by Tyson Sullivan
My name is Tyson Sullivan. I am a grateful member of the Nowell Family Foundation board of directors, helping to make an impact in our community through opioid abuse awareness and recovery.
I grew up in Orange County, CA, listening to Sublime and seeing them at local bars in Long Beach when I was only 14 years old. (Don’t ask how I got in.)
I began smoking pot and drinking at a very young age and eventually tried crystal meth and heroin at the age of 15, which led me down a path to a miserable existence. For the next twenty years, I was on a destructive rampage going in and out of jails, rehabs and prisons – hurting the ones that loved me the most and not knowing how to dig myself out of the deep hole I had created.
My little brother is Casey Sullivan, one of the founding members of Seedless Music and a member of the band Burritos (a tribute to Sublime). He always inspired me to look at the positive side of life through his music as well as his lifestyle. I wanted that peace and happiness but felt hopeless.
My last time going to prison, I was given the opportunity to go to rehab and try to change my life. It was my moment of clarity – and I knew probably my last chance at making it out alive. I went all in with my recovery and have been sober since January 13, 2015.
I have had the opportunity to get close with the Nowell family through music and recovery. Bradley Nowell holds a very close place to my heart through his music and influence on my life to do better. I want to see Bradley’s House open so that musicians who are struggling like he did won’t have to die an early, preventable death.
Please help in any way you can to make this a reality. Spread this message to the world.
RIP Bradley Nowell
