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JOHNNY HARRIS - CHAMPAIGN, IL OCTOBER 1995
At the time of this talk, Johnny had 36 years of sobriety. In this talk, Johnny says that he had been a misfit all of his life and if it weren’t for alcohol he probably would have blown his brains out at a very early age. Alcohol had caused a lot of problems for him but it did sustain him throughout life until he found the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. Johnny very fondly remembers his grandmother who was a very spiritual person. His grandfather was a whole different story. It was only after being sober for a while in AA that Johnny realized that drinking was not his problem. His coping-with-life abilities were often put to the test after he was sober. Johnny’s wife committed suicide when he was six years sober. Johnny himself attempted suicide after years of sobriety. He also had friends with long-term sobriety that actually committed suicide. He says he feels that this was due to “untreated alcoholism,” not working the program. Johnny says that because he was “Out of it” for so long, his sponsor, Norm Alpi had to show him how to act not only in AA meetings but out in society as well. Johnny’s appreciation for his good life in this talk are really obvious. At the end of this recording he says, “If not for the grace of God, AA, and good folks like you, I could have missed it all.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 68 Minutes
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JOHNNY HARRIS - OHIO 1985
Johnny Harris recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Ohio State Conference in 1985. He had 26 years of sobriety at the time of this talk. Johnny says he was born weird and got worse from there. Even as a child he was restless, irritable and discontented. Johnny gives a vivid description of growing up in an alcoholic home. Both of his parents drank very heavily. Johnny first entered the rooms of AA in November of 1959. Johnny goes on to tell a great story of recovery from the disease of Alcoholism.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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JOHNNY HARRIS - SCOTTSBLUFF, NE 4-23-83
At the time of this AA talk, Johnny had been sober for 24 years. Johnny feels that the longer he stays sober in AA, the more important it becomes to remember where he came from. He says he was always a weirdo. He’s was born weird and just never got any better. He was irritable and angry all the time. After drinking alone was no longer enough for Johnny, he went on a 14 year binge on drinking, drugging and using morphine. Eventually none of that gave him the feeling of escape either. Johnny always wanted to be a gangster and was very uncomfortable in the same rooms as lowly alcoholics. Now Johnny says that his sobriety is the most important thing in his life. At the end of his talk Johnny says that what he does with his sobriety is his gift to God, and he just hopes that God is as pleased with his gift to him as he’s been with the gift of sobriety that he received 24 years ago.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 60 Minutes
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JOHNNY HARRIS - SPARKS, NV 9-3-89
Johnny recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Sierra Nevada Roundup in Sparks, Nevada on September 3rd, 1989. Johnny attended his first AA meeting on November 4th, 1959. He’s not had a drop of alcohol since. He didn’t think that AA had anything to offer him because when he first attended meetings he was as physically sober as he is today. Johnny had a tough life. Shortly before attending his first AA meeting Johnny was in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison for 4 ½ years. He used to be very hostile and violent and that included times that he wasn’t even drinking. Johnny’s first wife committed suicide. His younger brother got into his supply of drugs, overdosed and ended up dying. After finding AA, Johnny’s life turned completely around. He feels that every day is a blessing because of Alcoholics Anonymous. He finishes his talk with his idea about gratitude. He says, “There’s only one way in God’s world that you can ever express your gratitude to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, and that’s to remain a good example of what this program can do for you. I hope and pray that I always will.”
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 63 Minutes
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JOHNNY HARRIS - STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 5-29-04
Johnny recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at The Promises and Service Convention in Stockholm, Sweden on May 29th, 2004. His sobriety date is November 4th, 1959. Johnny says that before entering AA his drinking was bad but it was actually his periods of sobriety that were the real nightmare for him. He also talks about Singleness of Purpose, Home Groups, Making Amends, AA Service and the importance of including the recovery portion of your story when you’re telling other alcoholics about your life. He tells of the bittersweet memory of returning to Folsom Prison to share his recovery story 46 years after being locked up there himself. Johnny ends his talk by saying, “I’d like to stand here tonight and thank God for Alcoholics Anonymous. But I think even more than that, what I’d really like to do is, I’d like to thank Alcoholics Anonymous for my God.”
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 49 Minutes
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JOHNNY HARRIS - WATERLOO, IA 4-4-81
This Alcoholics Anonymous talk was recorded by Johnny Harris at an Anniversary Banquet in Waterloo, Iowa on April 4th, 1981. He had grown up in a family full of alcoholism. Johnny says that he’s always known that there was something wrong with him; he never felt quite right, and believes that for a long time his drinking actually kept him from going crazy. After becoming sober, Johnny had to work very hard on his filthy mouth; cussing had become second nature to him. “Doing something positive with the sobriety we’ve been given is our return gift to our higher power.”
