Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

AA Speaker - Kip C. - Los Angeles, CA - 1999

Kip C. from Vista, CA speaking at the Paramount speakers group in Los Angeles, CA - September 12th 1999
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Kip C.'s story is a powerful testament to the redemptive possibilities found through surrender and spiritual recovery. From growing up in a turbulent home to smuggling drugs at 16, serving prison time in Mexico, and enduring the unbearable losses of his son and brother, Kip spiraled into chronic alcoholism, homelessness, and attempted suicide. Yet through a moment of grace, he surrendered fully to the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and found a sponsor who guided him through the steps with unwavering honesty. Over time, he rebuilt his life, became a dedicated father, made peace with his past, and gave back to others with deep compassion. His journey—filled with unimaginable lows and hard-won victories—shows that no matter how far someone has fallen, healing and purpose are possible through spiritual action, community, and an unshakable commitment to recovery.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speakers - Chris S. & Steve L. - East Dorset, VT - 2021

Chris S. from Pottersville, NJ and Steve L. from Nashville, TN speaking at workshop entitled Upping your Game at the Wilson House in East Dorset, VT - August 21st 2021
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Chris and Steve's powerful weekend sessions at the Wilson House offer a heartfelt and often humorous exploration of Step One and Step Two of Alcoholics Anonymous. Chris shares the brutal honesty of his drinking history—escalating from chaotic party years to ten years of isolated blackout drinking—and how his eventual spiritual awakening came only after a painful relapse, when he was willing to do everything he once resisted: get a sponsor, join a home group, and work the steps thoroughly. Steve brings deep insight into the emotional and spiritual unmanageability of alcoholism—describing the painful self-consciousness, fear of disconnection, and ego-driven isolation that plagued him even before he drank. Together, they break down alcoholism not just as a physical craving and mental obsession, but as a spiritual illness rooted in selfishness, fear, and separation from God. Their message is clear: the AA solution isn’t intellectual—it's experiential, rooted in surrender, honest inventory, and a willingness to develop a conscious relationship with a higher power. Through humor, grit, and grace, both men paint a picture of redemption—a life of usefulness, freedom, and spiritual wholeness born not from trying harder, but from giving up and letting a power greater than themselves lead the way.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Don P. - Billings, MT - 1990

Don P. from Aurora, CO speaking at the Classic Opening of Thoughts convention in Billings, MT - January 16th 1990
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Diagnosed by institutions as a sociopath and psychopath, and cloaked in layers of denial, Don initially couldn't see that alcohol was the core problem—but AA members with clarity, compassion, and lived recovery helped guide him through the Twelve Steps. He experienced profound change: from a man afraid of both dying and living, to someone fit for service, able to sponsor others and walk hand-in-hand with God. Don emphasizes that sobriety isn’t for him—it’s for the next sick alcoholic—and he has lived his life carrying that message, healing relationships with his children and brother, and growing through painful challenges. His life exemplifies the AA promise: that through total surrender, rigorous honesty, and spiritual discipline, even the most broken lives can be transformed and used to heal others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Howard P. - Paramount, CA - 2001

Howard P. from Phoenix, AZ speaking at the Paramount Speaker Group in Paramount, CA - January 7th 2001
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Though plagued early on by shame, spiritual disconnect, and a relentless internal void, Howard found fleeting relief through alcohol—what he later recognized as a counterfeit spiritual experience. His life spiraled through deception, professional fallout, and emotional devastation until desperation led him to Alcoholics Anonymous. With sharp wit, humility, and gratitude, Howard recounts how surrendering to the program and taking action—especially returning stolen equipment—lifted an invisible burden he didn’t even know he carried. His story highlights how even the most broken pasts can become a foundation for spiritual rebirth, truth-telling, and peace, emphasizing the enduring importance of service, accountability, and connection in living a meaningful, sober life.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Mary P. - Crested Butte, CO - 2006

Mary P. from Orlando, FL at the Crested Butte Mountain Conference in Crested Butte, CO - July 23rd-28th 2006
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Mary shares her journey through fear, denial, chaos, and transformation. Despite a loving upbringing and early academic success, she was plagued by deep-seated fear and perfectionism, eventually turning to alcohol to cope. Her life spiraled into addiction, failed marriages, and heartbreaking consequences, including forgetting she was a mother. But through Alcoholics Anonymous, surrender, and the grace of a persistent sponsor, Mary found sobriety. Over time, she rebuilt trust, earned back the love of her family, and became a steady source of support and healing. A pinnacle moment was being chosen to hold her grandson the night he was in neonatal crisis—an act that symbolized the full circle of recovery, responsibility, and redemption. Mary’s story is a testament to how lives once lost to addiction can be wholly reclaimed and used in service to others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Chris C. - Alexander City, AL - 2011

