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GENE BOWEN DOESN’T CARE ABOUT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, only about saving teenagers’ lives and showing them what works. So at times he says things that can shock adults who’ve never been there—for example, “Thank God for drugs and alcohol, because they got me through a lot and they helped me.”
Gene is quick to explain. Without getting high or stoned, he says, he would never have graduated from hanging around backstage doors in his hometown of Tenafly, NJ, to become a highly regarded road manager for bands. It was a career he had to learn all by himself at a young age, and at times he was terrified; as many young people do, he relied on the drugs and booze to create an artificial confidence. He tasted success—but when abuse became addiction, his career fell apart. Shaken by friends telling him he was near dying, he entered detox. He’s been clean the 16 years since.
That’s half the story. The other half is that when Gene gingerly reentered the music industry, he was offered the chance by Sony Music to road-manage rising singer- songwriter Jeff Buckley. He had one condition: if he showed even a hint of reverting to bad habits, Sony would have to pay him—then fire him and send him home. The deal was approved, and throughout two years of a world tour, he received unqualified support from all concerned in maintaining a clean lifestyle.
The experience led Gene and his business partner Jack Bookbinder to co-found Road Recovery, a clinically acclaimed skills program for recovering teens. Via workshops, seminars, 12-step style meetings, and concerts, Road Recovery gives hundreds of teens every year at schools, rehab centers, and other institutions throughout the Northeast (as well as in a satellite program in Haines, Alaska) the chance to learn life and career skills firsthand from professionals in the entertainment industry. Road Recovery contributors range from stars like rock musician Joe Walsh and actor Charles Grodin to executives, backstage technicians, and others. All the pros have one thing in common: they too have had to cope with adversity, often including addiction, and they’re eager to pass on what they’ve learned. Through mentoring, community, and instruction, kids get step- by-step support for engaging in life and discovering careers.
“It’s a nutty world out there, and for young people, the traditional recipe for growing up doesn’t always work,” Gene says. “Our whole thing is to break it down for them and minimize the confusion and stress. We help them connect the dots and find their way.”
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