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 64:43
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POLLY PISTOLE - COPENHAGEN, DENMARK 4-18-04
Polly, sober for 27 years, gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 18th, 2004. Her sobriety date is April 11th, 1977. In this recording she talks quite a bit about her spiritual malady and how she overcame it. Polly tells about her very strong feelings of inadequacy in her early years. She talks about many hardships she had gone through AFTER getting sober. Polly says that she was a bad mother but thanks to AA she has been able to become a dynamite grandmother. At the end of her talk, Polly says, “I sought my God but my God I did not see. I sought my soul, my soul eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three.”
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 58 Minutes
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POLLY PISTOLE - CRESTED BUTTE, CO 7-21-02
Polly recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 19th Annual Crested Butte Mountain Conference in Crested Butte, Colorado. She proudly states that her sobriety date is April 11th, 1977. Polly says that she was an only child and she was just adored by her parents, so she feels that she can never use the “tough childhood” excuse to justify her alcoholism. She found herself pretty much alone after her first marriage and that’s when her drinking took off. Polly feels that she found AA because of the grace of God. Many people are given that gift but unfortunately many return it. At the end of her talks she says, “If you want to feel good about yourself, then go do something good for somebody else.”
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 58 Minutes
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POLLY PISTOLE - DAYTONA BEACH, FL JULY 1999
Polly recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 43rd Florida State Convention in Daytona Beach, Florida in July of 1999. Her sobriety date is April 11th, 1977. She had 22 years of sobriety at the time of this recording. Polly says that she did not come from a drinking family; however she says usually, “If you shake an alcoholic’s family tree, an alcoholic will fall out.” She always had a, “Hole in her soul that no amount of love could ever fill.” She feels that alcoholics need to be treated special just so we feel average. Polly says that it was difficult, but she followed her sponsor’s very specific instructions on how to make amends to her two sons. She tells about many great events that have, “Come to pass,” since she’s been living sober in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 69 Minutes
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POLLY PISTOLE - EDISTO ISLAND, SC 4-15-93
Polly recorded this talk in Edisto Island, South Carolina on April 15th, 1993. On this recording she talks about many things including how she was deeply influenced by Clancy I. and his talk entitled, “Alcoholism: A Disease of Perception.” Polly feels that she may have been unintentionally mislead about spiritual beliefs due to her strong Southern Baptist upbringing. She states that, “An Alcoholic is the only person who can be laying in the gutter, feeling superior to those looking down on him.” Polly gives a good, solid AA talk on this recording. The entire CD is filled with her recovery message.
Contents – 17 Tracks
Length – 78 Minutes
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POLLY PISTOLE - REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
Polly gave this AA talk in Iceland. She begins her talk by stating three facts: Her sobriety date is April 11th, 1977, her home group is Monday Night Seal Beach Speaker Meeting, and she has a sponsor by the name of Dotty H. She says those are the three things necessary to be a member in good standing in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous. She then thanks “Thor” and “Ziggy” for inviting her. Polly did not come from an alcoholic family. She said her mother is not impressed at all with her 23 years of sobriety. “I’m the kind of person who never wanted to take responsibility when I’m wrong. I can’t blame my disease on my parents because they didn’t drink. I can’t blame my disease on the fact that I wasn’t loved, because I was much loved. I was an only child, so I got all the love. “The big book told me that I was suffering from a disease that is hopeless of mind and body. I was suffering from a disease that is a spiritual malady. I was suffering from the sunshine of the spirit. If I am suffering from a spiritual malady, nothing is enough. You can’t love me enough, you can’t do enough, and you can’t give me enough. I was so far removed from a higher power that anything you did for me, I could not feel.” Polly had been in several psychiatric clinics and treatment centers. While she was in these places she always had the feeling of not being able to live inside her own skin. Many times when she was released from these places, she would go get a bottle of scotch and some valium, check into a motel and try to commit suicide. She says now her life is fantastic. This is the result of staying spiritually fit. When you stay spiritually fit, great events will come to pass. This is truly an inspiring talk by a very energetic woman.
