>> JAVEN: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BAND KORN.
THAT STARTS IN BAKERSFIELD?
OR NO?
>> BRIAN: NO.
WE ALL GREW UP TOGETHER IN BAKERSFIELD, BUT THE BAND
STARTED IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA.
I MET THE BASS PLAYER IN JUNIOR HIGH, SEVENTH GRADE.
HE WAS INTO DURAN DURAN.
I WAS INTO IRON MAIDEN AND OZZY.
I TOLD HIM YOU NEED TO GET INTO METAL, BRO.
>> JAVEN: (LAUGHING).
>> BRIAN: IT WORKED.
THE GUITAR PLAYER MONKEY, IN NINTH GRADE I MET THE SINGER.
FOURTH GRADE ACTUALLY.
SO, YEAH.
BUT WE ENDED UP WHEN WE GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, YOU ARE IN THE
ARM PIT OF CALIFORNIA, BAKERSFIELD, RIGHT?
>> JAVEN: I DIDN'T SAY IT.
>> BRIAN: YOU GOT TO GET OUT OF THERE.
WE ALL COME TO L.A., AND THROUGH OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES WE ENDED UP
FORMING KORN AROUND '93.
>> JAVEN: WHO COMES UP WITH THE GENRE OF HEAVY METAL?
WHY HEAVY METAL AND NOT POP ROCK OR R&B OR SOMETHING ELSE?
>> BRIAN: WE WERE ALL DRAWN TO IT GROWING UP.
ALL OF US JUST HAD THAT IN COMMON.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT -- I JUST LOVED THE SOUND.
I LOVE THE VOCALS.
I LOVE THE GUITAR.
SO DID THE GUYS TOO.
SO WE JUST GRAVITATED TOWARDS EACH OTHER.
>> JAVEN: WAS IT BIG THEN?
YOU ARE TALKING EARLY '90s?
AROUND WHAT TIME?
>> BRIAN: WHEN I GOT INTO IT, IT WAS EARLY '80s, TO THE EARLY
'90s, THAT DECADE THERE.
>> JAVEN: WAS HEAVY METAL COMING INTO ITS OWN AT THAT TIME?
WAS IT A BIG GENRE?
>> BRIAN: BLACK SABBATH GOT IT GOING IN THE '70s.
AND OZZY WENT SOLO.
THAT WAS HUGE FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS A HUGE OZZY FAN.
THE BLIZZARD OF OZZ, DIARY OF A MAD MAN.
AND OTHER BANDS STARTED COMING OUT.
LIKE IRON MAIDEN.
ALL THESE BANDS WERE REALLY BIG BACK THEN.
IT HAD A GOOD FOLLOWING.
>> JAVEN: YOU WERE THINKING WHAT AT THE TIME?
THIS IS GREAT MUSIC THAT I LOVE?
WE'RE GONNA PLAY IT AND JUST HAVE FUN?
OR ARE YOU THINKING WE ARE GOING TO BE BIG.
WE'RE GONNA TO SELL A LOT OF ALBUMS?
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
>> BRIAN: I'M THINKING, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO FOR THE REST
OF MY LIFE AND I'VE GOT TO GET IN THERE SOMEHOW.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
BECAUSE I HAD NO OTHER PLAN.
>> JAVEN: NO OTHER PLAN.
ARE YOU THINKING YOU'RE GOING TO BE RICH DOING THIS?
OR ARE YOU THINKING I'M GOING TO HAVE FUN DOING IT?
>> BRIAN: I'M THE GUY LIKE, LOOK IF I CAN MAKE A LIVING, I DON'T
NEED TO BE RICH.
I JUST WANT TO DO MUSIC.
NOT BEING TOO GREEDY, OR WHATEVER.
>> JAVEN: WHEN DO YOU START WRITING?
OR DO YOU WRITE?
>> BRIAN: I START WRITING SONGS AROUND 12 YEARS OLD, 13 YEARS
OLD.
I'M WRITING LITTLE CHEESY SONGS.
"DON'T YOU KNOW" WAS ONE.
IT WAS JUST LIKE THIS, KIND OF LIKE NOT GLAM METAL BUT LIKE
THAT.
KIND OF MELODIC.
THE LYRICS WERE TOTALLY CHEESY.
