Hello Finally Free Movement it has been a while since I have been able to sit down and write my thoughts out to you beautiful people, but I’m going to dedicate this one to addiction. I very recently lost my music mentor and someone who was like family to me Mr Nolan Neal. I’ve avoided writing this mainly because it took me months to come to terms with the fact that he is really gone. We wrote Finally Free, The Spell, The Crow, I don’t Need Ya together. Everytime me and him sat down to write which was rare because we both hated planning anything it was magical. From the moment he met me he also somehow figured out every part of me, and wrote the most beautiful words along with it. Nolan was what most people would consider very successful. He was on The Voice, AGT, and was the lead singer of Hinder for a hot minute. He had 2 beautiful children. No one would ever except him to have been facing the demons he was behind closed doors. Oddly or maybe it was fate our stories were very similar. We both had family trauma, both had lost family members to suicide, and had a history of mental illness in our families. Nolan was open about his addiction to heroin, and alcohol, and how he had embraced sobriety. He did suffer with depression, and had episodes of being on top of the world, and many times he was not. I think his story is one that poses a important lesson. To not judge a book by it’s cover. Many people would think he had a life only some could dream about, but in reality his mental health issues made it very difficult for him to be who he wanted to be at times. Almost all substance abuse stems from mental illness, and or finding a way to cope. I believe that Nolan wanted to find a way to get better. I know he did, and if you are reading this and struggling take his story and know it is never too late to find help. There are so many resources out there, and your pain is nothing to be ashamed of. Nolan always told me to share my pain into my art, and now I share a tribute to him in hopes it will help someone else. To Nolan, and to you. I love you all.
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