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 45 Minutes
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POLLY PISTOLE - YORK, PA 8-16-03
Polly recorded this talk at the 6th Annual Sunlight of the Spirit Conference in York, Pennsylvania on August 16th, 2003. Polly’s sobriety date is April 11th, 1977. Polly says she is living, breathing proof that you can become a hardcore alcoholic and not have been raised in an alcoholic home. Polly says that if she had been raised by alcoholic parents, she would blame her alcoholism on them, but that was never the case. She believes that because both of her parents were abused children when they were growing up, they decided that that was never going to happen to Polly and as a result she ended up becoming a spoiled brat. Polly says that her life changed dramatically when she heard the talk by Clancy Imislund entitled, “Alcoholism – the Disease of Perception.” She is a believer in not bringing your “mess” to an AA meeting; you bring your “mess” to your sponsor and bring your “solution” to the AA meeting. At the end of her talk, Polly sums up her message by saying, “I love being sober. I love the life you have given to me in Alcoholics Anonymous”
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 69 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - ATLANTA, GA JULY 1978
Ray O’Keefe, the AA Professor, recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 3rd Annual Atlanta Roundup in Atlanta, Georgia in 1978. On this recording Ray basically tells his story; how his drinking progressed throughout his life. He got a degree in law and went on to become a college professor. Ray says that outwardly it appeared he was doing very well but inside he was dying. There’s a good amount of humor in the first part of this recording, but toward the end he gets very serious after describing the alcoholic death of his brother, Billy. Ray does a very good job of telling a narrative version of the twelve steps and weaving in the story of the AA founders. An excellent and inspiring early talk by the old professor.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 73 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - DATE & LOCATION UNKNOWN
We don't know when or where Ray O'Keefe recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk but it's one of the better recordings he's made. Lot's of humor. He states that he's a member of the Miami Men's Group in Miami, Florida. Ray grew up in the South Bronx in a large Irish Catholic family. After many years of drinking, Ray fell in love with the very dry martini. It was unrequited love. Ray tells how he spent the final year of his drinking very isolated. He emotionally talks about his brother Billy who died of alcoholism. Ray's got a really great story of recovery. We believe he's one of the best AA speakers around.
Contents - 13 Tracks
Length - 63 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - OREGON JULY 1981
This is an early talk by the Alcoholics Anonymous Professor, Ray O’Keefe. The crowd is really in love with Ray on this recording; he’s really on fire. Ray says he grew up in a rough, tough Irish neighborhood. He held the neighborhood record for the number of times he was thrown out of high school. About halfway through this talk, Ray turns serious. He says alcohol really took a toll on his life. Ray can’t sound any sadder when he talks about his brother and says, “My brother, Billy doesn’t drink anymore.” He goes over the twelve promises and says they have all come true for him; a great talk by an AA Old Timer.
Contents – 16 Tracks
Length – 77 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - ORLANDO, FL JANUARY 1999
Ray was sober for 33 years at the time he recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk. His sobriety date is November 24th, 1965. Ray was around AA for a few years prior to that but he just couldn’t get the program. Ray begins by saying that he wants to talk about the history of AA for a little while; not the history that began in Akron, Ohio but the AA history that ends in Akron. He goes on to tell a very good story of AA from Dr Jung to Dr Bob. Ray then tells his own story. He became a Professor of Law while still in his 20s and was asked to resign by age 35 because of his drinking. Ray says, “Alcoholics are born not feeling good, that’s why that first drink is so magical.” He says that alcohol does not cause alcoholism, separation from God causes alcoholism. A great talk by the AA Professor.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 62 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - SAN ANTONIO, TX 6-26-86
Ray O’Keefe, from Miami, Florida recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 41st Texas State Convention in San Antonio, Texas on June 26th, 1986. Ray always had a feeling of “not belonging” in his family, in school and in other social settings. He says that when he first started drinking at age 14 in the bars, he liked everything about it. By age 34, Ray had accomplished a lot but he was also a daily drinker. He got quite upset when his wife’s doctor, an obstetrician diagnosed him as an alcoholic. By age 35, he was in a mental institution. Ray finally began attending AA meetings in January of 1963. He relapsed after attaining 10 months of sobriety and this began the worse period of his life. Ray finally became sober for good on November 24th, 1965. “Everything that the disease of alcoholism has taken away, Alcoholics Anonymous has given back to me.”