>> JAVEN: DO YOU REMEMBER THE LYRICS?
>> BRIAN: YEAH.
(LAUGHTER) >> JAVEN: FOR THE FIRST TIME--
>> BRIAN: YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME PLAY THEM.
>> JAVEN: OF COURSE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON NATIONAL TV, THE LYRICS TO
BRIAN "HEAD" WELCH'S FIRST SONG.
GO.
>> BRIAN: I'M NOT SINGING IT BUT IT WAS:
DON'T YOU KNOW.
DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I WANT YOU.
DO YOU WANT ME, BABY?
NOT KNOWING IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.
(LAUGHTER) [APPLAUSE]
>> JAVEN: DEEP, VERY DEEP.
>> JAVEN: RIGHT.
EXACTLY.
IF I'M HEARING YOU CORRECTLY WHEN YOU DEAL WITH AN ADDICTIVE
DRUG, MAYBE MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT THINKING, THIS IS A NECESSARILY
BAD THING.
THIS IS SOMETHING I CAN CONTROL.
THAT'S THE ILLUSION.
>> BRIAN: THAT'S THE ILLUSION.
THAT WAS US ANYWAY.
WE DID NOT WANT TO GO DESTROY OUR LIVES.
WE JUST WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE FUN.
SO, BUT YEAR AFTER YEAR IT WOULD PROGRESSIVELY GET WORSE.
>> JAVEN: IT'S A SLOW PROGRESSION.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WHERE PEOPLE THINK SOMEBODY IS JUST OVERNIGHT
AN ADDICT.
IT IS SOMETHING-- >> BRIAN: YEAH.
>> JAVEN: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE-- WHEN WOULD YOU SAY IT
WAS OUT OF CONTROL?
OR DID YOU EVEN KNOW?
>> BRIAN: IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS OUT OF CONTROL FROM THE
BEGINNING, BUT WE WOULD STEP BACK.
WE WOULD GO, OKAY, TO SHOW MYSELF AND US WE'RE
NOT ADDICTS, WE WON'T DO IT FOR A FEW MONTHS,
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND DO IT.
IT STARTED GETTING OUT OF CONTROL PROBABLY AROUND-- I
REMEMBER 2001 I WAS GETTING SCARED.
MY WIFE ENDED UP LEAVING ME.
SHE WAS HOOKED ON METH.
WE WERE USING, ME AND HER, WE HAD THE BABY AND WE WANTED TO BE
GOOD PARENTS, BUT WE WOULD USE ONCE IN A WHILE.
WHEN I LEFT FOR TOUR ONE DAY I NOTICED ABOUT A MONTH INTO THE
TOUR THAT SHE HAD WENT INTO EVERY DAY ADDICTION HABIT.
SO SHE LEFT ME AND OUR CHILD.
AND SHE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE HER BABY.
SHE DID NOT WANT TO, BUT SHE WAS AFRAID OF MY BIG, ALL THE
LAWYERS I HAD AND EVERYTHING AND SHE WAS LIKE, I'M NEVER GOING TO
WIN SO WHY EVEN TRY.
SHE LOVED HER KID AND LOVES HER DAUGHTER VERY MUCH TO THIS DAY.
SO WHEN I GOT FULL CUSTODY OF MY DAUGHTER, I GOT CLEAN.
THEN 9/11 HAPPENED.
I GOT STRESSED OUT AND STARTED DRINKING AGAIN.
THEN BY THAT TIME, I MOVED BACK TO BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA, THE
ARM PIT.
BUT, BY THIS TIME IT WAS BOOMING.
IT WAS MORE LIKE MODERN EVERYTHING.
I LIKE BAKERSFIELD NOW.
I MOVED BACK THERE.
I RAN INTO SOMEONE THAT WAS A FRIEND THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
HE HAD ALL KINDS OF EMPLOYEES.
HE JUST SO HAPPENED TO DIBBLE DABBLE IN METH SOMETIMES BECAUSE
HIS EMPLOYEES WOULD DO IT.
HE WAS LIKE RUNNING THE BUSINESS.
HE THOUGHT HE HAD IT UNDER CONTROL TOO.
I'LL JUST DO IT ONCE IN A WHILE.
SO I GOT SOME.
I FOUND OUT ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEE'S NUMBER.
I GOT HIS CELL NUMBER AND I HAD A CONNECT.
THEN I HAD A KORN TOUR.
IT WAS WITH LINCOLN PARK.
IT WAS A FULL SUMMER TOUR LINCOLN PARK, SNOOP DOGG, KORN,
AND SOME OTHER BANDS.
AND I GOT SO SCARED BECAUSE I WENT ON MY FIRST WEEK LONG OR
TWO WEEK LONG BINGE OF CRYSTAL METH AT WORK.
I SLEPT BUT I KEPT USING EVERY DAY.
SO I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO STOP AND I WAS SO SCARED.
I WAS LIKE, MAN, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO -- WHEN YOU STOP METH,
IF YOU DO IT FOR A LONG TIME, YOU HAVE TO CRASH FOR ABOUT A
WEEK OR TWO.
YOU JUST SLEEP AND EAT SUGAR AND GO BACK TO SLEEP.
SO, I WAS LIKE, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT.
I BOUGHT LIKE A COUPLE OF EIGHT BALLS OF METH AND TOOK THEM ON
THE TOUR ALL SUMMER.
THAT WAS THE WORST.
AT SOME POINT, BRIAN, IN THE MIDST ALL THIS CRAZY WHAT SOME
PEOPLE WOULD CALL A SUCCESSFUL LIFE, SOMEBODY INTRODUCES YOU TO
THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST.
SOMEBODY INTRODUCES YOU TO THE BIBLE.
YOU DIDN'T GROW UP IN IT, RIGHT?
>> BRIAN: NO.
>> JAVEN: AT WHAT AGE, GIVE US THAT EXPERIENCE.
HOW DID YOU HAVE THAT ENCOUNTER?
>> BRIAN: WELL, I WAS A TYPE OF GUY THAT WOULD FLIP THROUGH THE
CHANNELS AND BE LIKE, LAND ON TBN OR A CHRISTIAN CHANNEL AND
BE LIKE, PFFT, WHO KNOWS WHAT I SAID BACK THEN.
BUT JUST MOCKED IT OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN, FAST FORWARD YEARS AND YEARS LATER, I GOT TO THIS POINT
WHERE I WAS ON THAT TWO-YEAR BINGE, RIGHT?
AND I WANTED TO GET CLEAN.
I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF OUTPATIENT REHAB PLACES, ONE IN
BAKERSFIELD AND ONE HOLLYWOOD.
THEY BOTH TOLD ME WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH SUCCESS WITH METH
ADDICTS AS WE DO WITH OTHER DRUG ADDICTS.
I'M GOING, WOW!
SO WHAT ARE YOU TELLING ME?
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME?
THEY'RE LIKE, WE CAN TRY.
WE JUST HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
YOU CAN DO IT.
IF YOU SET-- I WAS NOT GIVEN, LIKE,
A LOT OF HOPE.
SO I WAS JUST THINKING, I GOT TO--
BY THAT TIME I DID NOT WANT TO EXIST ANYMORE.
I'M A SHELL WALKING AROUND WITH NOTHING OF SUBSTANCE INSIDE.
I GOT ALL KINDS OF MONEY IN THE BANK, BUT I DON'T WANT TO WAKE
UP WHEN I GO TO SLEEP.
I WISHED I COULD STAY ASLEEP.
THE ONLY THING THAT MADE ME WANT TO BREATHE AND LIVE WAS MY
DAUGHTER.
I'M THINKING, I JUST NEED TO GET OFF THE DRUGS AND BE THE BEST
PERSON I CAN BE FOR HER.
BUT THEN I WOULD HAVE THE THOUGHTS WHEN I GET BACK ON THE
DRUGS OR DO ANOTHER LINE AND THAT WOULD WEAR OFF AND I WOULD
THINK, MAN, SHE'S BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME AND I WOULD START
GOING THROUGH THE SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND EVERYTHING.
SO, IT WAS A TUG OF WAR.
BUT, I TOLD YOU THAT I WAS A FUNCTIONING DRUG ADDICT.
I HAD THESE PARTNERS THAT WERE DOING REAL ESTATE DEALS.
THEY WERE BUYING LAND AND DEVELOPING.
AND I BECAME A PARTNER WITH THEM.
AND MONEY WAS MY THING.
I NEVER LIKED TO SPEND IT.
I LIKED TO MAKE IT GROW.
THAT WAS MY THING BEFORE.
SO THESE GUYS WERE GROWING THEIR MONEY.
SO I BLENDED WITH THEM.
SO, I WAS ATTRACTED TO THEM AND THEIR BUSINESS THROUGH THAT.
AND THEY ACTUALLY WERE CHRISTIANS.
GOD WAS USING MY MONEY IDOL, IF YOU WILL.
>> JAVEN: PULLING YOU IN.
>> BRIAN: YEAH.
I DID A BUSINESS DEAL WITH THEM.
WE BOUGHT SOME LAND.
YOU COULD TELL, MAN, I WAS ON METH.
ANYBODY COULD TELL SOMETHING WAS A LITTLE OFF.
YOU KNOW?
SO, THEY ENDED UP TALKING TO ME.
THEY INVITED ME TO GO TO CHURCH ONE DAY.
I'M LIKE, I USED TO MOCK IT WHEN I WAS GROWING UP.
BUT I DID ASK CHRIST IN MY HEART WHEN I WAS 12 THROUGH SOME
NEIGHBORS.
SO I HELD ON TO THAT.
WHEN THEY ASKED ME TO COME TO CHURCH I'M LIKE, (SIGHS,) I
THOUGHT OF NED FLANDERS FROM THE SIMPSONS.
[LAUGHTER] IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THEY'RE NOT
LIKE I AM.
THEY'RE NOT THE SAME TYPE OF PERSON I AM BUT THEY ARE
PROBABLY SOBER.
IF I GO THERE IT WILL BE A COMMUNITY OF SOBER PEOPLE.
I THOUGHT CHRISTIANS DIDN'T PARTY.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
I GET THERE AND I HEAR ABOUT THIS JESUS CHRIST
WHO IS REAL.
THE SON OF GOD WHO IS HERE AND DIED ON THE CROSS AND RAISED
FROM THE DEAD AND CAME AND WOULD COME TO LIVE INSIDE OF ME.
[APPLAUSE] SO, BUT I'M HAVING A HARD TIME
WRAPPING MY HEAD AROUND IT.
SO THIS GUY CAME AND WALKED ON THE EARTH IN A ROBE AND DID
MIRACLES AND DIED ON A CROSS AND THEN RAISED BACK TO LIFE AND NOW
HE WILL COME AND LIVE INSIDE OF ME.
I WAS LIKE, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?
BUT, YOU COULD FEEL THE PRESENCE AND EVERYTHING AT THE CHURCH
THAT THEY TOOK ME TO.
I'M LIKE, MAN, THESE PEOPLE ARE EITHER CRAZY OR THEY HAVE THE
MEANING OF LIFE.
I WAS THINKING BACK WHEN I ASKED CHRIST INTO MY HEART.
MAYBE THAT IS WHERE MY JOURNEY WENT THE WRONG WAY.
MAYBE THAT'S WHY.
SURE I GOT MONEY AND SUCCESS AND FAME AND EVERYTHING, BUT I DON'T
KNOW WHO I AM.
MAYBE THAT'S WHERE I WENT OFF-TRACK.
SO I WAS JUST LIKE, I RAISED MY HAND AND I WENT HOME AND I
STARTED PRAYING TO GOD LIKE I HAD BEEN A CHRISTIAN FOR TWENTY
YEARS.
I WAS DESPERATE.
[APPLAUSE] >> JAVEN: THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
[APPLAUSE] AND YOU HAVE THIS REENCOUNTER
WITH THE LORD, IS IT A GRADUAL TURN AROUND OR IS IT AN
OVERNIGHT TURN AROUND AS FAR AS YOUR ADDICTION
AND LIFESTYLE AT THAT POINT?
>> BRIAN: IT WAS PRETTY OVERNIGHT WHEN I THINK ABOUT, IT
WAS A COUPLE WEEKS, THREE WEEKS OR SOMETHING.
MAN, THE PASTOR WAS SO COOL THERE.
HE JUST TALKED ABOUT-- HE WAS IN JEANS AND A REGULAR SHIRT.
