Sober Sunrise - AA Speaker Podcast

A Drunk Pilot’s Spiritual Awakening: AA Speaker - Scott L. - Nashville, TN

After years of flying drunk, Scott L. found sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous and the Twelve Steps.
Scott L. from Nashville, Tennessee at Specific Group - August 24th 2000
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Scott L. shares his journey from discovering alcohol in college to years of drinking through a successful career as an Air Force pilot, where the illusion of confidence and belonging alcohol gave him slowly turned into a cycle of craving, shame, and loss of control. Though his life appeared successful on the outside, he eventually reached a breaking point and entered treatment, where a deeply personal moment of surrender and a cry for forgiveness became the beginning of a real spiritual awakening. Through Alcoholics Anonymous, sponsorship, and working the Twelve Steps, Scott discovered that alcohol had only been his temporary solution to a deeper spiritual problem, and that lasting freedom came from spiritual growth, service, and learning to live life one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

I Was 18 and Already Dying From Alcoholism - Kellie L. - Athens, GA

At eighteen years old, Kellie L. walked into Alcoholics Anonymous broken, homeless, and convinced she had no future — and discovered a life she never imagined possible.
Kellie L. from Chicago, IL speaking at the Georgia State Convention in Athens, GA - 25 Oct 2002
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Kellie L. shares a remarkable journey from a chaotic childhood in a Florida trailer park to finding sobriety at just eighteen years old through Alcoholics Anonymous. Raised by a mother struggling with addiction, she spent her teenage years living alone, dropping out of school, committing felonies, and spiraling deeper into drugs and alcohol while chasing relief from a constant feeling of being restless, irritable, and discontent. After arriving in Chicago sick, malnourished, and spiritually empty, a group of AA members who met regularly at the restaurant where she worked reached out and invited her to a meeting. Though she continued drinking for several weeks, their persistence and kindness kept her coming back long enough to hear a simple suggestion: pray for help in the morning and say thank you at night. From that moment forward she began building a new life through sponsorship, service work, and the Twelve Steps, eventually helping start a thriving home group and dedicating herself to carrying the message of recovery. Kelly’s story is a powerful reminder that Alcoholics Anonymous can transform even the most hopeless circumstances into a life of purpose, connection, and gratitude.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

I Came to AA With No Underwear - AA Speaker - Joe A. - Louisville, KY

Joe A. shares how alcoholism took him from a promising young life to a roach-infested room on skid row—and how Alcoholics Anonymous gave him a new way to live.
Joe A. from Cincinnati, OH speaking at ICYPAA in Louisville, KY - May 24th 2002
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Joe A. tells a powerful and often humorous story of how alcoholism slowly unraveled a life that once showed enormous promise. As a young man he was an Eagle Scout with a college opportunity ahead of him, but drinking and drugs gradually scrambled his judgment, destroyed relationships, and left him living in a filthy skid-row room with nothing but a mattress on the floor. When he finally walked into Alcoholics Anonymous at twenty-two years old, he didn’t understand what alcoholism really was or why he couldn’t stop drinking once he started. Through the guidance of a sponsor, honest work through the Twelve Steps, and a growing commitment to service, Joe began to experience the spiritual change the Big Book promises. Over time the obsession to drink was replaced with purpose, responsibility, and gratitude—allowing him to build a stable life with a family, meaningful work, and decades of sobriety. His message reminds us that AA doesn’t just stop the drinking; it teaches alcoholics how to live, grow, and find happiness right where they are on the side of the mountain.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Drinking on Antabuse and Still Thinking I Was in Control: AA Speaker - David T. - Hilton Head, SC

David T. shares how losing the power of choice in drink led him to fully rely on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
David T. from Spartanburg, SC speaking at YANA on Hilton Head Island, SC - May 15th 2004
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David T. shares a powerful and deeply honest journey from a frightened, insecure young man who found instant relief in alcohol to an alcoholic who discovered he had completely lost the power of choice in drink. Despite scholarships, graduate school, marriage, therapy, Antabuse, counseling, and even sheer willpower, nothing could stop the mental obsession that always led him back to alcohol. His turning point came not from fear of consequences but from a moment of surrender when something inside finally broke, opening him to the possibility of a Higher Power he did not yet believe in. Through sponsorship, a clear understanding of the Big Book, and a willingness to work all Twelve Steps thoroughly — especially Steps Three through Nine — David experienced the removal of the obsession and a transformation that reshaped his relationships with his parents, restored integrity to his life, and grounded him in consistent service. From cleaning clubhouses to carrying meetings into detox centers and helping build a Primary Purpose group centered on the solution, he discovered that real recovery is not about trying harder but about following a clear program of action that replaces self-will with faith, responsibility, and service to others.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

I Bought a Horse to Stay Sober: AA Speaker - Erna G. - Sacramento, CA

She tried meetings, therapy, willpower — even buying a horse to stay sober.Nothing worked until she finally did the Steps completely.
Erna G. from Walnut Creek, CA speaking at Hope and Serenity Meeting in Sacramento - April 7th 2012
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Erna's journey from early drinking in Iceland to years of restless, irritable sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous where she believed meetings alone would save her. After cycling through treatment, sponsorship, self-help ideas, and even buying a horse on the advice of a well-meaning sponsor, she discovered that activity without full surrender to the Twelve Steps left her spiritually blocked and emotionally miserable. Though she accumulated time, she was still driven by self-will, jealousy, fear, and unfinished amends until she finally committed to a complete Third Step decision, a searching Fourth Step, and thorough amends through Steps Eight and Nine. What followed was not just relief from alcohol, but real freedom — the obsession lifted, relationships restored, motherhood embraced, and a growing life of service grounded in daily practice of Steps Ten, Eleven, and Twelve. Through marriage, homelessness, and even a stroke at thirty-five, Erna learned that recovery is not about managing life better, but about trusting God fully and carrying the message with joy and conviction.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