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 70 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - SAN DIEGO, CA 7-1-95
This talk was recorded at the International Alcoholics Anonymous Convention in San Diego, California on July 1st, 1995. Ray states that his home group is in Miami, Florida. His sobriety date is November 24th, 1965. Ray grew up in a tough, Irish neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. He was raised by his alcoholic mother. He held the local record for the number of times being thrown out of high school. While still drinking heavily, he became a law professor at Fordham University. In 1963 Ray’s drinking landed him in a mental institution. The hospital finally gave up on him and asked an AA member to speak with him. Ray kept relapsing a lot even after joining AA. He lost his job as a law professor. He says that “Finally, for some reason his time had come.” He believes that every alcoholic has a time when their higher power doesn’t allow any more suffering to continue. Ray says unfortunately for his brother Billy, the time that his suffering ceased was at his death from alcoholism. At the end of his talk, Ray says, “I have seen over and over and over again through the longest day and into the darkest night, the good news of this program brought to the alcoholic who still suffers. God bless you.” This really is a great AA talk.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 54 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - ST THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS 10-28-00
Old-timer Ray O’Keefe from Kure Beach, North Carolina recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at Promises in Paradise in St Thomas, Virgin Islands on October 28th, 2000. Ray’s sobriety date is November 24th, 1965. Ray says he grew up in an Irish neighborhood in the Bronx, New York and witnessed a lot of drinking. He began drinking in bars at age 13. Ray went to college in Vermont and then joined the Navy. He eventually became a lawyer and then a law professor. Ray developed a love affair with the very dry martini. At age 35 his drinking landed him in an asylum. A man from AA visited him in the hospital. He relapsed after 10 months. He lost his job as a law professor and then he lost his older brother to alcoholism. Ray very passionately says, “My hero, my older brother Billy…..doesn’t drink anymore.” He also speaks passionately about how Dr Jung felt that alcoholism is caused by an absence of a Higher Power. This is a very emotional talk for Ray.
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 51 Minutes
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RAY O'KEEFE - TAMPA, FL 9-3-93
This recording is a humorous yet serious and very powerful message by Ray O'Keefe. He is a wonderful voice of wisdom. His voice and delivery are very soothing and comforting. If you have some Irish in you, it makes for some great laughs as well as for some true heartache. Throughout his talk, Ray cleverly yet subtly defines alcoholism as a family disease. It’s a really solid AA message - a spiritual message from the heart based on the AA program and fellowship.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 59 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - AKRON, OH 2006
Sandy recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the 71st Founder’s Day Celebration in Akron, Ohio in 2006. His date of sobriety is December 7th, 1964. Sandy says he grew up in New Haven, Connecticut in the 1930s. After years of drinking and attaining a rank of Captain in the Marines, he was falling apart on the inside. He began to have severe panic attacks while flying. Sandy says he likes the idea of no ranking system in AA; “You start out as a big shot and you work your way all the way up to servant.” At the end Sandy says, “When you understand the magnificence of yourself, then you’ll understand the magnificence of God.”
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 55 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - ARLINGTON, VA 1998
On this recording, discharged U.S. Marine Fighter Pilot Sandy Beach tells his story with HUGE HUMOR.............Serious but funny. There is so much laughter while he shares. Sandy got sober on Pearl Harbor Day 1964. "All of a sudden, I did not trust the pilot and I was the pilot!!" When Sandy became unable to fly any longer, the navy sent him to Air Traffic Control School. "I owe it all to not drinking" "There were so many side affects to my drinking, jail, lost cars, hurt family members, but without alcohol I had problems. I got sober and then I had to find happiness, that’s what AA is for. Drinking was the answer to all my problems.......my problem was sobriety.......I was miserable." Sandy attended his first AA meeting at Bethesda Naval Hospital. His first sponsor suggested that he turn over his life to anyone who would take it. This will keep you laughing as he shares all the hurdles he had to go over in sobriety. You will identify so fully with the challenges he faced in early recovery. This is a must have!!
Contents – 10 Tracks
Length – 46 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - ATLANTA, GA 12-1-84
Sandy Beach recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Atlanta, Georgia on December 1st, 1984 just shy of his 20th year of sobriety. Sandy began drinking when he was a skinny kid of 19, afraid of his own shadow and full of guilt. He talks about his years as a pilot in the military and the problems drinking caused him. He landed in a psychiatric ward for six months. Sandy talks humorously about the man who, “forcibly” 12 stepped him. He grabbed him by the neck and said, “Get In The Car.” Sandy said that the fear of this man outweighed the pain of not drinking. So he quit drinking. He says he’s grateful that he’s an alcoholic because the AA program has taken him to places he would have never dreamed of had he been a “normal person. He wraps up by stating, “The best thing that you can do as a newcomer is to not get in the way. Please listen to the people that have gone before you.”
Contents – 7 Tracks
Length – 33 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - CRESTED BUTTE, CO 2006
Popular Alcoholics Anonymous speaker, Sandy Beach recorded this talk in Crested Butte, Colorado at the 2006 Mountain Conference. He‘s got a very soothing way of delivering his AA message. He begins this recording by relating historical AA events to his own age at the time; very interesting. Sandy tells how, when he first became sober in the 1960s, he was locked in a hospital’s mental ward for six months. That was the only treatment available to him. He says, “I went from Yale, Class of 1953 to Low Man in the Nut Ward.” Sandy tells how a man took his spiritual inventory and Sandy scored a zero. Near the end of this recording, Sandy refers to the Chuck Chamberlain talk called, A New Pair of Glasses and how that message really got through to him. “In AA we are given much more than the opportunity to stop drinking.”
