutes of this recording is dedicated to the group’s history and speaking about the founder of the group who had just recently passed away. When Sam begins to talk he states his sobriety date as June 5th, 1979. He says that he always had trouble fitting in with other blacks because the school he attended was racially unbalanced in favor of whites. Sam was one of twelve children and his mother had instilled a lot of spirituality into the children’s lives. When Sam began drinking, he became a crying drunk right from the start. A short time after Sam had gotten sober with the help of AA, he lost a sister through suicide. After that he lost three more family members. While all this was happening, Sam leaned heavily on his fellow AA members and never ended up taking a drink.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 43 Minutes
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SCOTT LEE - MARYLAND STATE CONVENTION 6-13-02
Scott’s talk is very, very humorous. Scott, from Nashville, Tennessee, flew high performance jets while in the military. His sobriety date is June 28th, 1984. Right from the beginning of the talk, Scott sets up some audience participation which keeps the talk on a very light note. Because of something that he did while drunk, he was supposed to be serving a life sentence in Leavenworth, but he somehow got out of that. Scott had a spiritual experience similar to that of Bill Wilson. He was in a treatment center when it occurred. Near the end of his talk, Scott says, “I’m grateful for you. I thank you for knowing your lines when I called on you. I stand before you in stocking feet. I always take my shoes off to speak, because we ask God to join us here and I might be standing on holy ground. Thank you.”
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 64 Minutes
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SCOTT REDMAN - COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 1999
Scott, from Van Nuys, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Columbus Spring Roundup in Columbus, Ohio in March of 1999. Scott grew up in the Bronx in New York City and came to the AA program in April of 1985. There’s a lot of laughter in this AA talk but he also gets down to business and tells the crowd about the "Soul Sickness" that his drinking caused. His long-time therapist eventually told him that there’s nothing else he can do for him, "Go to an AA Meeting!" Scott tells how he and his wife had to learn each other all over again as part of the healing process. Very energetic talk!!
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 69 Minutes
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SEAMUS O'CONNOR - SANTA ROSA, CA 10-23-77
Seamus, from Sacramento, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the NCC Fall Conference in Santa Rosa, California on October 23rd, 1977. Seamus is a Catholic Priest originally from Northern Ireland. He eventually moved to California. He talks about hiding his drinking from the church superiors. Seamus was drinking in the priesthood for eight years before reluctantly going to an AA meeting. Seamus talks about the difficulty he had with Step One as well as being very inspired by the story in the Big Book called The Career Officer.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 62 Minutes
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SERENITY SAM - SANTA BARBARA, CA 11-3-01
Serenity, from Richmond, Indiana gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Santa Barbara AA Convention on November 3rd, 2001. Lots of humor in this talk. At the time of this recording, Sam was 74 years old and sober for 45 years. Sam opens up by saying, "I'd like to share my experience, strength, and scar tissue with you.....Get Your Own Hope!" He says that he drank for as long as he possibly could and then a couple of years longer. Even though there’s a ton of humor in this talk, there’s also a ton of serenity. He finishes his talk by gratefully stating that he’s sober today ONLY because I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Contents - 8 Tracks
Length - 41 Minutes
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SERENITY SAM - VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA 4-1-94
This is a great Alcoholics Anonymous talk by Serenity Sam from Richmond, Indiana. He was sober for 37 years at the time of this talk. Sam says that as a kid he was a real mess. He was always getting into trouble. Sam considered himself very lazy during his drinking years. One of the most ambitious projects that he undertook while drinking was to get up in the middle of the night and paint a crosswalk from his apartment to the liquor store across the street. This made his trip to the liquor store much quicker. Sam goes on to tell a great story of recovery and at the end of his talk he says, “I don’t want to miss out on anything. I hope you feel the same way. So get in here and join us as we all “lurch” along the murky road to happy destiny together.”
