Episode 29 – Mike Ness

Mike Ness was featured in the independent film Another State of Mind, which chronicled Social Distortion’s first cross-country tour with Youth Brigade. It was on the DVD commentary where he claimed to have never had anything to do with the armed forces or religion. This prompted many fans to consider him an atheist, though some of his lyrics seem to indicate otherwise. Five years passed before Social Distortion released their next album, 1988’s Prison Bound, on the heels of Ness’s recovery from drug addiction. Ness has been sober and clean from heroin since 1985. Furthermore, in the mid-1980s, he briefly was employed as a house painter and assistant speech therapist in an elementary school.

Still interested? Visit the artist’s official website or Wikipedia entry to learn more about this episode’s guest.