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 58 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - DROP THE ROCK
Sandy recorded this classic Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Palm Springs, California on June 5th, 1976. Sandy entered the rooms of AA for the first time on Pearl Harbor Day in 1964. Even after being in AA for seven years, Sandy was haunted by strong feelings of guilt. Sandy says that when he read Marty Mann’s Primer on Alcoholism he thought the woman had been following him around. The book was his story to a “T.” One of Sandy’s most vivid memories from his drinking years was fear: he was afraid of everything. Sandy, a pilot, was diagnosed as having a childhood fear of airplanes. Sandy’s drinking got so bad that he had a grand maul seizure and woke up a week later in “Looney Bin,” section of Bethesda Naval Hospital. After being sober for quite a while, Sandy says that holding on to his old ideas was like carrying around a 150 pound rock, but at least it was HIS rock. He was drowning in a sea of alcoholic thinking and as AA was trying to save him they kept shouting, “Drop the Rock…….Drop the Rock!!”
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 58 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - MARIETTA, GA OCTOBER 2002
On this talk, Sandy does dot tell his own story but instead speaks on the Spiritual Principals of Alcoholics Anonymous. Sandy says that his sobriety date is December 7th, 1964 and he has had the same sponsor the entire time. He tells us that AA convinces us of the need for a higher power and once we acknowledge that, the doors start to open up. He refers to that Big Book chapter, We Agnostics, and says that basically it tells us that if you’re an agnostic, consider becoming a former agnostic. At first Sandy wanted to be just a little spiritual and keep some bad stuff around just for fun. Our character defects must be removed so that a channel of communication can be opened up between ourselves and a higher power. Sandy says, “If I become disturbed, then there’s something wrong with me.” Great, inspiring talk.
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 57 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - MIAMI, FL AUGUST 2010
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 - 55 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - MINNESOTA MAY 2001
Sandy recorded this AA talk at the 28th Gopher State Roundup in May of 2001. In this talk Sandy tells a very touching story of making his mother smile while she was on her death bed. He knew that she was now proud of him and his sobriety after alcohol had wreaked so much havoc with his life. Sandy refers quite a bit to Chuck Chamberlain, author of A New Pair of Glasses. He was very good friends with Chuck. Sandy finishes this very inspiring talk by saying to the newcomer, “You are the gift that AA gives you. Your job is to unwrap that gift. The truth about you will blow your mind. The truth about you as a human being is so awesome that it will take the rest of your life to unfold.”
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 61 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - SPIRITUALITY 102
Sandy recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous Talk at the 6th Annual Sunlight of the Spirit Conference in York, Pennsylvania on August 17th, 2003. Sandy says early in the talk that he’s calling this talk, Spirituality 102. He was going to call it Spirituality 101 but feared that some alcoholics would think it was too basic and would not listen. Sandy tells a couple of very funny stories at the beginning of this talk. One of them involves the time he dated the granddaughter of the founder of Anheuser Bush brewery. This talk is very humorous and spiritually based. Near the end of his talk Sandy says, “In the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, if you are out helping somebody you are experiencing a flow that you can’t get in any other fashion. Thank you very much.”
Contents – 12 Tracks
Length – 61 Minutes
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SANDY BEACH - YORK, PA 8-17-01
Sandy recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at Sunlight of the Spirit Group in York, Pennsylvania on August 17th, 2001. Sandy talks about his higher power quite a bit in this talk. He talks briefly about the meeting of Dr Carl Jung and Rowland Hazzard and how at that last meeting Dr Jung suggested a spiritual approach to the problem of alcoholism. Sandy says that even when he was at the top of his game, a Captain in the military, being a father of six children, and a nice house, because of his drinking he could still feel his world falling apart, piece by piece. He wound up in a mental hospital and went through some severe delirium tremens. He finishes his talk by saying that one of his biggest AA thrills is hearing the newcomer speak after a year of sobriety and admitting, “This crazy plan really works.”
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 54 Minutes
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SEARCY WHALEY - GOODYEAR, AZ APRIL 2000
Searcy recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the Tenth Annual West Valley Conference in Goodyear, Arizona in April of 2000. Searcy’s sobriety date is May 10th, 1946 and he was 90 years old at the time of this talk. He tells of a rough life growing up on a large farm in West Texas with seven brothers and sisters. Searcy pays homage to Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob for “staying the course” in those early, rough years. He met Bill and Lois Wilson for the first time at the First Texas State Conference in Austin, Texas in 1946. They became close friends after that. Searcy tells his own story of drinking and recovery and also talks about how AA spread throughout Texas. Searcy reflects back on attending the 1950 First International Conference in Cleveland, Ohio and the amount of effort they put into getting the vote for the 12 AA Traditions at that conference. Searcy offers up a challenge at the end of his talk, “I challenge you to abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Tear away the wreckage of the past. Admit our faults to God and our fellows. And I have no doubt that every one of us, somewhere, someday will meet again and until then, God bless and keep all of you, and I love every one of you.”