Contents – 8 Tracks
Length – 37 Minutes
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SHORTY H - OREGON
We don’t know exactly where or when this Alcoholics Anonymous recording was made but the speaker is Shorty H from Richland, Washington and he’s speaking somewhere in the state of Oregon. His date of sobriety is January 23rd, 1949. He was 39 years old at that time. Shorty was a salesman of athletic equipment for most of his life and traveled the northwest section of the United States. At Shorty’s lowest point, he came to the conclusion that he either had to get rid of his drinking or get rid of himself. He planned to jump off the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. He was rescued by a couple of guys from AA. Shorty got the opportunity to talk with Bill Wilson in Salt Lake City in 1952. Bill gave him some advice on having a spiritual experience. Shorty is a big advocate of the Big Book; he lives his life by it. He is involved in AA service and very proud of it.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 55 Minutes
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STEVE M - WARREN, OH 9-1-71
Steve, from Youngstown, Ohio delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Warren, Ohio on September 1st, 1971. He got sober way back in 1941. He took his first drink in 1918 in France at age 22 and within a very short time he was a full-blown alcoholic. Steve’s drinking evolved to a point where he was living on skid row, drinking Bay Rum and rubbing alcohol and hiding from the police and the public. He tells how he was twelfth stepped by two men from AA in his home on George Washington’s birthday in 1941. He was inspired that they didn’t come to condemn him but came to offer him help. Steve talks about a lot of the early Youngstown members that were present at his very first AA meeting. He remembers attending meetings in Akron along with Dr Bob and Bill Wilson. Steve also talks about the early growth and expansion on AA in the Youngstown area.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 62 Minutes
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STEVE RAZUM - RICHMOND HEIGHTS, OH 1-28-90
Steve, from Cincinnati, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Freeway Breakfast Group in Richmond Heights, Ohio on January 28th, 1990. Steve says he began attending AA meetings in 1964 but didn’t begin his long term sobriety until 1964. Steve did a lot of his drinking around the Cleveland area and speaks quite a bit about Rosary Hall. He speaks fondly about several of the old time AA guys that visited him while he was in Rosary Hall. Steve gives a great AA lead and at the very end of this recording he says, “I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I’m with you.”
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 54 Minutes
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TALBOT HAYGOOD - D&LU
The date and location of this Alcoholics Anonymous talk by this AA oldtimer is not known. Talbot gives his sobriety date as July 24th, 1968. He tells about the difficulty he had growing up because of severe facial scars. This made him a very angry young man and he became quite an arsonist. Talbot became a morning drinker the day after his very first drink. He tried suicide and woke up in a room with five other naked mental patients. He says that this was the cruelest thing he had ever experienced. Talbot joined AA and went on to become a well traveled AA speaker sharing his message with many suffering alcoholics.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 74 Minutes
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TALBOT HAYGOOD - MONTEAGLE, TN 5-3-70
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 16 Tracks
Length - 77 Minutes
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TIM CONWAY - AKRON, OH JUNE 1987
This is not Tim Conway the comedian; this is Tim Conway from Chagrin Falls, Ohio speaking at Founder’s Day in Akron in June of 1987. Tim says his last drink was April 5th, 1959. He was one of 13 children and grew up just outside of Akron. Tim says that even though his drinking brought him a lot of bad times, he doesn’t feel that everyone has to hit rock-bottom before realizing that they may want to get sober. Tim’s got a great lead and at the end of his talk he says, “I try to keep my feet on the ground and my eye towards the goal. And my goal is a reachable goal. And it’s a goal that’s reachable for each and every one of you. Thank you very much.”
Contents – 8 Tracks
Length – 40 Minutes
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TOM BURNS - MARIETTA, OH JULY 1994
Tom, from Avon Lake, Ohio recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Marietta, Ohio in July of 1994 at the Seventh Annual Meeting on the River Weekend. Tom was sober 32 years at the time he gave this talk. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and his father was an admitted alcoholic. Tom was wounded in a drunken knife fight in a bar in San Francisco and led everyone to believe that it was an injury from the Korean War. Tom had to continue that lie until many years later when he got sober. He says that the AA program is not for people who need it but for those who want it. After spending years in the AA program, Tom has come to the conclusion that the only thing, the absolute only thing that matters in this life is people.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 73 Minutes
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TOM BURNS - NEW LONDON, OHIO JUNE 2006
Tom, from Avon Lake, Ohio made this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 24th New London Campout Conference in New London, Ohio in June of 2006. His date of sobriety is July 5th, 1962. Tom was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His father was an admitted alcoholic. Tom talks about how he remained very selfish well into his sobriety. The toughest times he faced while sober was when he was not getting along well with his wife. Tom talks about his 26 year old daughter getting killed in Florida and how the AA people helped him out. Sister Ignatia was one of the people that helped Tom eventually get sober and he refers to her often in this talk. He was recently interviewed for a documentary being made about Sister Ignatia that will be premiered during Founder’s Day in 2007. Tom finishes this talk by stating, “Bring the Body, You’ll get a new Brain.”
