Corey Taylor is crediting James Hetfield as an inspiration for getting sober.
In an interview, Taylor explained, “I think one of the people who helped me kind of figure it out was James Hetfield. When he first started his journey, getting sober and getting healthy and whatnot, I looked at that, and I was, like, ‘Well, sh*t, if he’s strong enough to do it, maybe I can try it.’”
He went on to say, “[Sobriety] had a big enough effect on me that, over the years, I’ve really tried to stick with it. In figuring that out, I also realized that there were so many people who were going down that path, as well. Jerry Cantrell had just gotten sober around that time, and he was starting to kind of put his steps together.”
“It takes time; it takes effort, takes work,” Taylor said. “I really have to give [Hetfield] a lot of credit for the inspiration for that…It definitely helped to know that I wasn’t alone in it. And it certainly helped me clear my head and focus more. And really get down to writing again — really, truly writing.”
Taylor said that it’s not easy for addicts to give up something that’s been a key part of their identity for an extended period of time.