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 54 Minutes
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SEARCY WHALEY - HOUSTON, TX 11-11-00
This is a great talk by Ebby Thatcher’s sponsor and humorous old-timer, Searcy Whaley from Houston, Texas. This talk was recorded in Houston, Texas on November 11th, 2000. At the time of this talk, Searcy was 90 years old, married to the same woman for 65 years, and sober for 54 years. Searcy, from west Texas, is no longer around but in this Alcoholic’s Anonymous talk he tells us that he traveled extensively with Doctor Bob’s son, Smitty, who is also from west Texas. Searcy refers to a quote by Carl Sandburg, “Whenever a society or civilization perishes their is always one condition present – they forgot where they came from.” He goes on to say that traveling and talking with Smitty over the years has made him feel very much in tune with the history and early days of the AA program. In 1946, the first Texas State AA conference was held. Bill Wilson attended. He and Searcy became close and Bill offered to be his sponsor. Searcy accepted and had been very close with Bill Wilson up until Bill’s death in 1971. Searcy was known for his witty sayings and his sense of humor. Searcy sums up his talk by saying, “If you’re not as close to God as you once were, make no mistake about who moved. If you never were close to God, make no mistake about who should move.” The audio quality of this recording is excellent.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 67 Minutes
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SEARCY WHALEY - HOUSTON, TX 8-12-00
This is a fantastic AA Talk by an old timer who really enjoyed sobriety. Searcy gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talks at the Extended Aftercare Banquet in Houston, Texas on August 12th, 2000. Searcy is a beloved old timer that had over 54 years of sobriety at the time this talk was recorded. He tells his story and talks about his alcoholism and sobriety. He’s got a very well told drunkalog. He shares some very insightful wisdom from his decades of experience, and some really funny rule 62 stuff. This is Alcoholics Anonymous at it' best.
Contents - 14 Tracks
Length - 66 Minutes
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SEARCY WHALEY - MINNEAPOLIS, MN JUNE 2000
This is a great speech by the man who became Ebby Thacher’s sponsor, Searcy Whaley. Searcy was the grand-sponsor of Bill Wilson. He gave this talk at the International Alcoholics Anonymous Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota in June of 2000. Searcy tells us that his sobriety date is May 10th, 1946. He’s was sober 54 years at the time of this talk. His age was 90. He’d done quite a bit of traveling to conventions with Doctor Bob’s son, Smitty – they’re both from Texas. Bill and Lois Wilson came down to Texas in 1946. Bill took Searcy under his wing at that time. Searcy kept in close contact with Bill until 1971 when Bill passed away. In 1950, Searcy was recruited by Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob to work the crowd at the First International AA Conference in Cleveland. Bill and Bob were trying to get members to vote for the 12 Traditions and asked Searcy to assist by talking to the people in the audience before the conference began. Searcy reads a very funny list of the 12 steps of how NOT to stay sober – the crowd loves it. Searcy is no longer around. He passed away at age 93 on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003 in Dallas, Texas.
Contents – 11 Tracks
Length – 53 Minutes
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SEARCY WHALEY - ST PETERSBURG, FL 9-4-01
Searcy Whaley of Dallas, Texas gave this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in St Petersburg, Florida on September 4th, 2001. He was 91 years old and sober for 55 years at the time. His date of Sobriety is May 10th, 1946. Searcy says he was raised dirt poor on a, “Sorry, damn farm in Western Texas.” He played semi-pro baseball. Searcy eventually got a job that involved entertaining a lot of clients and that’s when his drinking really took off. During World War II, he went into the military and lasted only eleven months. Searcy joined up with AA in Dallas when there were only ten members. He tells how Bill Wilson came to Texas in 1946 and they struck up an immediate friendship. Bill Wilson sent Searcy to the Yale School for Alcoholic Studies. In 1953, Bill Wilson asked Searcy to accept Ebby Thacher into his clinic in Dallas. Ebby entered the clinic and was initially a, “Cantankerous, mean old man who would cuss everybody out.” Searcy pays a small tribute to Al Anon and the young people in AA for continuing to carry the message. At the end of this recording, Searcy actually sings a song written by an old high school friend of his. It’s called, “It’s No Secret What God Can Do.”
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 75 Minutes
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TOM BRADY - 1971
In this early Alcoholics Anonymous talk by well-known speaker, Tom Brady, he tells his story in great detail. He began playing around with AA at age 23 but didn’t get sober until age 30. He drank harder during those last seven years than he had ever drunk before. Tom’s date of sobriety is July 20th, 1965. He tells how he was once kicked out of a psychiatric ward for being drunk. He describes himself as a perfectionist and an over achiever. Tom credits his wife for giving him the desire to get sober. She had as lot of faith in him during those horrible drinking years.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 64 Minutes
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TOM BRADY - EMOTIONAL SOBRIETY
Tom, a great AA speaker, is the author of “Thirsting for Wholeness.” Emotional Sobriety is thought to be the last frontier for members of Alcoholics Anonymous. This particular recording has helped hundreds of AA members move in that direction.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 73 Minutes
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TOM BRADY - GOING HOME
Tom Brady delivers this very special AA talk on Spirituality. Tom talks about the concept of growing down as opposed to growing up, to become more childlike, more trusting, more honest, and wanting to be home again. In order to achieve the feeling of being home, Tom refers to two important points in the William James’s book “Varieties of Religious Experiences.” Ego deflation at depth – you just flat out give up and say “I surrender.” Point number two is after ego deflation, we scream out for help, “God Help Me.” Tom equates the alcoholic’s desire to drink to the feeling of “Wanting to go Home,” or to be whole again. As Carl Jung suggested years ago, in our quest to go “Back Home,” we never go directly home. We take a lot of detours. These detours include alcohol, drugs, sex, food, etc. All of these detours create a temporary illusion that tells us we’re home. Every addiction on the face of the earth begins in that void, that longing to go home. This void is a Spiritual void. To sum up his topic of “Going Home,” Tom tells a very inspiring version of The Story of the Prodigal Son. It really makes you think about the similarities between finally finding recovery and finally “Going Home.”
Contents - 14 Tracks
Length - 70 Minutes
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TOM BRADY - INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Tom Brady Jr from Charlotte, North Carolina recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Indianapolis, Indiana. His date of sobriety is July 20th, 1965. Near the beginning of this recording, as Tom is joking about all the self-help groups out there, he recites several very appropriate lines from the Eagles song called, “Get Over It.” The one line that stands out is, “I’d like to find your inner child and kick his little ass.” Tom said he very often drank when things were going right as well as when they went wrong. He tells how he got the name, “Puddinhead.” Once in a drunken blackout, Tom actually drove under a moving tractor trailer.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 72 Minutes
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TOM BRADY - LAKE TEXHOMA, TX
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 - 15 Tracks
Length - 75 Minutes
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WINO JOE - AKRON, OH 6-26-77
Wino Joe Leath recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Akron, Ohio during the Founder’s Day celebration in 1977. Joe really makes the crowd laugh. He says that when he told his doctor that he was concerned because his complexion was turning yellow, his doctor replied, “Well then, you ought to where a brown tie.” Joe talks about the AA founders, Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob quite a bit. As always, Joe delivers a great, humorous message to the laughing crowd.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 65 Minutes
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WINO JOE - ALTUS, OK 1-25-56
This is an old AA talk by Wino Joe Leath from Tyler Texas. Joe recorded this message in Altus, Oklahoma on January 15th, 1956. His voice was a little higher in his younger years. Joe opens this talk in his usual way, with some very funny jokes. He grew up in a Methodist family and says that by the time he was 21, he was a “morning drinker.” Over the years, Joe grew sick of whiskey and beer made him ill, so after a bartender suggested wine, Joe tried it and never went back to anything else. He says that the last four years of his drinking were HELL. Joe says that even though he was very confused at his first AA meeting, he somehow knew he was in the right place. Joe ends his talk by saying, “It’s good to be here…It’s good to be anywhere SOBER.” Because this recording is quite old, the quality is not 100% perfect but Joe’s words can be clearly understood.
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 44 Minutes
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WINO JOE - CASPER, WY 9-26-81
Wino Joe Leath from Tyler, Texas recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk in Casper, WY on September 26th, 1981. At the time of this talk, Joe had 31 years of sobriety. Joe worked for the railroad in Sacramento. His employer sent him to a drying-out clinic in San Francisco. His psychiatrist asked him if he ever sucked his thumb. Joe shocked him when he not only told him, “Yes, and I still do.” Joe says he would always, “go home to mama” when his drinking got really bad and as a result his childhood lasted 37 years. He eventually ended up, “Under a bridge” in Sacramento. His life has never been the same since the first time he walked into an AA meeting. This is a great, early Wino Joe presentation.
Contents – 14 Tracks
Length – 69 Minutes
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WINO JOE - DALLAS, TX 9-25-83
Wino Joe recorded this Alcoholics Anonymous talk at the North Dallas Group in Dallas, Texas on September 25th, 1983. At the time of this talk Joe was sober for 33 years and 9 months. As usual, Joe lays out a lot of his homespun humor in this recording. He says he doesn’t always get along with every other member of AA, in fact he believes Bill Wilson and Doctor Bob were so successful is that they had no other members to contend with. Joe says that he drank for almost 20 years and toward the end the alcohol nearly killed him. He lost a series of jobs out on the west coast because of his drinking. One thing that Joe always tries to remember from the Big Book is this: The surest way to prevent a relapse is intensive work with other alcoholics.
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 43 Minutes
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WINO JOE - DENVER, CO 8-14-64
Affable AA speaker Wino Joe Leath of Tyler, Texas recorded this early Alcoholics Anonymous talk way back on August 14th, 1964 at the High But Dry Colorado State Convention in Denver, Colorado. Joe had only 14 years of sobriety at that time. He says he took his first drink at age 17 due to peer pressure. As a direct result of his alcoholism, Joe had moved through five professions during his drinking years. Joe says that at one point he believed his wife hated him and was planning on poisoning him. He gives a lot of humorous detail about his experiences in a San Francisco treatment center. Finally when Joe was in a Texas jail cell, a man from AA paid him a completely unsolicited 12th Step call. Joe became inspired about the AA Program after attending his very first meeting.
Contents – 15 Tracks
Length – 73 Minutes
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WINO JOE - FORT WORTH, TX 6-15-54
Wino Joe from Tyler, Texas made this Alcoholics Anonymous talk way back on June 15th, 1954 in Fort Worth, Texas. He had only about four years of sobriety at the time. Joe’s father died when Joe was only nine years old. He soon found that alcohol provided him with a great escape right from his very first taste. Joe made his way to the west coast and became a “Brassiere Cutter” in the Hollywood garment industry. He tells how, after drinking Port Wine, he became a wino. While working for the railroad in Sacramento, he was sent to an alcohol treatment center. A wise man that Joe met along the way to sobriety, told him that he had, “Better Stop Hating People,” because those kinds of resentments will eat him alive.
Contents – 9 Tracks
Length – 41 Minutes
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WINO JOE - LEXINGTON, KY 2-6-82
AA funnyman, Wino Joe Leath recorded this AA message at the Kentucky State Conference on February 6th, 1982. Joe is a very popular speaker and is often quoted. Joe tells his story in the style of Will Rogers. He’s very likable and never silly or vulgar. Joe has a talent for highlighting humorous aspects of his story as he is describing his alcoholic personality. A very enjoyable recording.
Contents - 12 Tracks
Length - 60 Minutes
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WINO JOE - OMAHA, NE 9-15-84
This recording was made at the Third Old-timer’s Day in Omaha, Nebraska on September 15th, 1984. Joe’s wife, Mary speaks first. She speaks about the early days of Al Anon. She says she met her husband Wino about the same time Bill Wilson was having his spiritual experience, in 1934. Mary says when she and Wino met Bill and Lois Wilson in Fort Worth in 1954, they were in such awe of them they had no idea what to say. Popular Alcoholics Anonymous speaker, Dick Martin then gives Wino Joe a long introduction. Joe speaks about the importance of humor in recovery. He says he had a delightful childhood that lasted for 37 years. He went from his childhood directly into senility. Joe goes on to tell a great story of recovery and then finishes his talk with one of his favorite quotes from the Big Book.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 61 Minutes
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WINO JOE - RICHLAND, WA 1981
Humorous Alcoholics Anonymous speaker, Wino Joe Leath gave this talk in 1981 in the town of Richland, Washington. Joe says that when he had his first drink at age 17, he immediately became “part of the world.” Joe boasts that while working in the Hollywood Garment industry, he made the very first pair of slacks for actress, Marlena Dietrich, which then started a fad with women wearing pants. He says that while drunk and working for the railroad, he accidentally made the biggest Waldorf salad in the history of mankind. When Joe finally came into AA, he says he was wanted in two states and NOT wanted in 46 others. Very funny guy.
Contents – 13 Tracks
Length – 62 Minutes
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WINO JOE - SAN ANTONIO, TX 5-11-75
The famous Wino Joe Leath recorded this talk on May 11th, 1975. This is by far the best and funniest Alcoholics Anonymous talks we’ve ever heard. Joe realized that getting sober was of utmost importance but he tells it in such a humorous way that you can’t help but laugh out loud. His wit is really something else. This is a great AA speech. Only Wino Joe can share a message like this. You’ll love it.
Contents - 11 Tracks
Length – 64 Minutes
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