HE DIDN'T LOOK LIKE HOLIER THAN THOU.
HE SAID, LOOK, MAN, IF YOU'RE ON DRUGS, IF YOU'RE MESSED UP OR
IF YOU HAVE A BAD MARRIAGE OR YOU'RE ALCOHOLIC, COME TO CHURCH
WHILE YOU'RE MESSED UP.
BRING ALL YOUR GARBAGE HERE AND GOD WILL COME IN AND CLEAN YOU
OUT.
SO IT WAS LIKE NONJUDGMENTAL.
AND SO I KEPT GOING.
I KEPT GOING.
I WAS HIGH ON METH GOING TO CHURCH.
I WOULD TELL GOD.
YOU KNOW I WANT TO GET OFF THIS STUFF.
MY DAUGHTER DESERVES A BETTER FATHER.
I WANT TO BE WHAT SHE DESERVES.
THE GUY WHO WAS THE PREACHER.
HE WAS A NORMAL GUY.
HE WAS LIKE, MAN, BRING YOUR MESS HERE.
AND IT'S OKAY THAT YOU'RE A MESS IN THIS PLACE.
IN MY CHURCH IT'S OKAY THAT YOU ARE A MESS.
WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GIVE UP ON YOU.
GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP.
YOU CAN'T, LIKE, GIVE SOMEONE THE BEHAVIORAL STEPS TO BE LIKE
CHRIST LIKE.
HE HAS TO HAVE TIME TO POUR HIS SPIRIT IN AND DO A SUPERNATURAL
WORK INSIDE OF HIM.
THAT TAKES TIME.
YOU GOT TO BE PATIENT.
I'M TALKING TO MYSELF, TOO.
BECAUSE IT'S A WORK THAT GOD WANTS TO DO.
IT'S NOT FAST FOOD.
IT TAKES A MINUTE.
>> JAVEN: BE PATIENT WITH THE PROCESS.
THE CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT A PROCESS.
I THINK THE WORLD THAT JUDGES US SOMETIMES NEEDS TO BE MINDFUL OF
THAT.
THEY JUDGE US HARD.
BUT THE CHURCH ITSELF HAS TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO JUDGE THE WORLD
AND THOSE THAT ARE COMING IN.
WHAT I HEAR TODAY MORE THAN ANYTHING WITH YOUR MESSAGE AND
THE MESSAGE OF "LOUD KRAZY LOVE," IS THAT WITH GOD IT'S ALL
ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE PATIENCE OF THAT PROCESS AND IT
BRINGS ABOUT THE PROMISE.
>> BRIAN: I'M A BIG PROPONENT OF NOT MAKING IT US AND THEM.
THE WORLD, THAT'S THEM.
IT IS, LIKE, WE'RE ALL BROKEN HUMANS.
THE ONLY THING IS IS THAT US THAT ARE BELIEVING IN CHRIST AND
HE'S INSIDE OF US AND WE'RE LETTING HIM GET OUR JUNK OUT AND
SOMETIMES YOU SEE THAT MESS OUT THERE.
BUT, I JUST I THINK EVERYBODY IS THE SAME, WE'RE ALL BROKEN.
>> JAVEN: DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE IT?
>> BRIAN: JUST THROUGH THE ADDICTION AND EVERYTHING?
I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT OUT.
IF I DID THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE ADDICTION, I
THOUGHT I COULD CARRY THE DEPRESSION THE REST OF MY LIFE
AND I WOULD HAVE TO BARE KNUCKLE IT.
AND CHRIST HAS TAKEN AWAY MY DEPRESSION.
HE HAS GIVEN ME-- I'M A NEW CREATION.
A BRAND-NEW CREATION.
CAN I SAY ONE THING?
[APPLAUSE] I AM A NEW CREATION AND HE'S
TAKEN THAT AND HE'S GIVEN ME SO MUCH HOPE.
BUT I WILL BE HONEST, I DO TAKE NONNARCOTIC MILD DEPRESSION
MEDICATION.
I GOT OFF IT FOR AWHILE AND I NEEDED TO GET BACK ON IT.
THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT EITHER.
WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU.
[APPLAUSE] >> JAVEN: FOR THE DEPRESSION.
>> BRIAN: FOR MILD DEPRESSION.
NOT A LOT.