Chris C. from Auburn, AL speaking at Pelham House in Alexander City, AL - September 24th 2011
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Chris shares his transformation through pain, perseverance, and the grace of a spiritual awakening. From early trauma, deep insecurity, and a lifelong struggle with alcoholism and addiction, he endured homelessness, arrests, and the devastating loss of his brother—yet through it all, he found a path to healing in Alcoholics Anonymous. His turning point came when he fully surrendered to the 12-step process, embracing honesty, making amends, and ultimately becoming a sponsor to others. Today, he lives with purpose as a loving father and a man of integrity, carrying the message of recovery to help others find the freedom he once believed was impossible.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Marty J. - Abilene, TX - 2002

Thank you to this weeks supporters of the show: Eric, Shelley, and Stephen. We really appreciate your sponsorship! 
If you'd like to donate, check out: Sober Sunrise
Marty J's talk is a raw and deeply human journey through the wreckage of alcoholism and the redemption found in recovery. With humor, vulnerability, and a storyteller's flair, Marty reveals the full arc of his life—from early family trauma and relentless drinking to delusion, hospitalization, and the depths of self-centeredness. But the power of Alcoholics Anonymous—and of a persistent sponsor who "didn't understand rejection"—helped Marty confront his selfishness, rediscover spiritual connection, and rebuild love in his family. He speaks with honest gratitude about getting his children back, rekindling his marriage, and learning how to serve others from the heart. Above all, Marty’s story reminds us that the true miracle of sobriety isn't just not drinking—it's being freed from fear, discovering purpose in service, and becoming someone who can love and be loved fully.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Scott R. - Oakland, CA - 2007

Scott R. from Van Nuys, CA speaking at the East Bay Roundup in Oakland, CA - May 20th 2007
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Scott R. blends biting humor with raw vulnerability, tracing a journey from delusion and destruction to spiritual renewal and purpose. With a sobriety date of April 22, 1985, Scott speaks candidly about the devastating impact his addiction had on his family—particularly his sons—and how AA offered not just relief from drinking but a complete design for living. He challenges clichés, calls out superficial spirituality, and emphasizes deep honesty and humility in recovery. Despite intense pain, psychiatric struggles, and spiritual confusion, Scott ultimately reclaimed his humanity and rebuilt his life through the 12 Steps, sponsorship, and a higher power he still doesn't claim to fully understand—but which he trusts. His story is a poignant reminder that the real miracle of AA lies not in staying dry, but in the transformation of character, connection, and daily renewal.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Don L. - Bend, OR - 2021

Don L. from Bellingham, WA speaking on the topic of sponsorship at the New Horizons group in Bend, OR - May 15th 2021
Visit our website - Sober-Sunrise.com
Don L, with nearly three decades of sobriety emphasizes that his joy and freedom come not just from abstaining, but from surrender, service, and spiritual growth. Don brought humor and humility to his stories—like detailing his wife's car only to expect a sonnet of gratitude or calling his sponsor who simply diagnosed him with “untreated alcoholism.” He underscored that sponsorship works because sponsors don’t carry our emotions and can reflect the truth back to us with love. His first 12-step call, his early days setting up meetings, and sponsoring others—even when feeling unqualified—revealed a deep message: Alcoholics stay sober not by self-will, but by giving away what was freely given to them. Through laughter, tough love, and grace, Don showed how AA transformed his life from hopelessness to purpose, and how sponsorship continues to be the single greatest tool for sustaining that miracle.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

AA Speaker - Johnny T. - New Orleans, LA - 2016

Johnny T. from Lawtey, FL speaking at the 48th Annual Big Deep South Convention in New Orleans, LA - June 17th 2016
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Johnny T. shares of his fall and recovery, turning tragedy into testimony. A fifth-generation Floridian, Johnny was a sawmill operator, father, and devoted husband whose drinking nearly destroyed his family and drove his father to the edge. He recounts being consumed by ego, chasing status through motorcycles, boats, cattle, and booze—until Alcoholics Anonymous cracked him open. After a desperate moment on his knees in a treatment center, Johnny surrendered. He got sober in 2003, worked the steps, made deep amends, and transformed from a loud, broken fraud into a loving father, husband, sponsor, and service-driven AA leader. His message is powerful: bring what you’ve got—Your higher power can work with that.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu