Page 144 of Down Beat

“He shuts himself in his hotel room between shows. Doesn’t eat, hardly says a word. We…” He sighs.

“You what?”

“We had to give him an upper to get onstage last night.”

What the hell… “You’re drugging him?” I earn the wary eye of a woman I pass.

“Just the once.”

“Well don’t,” I cry out. “You know what the withdrawal from drugs like that can cause, right?”

“Tab, I’m pretty sure I’m in the prime position to know about drugs,” he levels.

“So you know it could make his depression worse, then?”

“Well aware,” he snaps. “But it’s a risk the rest of us are willing to take. We’re locked into airtight contracts, Tab. We need him to perform.”

“Even if it kills him?”

He hesitates before whispering, “Even if it kills him.”

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