The $3 Amends That Changed My Life - AA Speaker - Cecil C. - Blackstone, VA

After years of rebellion, ego, and nearly walking away from AA, Cecil discovered that the Twelve Steps weren’t suggestions — they were the only path back to peace.
Cecil C. from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada speaking at The Blackstone Retreat - 1970
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Cecil C. shares a powerful journey from early rebellion and military drinking to ego-driven sobriety and eventual spiritual renewal through the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. After losing jobs, fighting in bars, nearly losing his family, and almost walking away from AA because he thought he “wasn’t bad enough,” he finally found real recovery when a group committed to working the Steps in order. Step One revealed not just powerlessness over alcohol but the unmanageability of his sober life; Step Four and Five exposed his ego and dishonesty; Step Eight and Nine taught him humility through even the smallest amends; and Step Ten brought him back when success and material ambition began to replace spiritual growth. Through prayer, meditation, sponsorship, and carrying the message, Cease learned that AA is not about activity or applause but about practicing spiritual principles in all affairs. His closing challenge remains simple and direct: we may look good on the outside at conferences and meetings, but the real question of recovery is how we are on the inside.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

“I Fell 30 Feet, Got 4 DWIs… and Still Couldn’t Quit Drinking” - AA Speaker - Troy N. - Elgin, TX

After four DWIs, a shattered arm, and a truck fire, he still couldn’t quit drinking — until Alcoholics Anonymous changed everything.
Troy N. from Austin, TX speaking at the 6th annual Fellowship in Elgin, TX - June 2nd 2007
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Troy N. shares a powerful story of progression—from early drinking in Houston and escalating legal trouble, to shattered bones, burned bridges, four DWIs, jail time, divorce, and a literal truck fire—before finally surrendering on January 27, 1999. He describes the insanity of near-death accidents that didn’t stop him, treatment attempts that didn’t stick, and the crushing spiritual emptiness that alcohol could no longer fill. What ultimately changed was not fear, but willingness: working the Steps quickly and thoroughly, carrying the message, and building a real relationship with God. Today, Troy lives in freedom—remarried to the same woman he once devastated, traveling the world, attending meetings even on dirt roads in Mexico, and experiencing the “peace that passes understanding.” His message is clear: recovery is not about barely surviving—it’s about living in harmony, usefulness, and spiritual connection, one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

From Inmate to Warden | AA Speaker - Tom I. - Chicago, IL

After a fatal accident and a prison sentence, Tom discovered that consequences don’t stop alcoholism — surrender does.
Tom I. from Aberdeen, NC speaking at Illinois State Conference - August 30th 2002
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Tom shares the journey from blackout drinking and a fatal accident to a five-to-fifteen-year prison sentence where he first encountered Alcoholics Anonymous. Even after devastating consequences, he discovered that fear and guilt were not enough to stop drinking — only a full surrender in Step One and a searching Step Four inventory changed him at a cellular level. Inside prison, he experienced real freedom through the Twelve Steps, making amends, confronting defects of character, and learning that Alcoholics Anonymous is not a hiding place for broken people but a design for living. After his release, he built a life of service that eventually led him back into the correctional system — this time as a leader — proving that spiritual principles, consistently practiced, can restore dignity, purpose, and enthusiasm even decades into sobriety.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Clean Your Side of the Street | AA Speaker - Jerry J. - Melbourne Beach, FL

Jerry explains what it really means to become entirely ready for change — confronting self-centeredness, character defects, and the amends that bring lasting freedom.
Jerry J. from Lake Whitney, TX doing the steps at the Space Coast Roundup 2005 in Melbourne Beach, FL - February 2005
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Continuing through Steps Six through Nine, Jerry examines how resentment, fear, ego, and victim thinking dominate an alcoholic’s life. He unpacks humility in practical terms, describes how character defects quietly shape our behavior, and explains why cleaning our side of the street restores dignity and peace. With humor and clarity, Jerry reminds us that freedom comes when we stop rehearsing the past and start living by spiritual principles one day at a time.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu

Principles Before Personalities — AA Traditions Explained - AA Speaker - Richard E. - London, UK

In this AA traditions workshop, Richard E. explains why unity, sponsorship, and the primary purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous determine whether a group survives or dies.
Richard E. from London, UK speaking about the traditions at Hatfield group in Hatfield, UK - May 12th 2011
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Richard E. shares a direct and often humorous workshop on the 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous, explaining why AA survived while groups like the Washingtonians and the Oxford Group disappeared. He walks through unity, group conscience, sponsorship, anonymity, and the dangers of money, prestige, and outside influence. With stories about Bill Wilson, early AA history, and modern meetings, Richard reminds us that the common welfare must come first and that AA’s primary purpose is to carry a clear message of recovery through the 12 Steps.
Music: Deep by KaizanBlu