Friday, Caleb Followill walked off stage in a drunken, over-heated huff in the middle of the Kings of Leon’s Dallas concert. He never came back on stage, much to the consternation of his bandmates. Immediately after the incident, it seemed like Jared Followill was going to be the one in charge of truth-telling damage control, as he tweeted “There are internal sicknesses & problems that have needed to be addressed. I know you guys aren’t stupid. I can’t lie. There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade.” Unfortunately, Jared’s honesty got pushed aside for standard-issue PR BS yesterday, when the band announced that they were canceling the remainder of their domestic tour because of Caleb’s “vocal issues and exhaustion.” Now Us Weekly has a story from “sources” claiming what everyone has been saying – Caleb has a drinking problem, and his bandmates are trying to force him into rehab:
Kings of Leon fans were crestfallen on Monday when the band cancelled its entire U.S. tour. Although the band said that lead singer Caleb Followill was “suffering from vocal issues and exhaustion,” an insider close to the Grammy winning trio tells Us Weekly the problem is deeper than that.
“They are trying to get Caleb to go to rehab. It is mostly for alcohol,” the source says. “[That’s why] they ended up canceling the whole tour… he drinks like a fish.”
Indeed, the band cut short a Friday concert in Dallas when Caleb told fans “I’m gonna go backstage and I’m gonna vomit, I’m gonna drink a beer,” leaving the stage for the night.
Adds a second source: “It’s true. Caleb’s drinking is out of control and they are trying to get him into rehab. It’s a dark demon he has been fighting for awhile.”A rep for the band tells Us: “The reason for the cancellation of the tour is Caleb is under doctor’s orders for vocal rest. They feel terrible about canceling. They look forward to getting back on the road at the end of September.”
Caleb’s bandmate and brother Jared hinted at Caleb’s struggles via Twitter.
“There are internal sicknesses & problems that have needed to be addressed,” Jared wrote Saturday. “I know you guys aren’t stupid. I can’t lie. There are problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade.”
On Monday, after news of the cancelled tour went wide, he added: “Utterly depressed. It’s completely out of my hands. Family has to come 1st.”
Counters a third band source: “They all drink, all the [bandmates]. Anyone in a band usually likes to have a few beers on the road…They have never discussed [Caleb’s drinking] as a problem before.”
[From Us Weekly]
On one side, I think rock n’ roll and alcohol go together like vodka and Fritos (mm…). After all, look at Keith Richards, the patron saint of surviving nearly any kind of addiction you could imagine. Of course, for every Keith, there are a dozen Amy Winehouses, so on that side, I think it’s a good sign that Caleb has people around him who give a crap.
What are the thoughts on whether Caleb really has a drinking problem, or whether he just drinks too much? It’s a slippery slope. I think his bandmates probably thought he just drank too much until one night he couldn’t even finish a performance.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
When you can’t finish a performance, that means you’ve gone from drinking too much to alcoholic with a serious drinking problem.
Maybe it didn’t seem like such a big deal until the bottom fell out.
But I don’t think it’s JUST alcohol. Gotta be more to it than that.
When you can’t complete everyday, routine tasks…which for a musician would be completing scheduled performances, then you’ve probably slipped into having a drinking problem. I hope Caleb gets the help and support that he needs. Alcohol is a tough addiction.
Yes, I think he has a real problem on his hands. And his brother wasn’t scared to say it. Let’s hope he listens to his real friends and goes to rehab.
Sounds like the brother is more concerned with his BROTHER than the band. Good for him and lucky for his bro that he cares. Sometimes PR bullshit really mucks it all up and leaves the one that needs to be facing a reality check and those that are trying to do that out in the cold.
A few missed concerts vs. eternity of missed living? Fair trade, imo.
Fritos and vodka?!? Lmao!
When you routinely drink too much, you do have a drinking problem.
Being unable to perform your job (in this case, putting on a show) because of the interference of alcohol: problem drinking.
Reminds me of Crazy Heart, that scene where Jeff Bridges wanders off stage and pukes in a garbage can…..
Cancelling the US tour indicates there is a real problem. But it seems like they want to push him back onto the stage pretty quickly for a guy who they think needs to be in rehab.
Lainey had a good post on this, she basically said giving 8 weeks for rehab shows that getting him “Well is not the priority, Well ENOUGH is all they care about.”
I was at one of their shows a couple years ago at a stadium– it wasn’t sold out– and he whined aloud at people who had the nerve to walk up the isles after they played one of the radio hits. For all he knew they could’ve been going to get a beer, but he heckled them for leaving. He said, to the ENTIRE audience while pointing at the “offenders,” something like “Oh, great, go ahead and go. Yeah, now that you’ve heard the one song of ours that you actually know. Fine. Leave.” This guy has a lot of problems. Alcohol seems to be his form of self-medicating.
Where is everyone now who was saying it was just the horrible Texas heat?
Must be nice for his wife of 2 months or so to have to deal with a drunk at the beginning of their marriage.
When you can’t do your job it becomes a problem. However, are the others prepared to curb their drinking even if they can control it? Caleb can’t go back on tour and watch his bandmates party. I guess he CAN but like my attempts at dieting, he is likely to fail unless he has incredible willpower.
If he knows it’s stifling hot and he has to perform a show that night, and he gets carried away drinking anyway, he’s got a problem. Whenever drinking/drugging interferes with your normal life, it’s an issue.
So glad they’re trying to get him into rehab. They’ll prolly have to have a dry tour either way.
@ Pyewacket – I’m pretty sure she’s been dealing with it for longer than the duration of their marriage. They were together awhile before they married, right?
I don’t think anyone was saying it was “just” the Texas heat – I think they were trying to point out it was, in fact, hot. (Which, summer, duh.)
@ mia girl – Sounds like it’s going to be another of those Whitney Houston or Britney Spears situations: get ’em well enough to go on the road and milk that cash cow for all it’s worth.
You wanted a Rock Star Lilly, You got you a Rock Star!
I read a while back a really interesting interviews of theirs. To say that they ALL have issues is the understatement of the year: they are brothers (+1 cousin or something) who grew up travelling with their parents who were itinerant preachers, the bible thumping, rock n roll is the devils music, fire and brimstone type. So pretty much in a cult, no friends outside the family. They were often dirt poor, lived in their cars that is until their father (“the saint”) started drinking heavily (sound familiar?) and acting even weirder than usual which is when: oh shock and horror the mother divorced him (talk about hellfire). They were teens by then, landed in nashville and threw themselves into music and “real life” after living all their life in a cocoon of NO popular culture, they knew NOTHING of popular music. So they did a 180 and now sing about “Your sex is on fire”, drink like fish and do the rock n roll thing. So yeah no wonder they are messed up. And it’s not just their lead singer…
Is this the guy who said he didn’t want soccer moms at his concerts?
“Mostly for alcohol”? mmm hmm. Forcing someone into rehab always has such great results~just ask White Oprah.
@mary. Yes, that’s the one. Because of course their a super cool band and only super cool fans need apply(yawn). They all come across as a bunch of whiny try hard rock stars. Caleb in particular is charmless. The lovely Lily has my sympathies for putting up with him.
…and for lying.
anyway, hoping he/they get(s) the healing he/they need(s). and stop(s) being a pain in the collective arse of humanity.
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2011/08/kings_of_leon_pigeon_gate_dallas.php
Kind of sad that at what should be one of the happiest times of his life (newly wed) that alcohol abuse is rearing its ugly head. Maybe there is a real problem?
I really don’t like this band. The lead singer Caleb looks like a complete
Ass%^&$! there are much better bands out there who deserve to be where KOL are.
nooooo, kings of leon deserve thier position. their music inspired me to stay with my music career i swear if i ment them i would fckn faint and im a guy! lol but yea, they deserve that place their a amazing band with pasion in what they do
It is not just Caleb. This band from a PR stand point has been of a hole status for more than a year. So they are canceling the rest of their US tour, well its not llke they were selling out stadiums or venues so with this in Dllas and St louis last year who the hell would buy a ticket to see them at an outdoor venue. They are just waiting out the European leg of the tour where they know they will be more successful.
Being a self-important tool would probably drive one to drink…
I used to drink quiet a lot and I can tell you there is no reason to drink quiet a lot and if you do drink quiet a lot you’re probably playing with fire.
Even if a person doesn’t get physically dependent on alcohol it can still have a big negative impact on life.
This guy fascinates me (but so did Kurt Cobain). If their life story is real and not something made up by a PR machine, They’re all lucky to be where they are. Their lyrics are a little on the ‘lite’ side but their music is varitible and good. Good luck Caleb, get well.
Alcohol abuse to counter anxiety can happen to anybody. Doesn’t matter how much cash you have in the bank.
It’s hard work to fix. I still haven’t.
caleb followill going to rehab, doesnt matter, they are are still one of the worlds #1 bands literally 😛 not my opinion