Contents – 16 Tracks
Length – 76 Minutes
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TOM FLYNN - YORK, PA 8-17-02
Tom, from Glen Burnie, Maryland gives an excellent talk at the Fifth Annul Sunlight of the Spirit Conference in York, Pennsylvania on August 17, 2002. Tom gives a really humorous and enthusiastic AA talk. Tom says that he was not a “problem drinker,” he was an “answer drinker.” Whenever he had a problem, alcohol would provide the answer. Tom is an old-timer and this is a great talk about recovery from alcoholism.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 46 Minutes
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TOM GRAFTON - MEMPHIS, TN 4-20-80
Tom is from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, He recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Tennessee State Convention in Memphis Tennessee on April 20th, 1980. Tom says he was “Born Thirsty.” He got a chance to go to college in the Los Angeles, California area and ended up meeting a lot of famous people there. Tom says his social drinking period lasted about three seconds. Tom became a lawyer. He was active in many AA General Service Conferences. He’s got a great story of drinking and a really good story of recovery.
Contents – 16 Tracks
Length – 76 Minutes
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TOM IVESTOR - LANCASTER, CA 7-29-02
We don't have a description of the contents of this CD because we have not personally listened to this yet. Please let us know if you have any comments or questions after listening to it.
Contents - 14 Tracks
Length - 70 Minutes
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TOM IVESTOR - LOUISVILLE, KY 2-13-87
Tom recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Kentucky State Conference in Louisville, Kentucky on February 13th, 1987, just a few days after he completed 30 years of sobriety. He says he believes he crossed that invisible line way back when he was 18 years old. Tom was thrown out of the army with an undesirable discharge. He was jailed with regularity. Tom tells a great story of recovery and his involvement with the prison system.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 55 Minutes
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TOM IVESTOR - TAMPA, FL 1995
Tom, from Southern Pines, North Carolina recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 1995 Fall Roundup in Tampa, Florida. His date of sobriety is February 2nd, 1957. Tom’s father deserted the family when Tom was only four years old and he feels that had a lot to do with his eventual alcoholism. He had the typical feelings of a budding alcoholic; he always felt different and had that hole in his gut. He began drinking at a young age and feels he crossed the invisible line into alcoholism at the age of 18. Prior to age 18, Tom had bragged about his alcohol consumption. After that, he began to minimize the amount of his drinking. Tom woke up in jail one day only to find out that he had killed two people the night before in an automobile accident. He was sentenced to 15 years in the Michigan State Penitentiary. He was inspired by the first speaker he every heard at an AA meeting in prison; that man was Chi Walker who was to eventually become his sponsor. Because of his progress in AA, Tom was eventually offered a job as a prison warden.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 67 Minutes
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TOM IVESTOR - WATERLOO, IA 4-22-89
Tom Ivestor, from Southern Pines, North Carolina made this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Metro Anniversary in Waterloo, Iowa on April 22nd, 1989. Tom is one of the best AA speakers around. He had 32 years of sobriety when this recording was made and he’s in top form. Tom moved from problem drinking to alcoholism at an early age and by 24 his drinking had landed him in prison. An AA meeting in prison started the change in Tom's life and a truly amazing life in sobriety unfolds. Tom's talk deals with gratitude and service and is a must for all who enjoy the message of recovery.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 73 Minutes
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TOM IVESTOR - YORK, PA 8-16-03
Tom gives an excellent Alcoholics Anonymous Talk at the Sixth Annual Sunlight of the Spirit Convention in York, Pennsylvania on August 16th, 2003. He’s a member of the Primary Purpose Group in Southern Pines, North Carolina and his sobriety date is Ground Hog’s Day of 1957. One day Tom woke up in jail with no recollection of what had occurred the night before. He was then informed that he was driving drunk and had killed two people. Tom says that when he joined AA he was the youngest member in the state of North Carolina, now he’s an old-timer. He was the first man to become a prison warden after having been an inmate some years earlier. Tom tells an excellent story of recovery and at the end of his talk he says, “I believe that I’m the most fortunate guy in the United States of America.”
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 70 Minutes
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TONY MORALES - NEWBURY, OH 9-13-80
Tony delivered this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Punderson Conference in Newbury, Ohio on September 13th, 1980. Tony (now deceased) was an AA oldtimer from Cleveland, Ohio and was 62 years old at the time. He’s a big advocate of taking the AA program home with you – you should be that same “changed” person around your family and friends as you are in AA. At his first AA meeting, Tony heard that, “Once you’re an alcoholic, you’re always an alcoholic – you can never go back to social drinking.” That phrase inspired him. Tony believes that Alcoholics Anonymous is the greatest thing that ever came down the pike in his lifetime. Throughout this recording, Tony does a lot of reminiscing about his earlier days in AA.
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length - 56 Minutes
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VINCE YOE - BRENTWOOD, CA 12-21-05
Vince recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Pacific Group in Brentwood, California on December 21st, 2005. Vince delivers a great talk. He directs many of his initial comments toward the newcomer then he reflects back humorously on his own very first AA meeting in Long Beach, California in 1965. Vince talks about his early childhood. He was a much-loved child however at the age of twelve, both of his parents died within a week of each other. Vince was in the medical field and in the summer of 1972 his license was revoked due to his drinking. He spent that summer drinking one half gallon of vodka per day. Vince finally got sober on September 21st, 1972. He began attending AA meetings and asked Clancy Imislund to be his sponsor. His message to the newcomer at the end of this recording is, "Have a great Christmas and if you've lost your family because of your drinking, I've got good news for you. We're you're family now."
Contents - 10 Tracks
Length - 47 Minutes
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VINCE YOE - OMAHA, NE 8-19-89
Vince Yoe, from Pasadena, California recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Omaha, Nebraska on August 19th, 1989. At the beginning of this talk, Vince speaks directly to the newcomers. Vince went to his first AA meeting in November of 1965. He was very active in AA in his first few years but did not work the steps, which left him miserable. He talks a lot about finally getting a sponsor and how that sponsor demanded unquestioned obedience from him. He never mentions him by name, but it’s pretty obvious that he speaking about Clancy Imislund. Vince tells a very good recovery story from drinking a half gallon of vodka daily to a very successful and happy life today.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 69 Minutes
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WALLACE B - LAKE MILTON, OH 8-11-06 (2 CDs)
AA Old-timer Wallace B, from Sanford, North Carolina, recorded this very heartfelt message in Lake Milton, Ohio on August 11th, 2006. In his great southern drawl, Wallace explains that he has 42 years of sobriety and is very nervous to be talking today. He is sponsored by fellow North Carolinian, Tom Ivestor. Alcohol changed Wallace’s life forever from the very first time he tried alcohol at the age of 20; it was a religious experience for him. Over the next 10 years he had all kinds of consequences because of his drinking. Wallace doesn’t mention his specific crime but in June of 1963 he was sentenced to 40 years plus Natural Life in the North Carolina State Penitentiary. That’s where he met his future sponsor, Tom Ivestor. He made a promise to his mother who was lying on her death-bed, that he would always be a member of AA.
Contents – 22 Total Tracks
Total Length – 104 Minutes
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WALTER HAMEN - AKRON, OH 6-15-77
Walter recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at Founder’s Day in Akron, Ohio on June 15th, 1977. Walter talks a little about the Al Anon program at the beginning of this recording. He then begins to tell his own story. Walter doesn’t remember what it was that he drank the first time he got drunk, but he vividly recalls that it was immediate magic for him. He blacked out on his wedding night. Right when his drinking was at its worst, Walter decided to take flying lessons of all things. His instructor told him that he didn’t need lessons from him to be “flying.” Walter tried several geographical cures and ended up in Cleveland. He eventually found the rooms of AA and explains how that happened in the remainder of this talk.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 53 Minutes
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