Miracles for Breakfast: How Faith Helped Me Kick My Addictions

264 Pages·2008·1.51 MB·English

by  Danny Brooks

Miracles for Breakfast
How Faith Helped Me Kick My Addictions
by Danny Brooks
WILEY
John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd
Copyright © 2008 by Danny Brooks
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be
reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical
without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying,
recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems of any part of this book
shall be directed in writing to Th e Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access
Copyright). For an Access Copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll
free 1-800-893-5777.
Care has been taken to trace ownership of copyright material contained in this book.
Th e publisher will gladly receive any information that will enable them to rectify any
reference or credit line in subsequent editions.
Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version (Th omas Nelson,
1975).
I owe a great deal of my thanks to Michelle Sim and her Northern Praise Minis-
tries. You can discover more about this incredible woman and her ministry through
her web site http://www.awocanada.com, which is her Authentic Women of Canada
ministry. Th anks also to Richard L. Wright, and Octavio and Gena.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data
Brooks, Danny
Miracles for breakfast : how faith helped me kick my addictions / Danny
Brooks.
ISBN 978-0-470-15413-7
1. Brooks, Danny. 2. Musicians—Canada—Biography. 3. Recovering
addicts—Canada—Biography. I. Title.
ML420.B863B87 2008 782.42164’092 C2007-907609-2
Production Credits
Cover design: Ian Koo
Interior design and typesetting: Tegan Wallace
Interior photos: provided by Danny Brooks
Cover photography: Debra Middlebrook
Printer: Printcrafters
John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. Th is book is printed with biodegradable
6045 Freemont Blvd. vegetable-based inks. Text pages are print-
Mississauga, Ontario ed on 55 lb. 100% post-consumer waste
recycled cream paper.
L5R 4J3
Printed in Canada
1 2 3 4 5 PC 12 11 10 09 08
To my parents, Bill and Julie, for their instruction on
living a life grounded on the Truth
and to
my beautiful wife, Debra,
who rescued me from the gutter
Miracles For Breakfast
© Danny Brooks / Centre Stream Publ. 10/28/06
Once there was a man, workin’ on a chain gang
Layin’ blacktop on a highway, in the Southland
Many years later, on that same old road
Drivin’ with his family, in a brand new automobile
I believe that dreams come alive
And miracles for breakfast, happen all the time
Oh I believe, I believe, I believe in Miracles
Once there was a lady, had to say goodbye to her kids
Check into a re-hab, and try and fi nd herself
Now she’s showin’ others, there’s a way back home
You gotta believe, you gotta keep holdin’ on
I believe that dreams come alive
And miracles for breakfast happen all the time
Oh I believe in miracles every morning
Sometimes we all hold on, cuz it’s all that we know
Only to learn we can fl y once we let go…….I believe
Th ere are Angels that walk among us
Who want to help and show us the path
But we gotta take that tiny fi rst step
And believe there’s something bigger than ourselves
I believe that dreams come alive
And miracles for breakfast happen all the time
Oh I believe in miracles every morning
chapter thirty-one
Contents
When least expected, Fate tumbles in.
| Percy Sledge
Foreword by John Donabie vii
Introduction 1
PART I – IN THE BEGINNING
Chapter 1: Peering into Madness 5
Chapter 2: Th e Sixties 18
Chapter 3: On the Road 26
Chapter 4: Th e Needle 31
Chapter 5: Los Angeles, 1969 39
Chapter 6: Heading Home 50
Chapter 7: Toronto: Late September, 1969–1971 55
Chapter 8: Th e Profi ts of Crime 63
Chapter 9: Guelph Reformatory 71
Chapter 10: Th e OR 79
Chapter 11: My Time Is Up 85
PART II – POSSIBILITY THINKING
Chapter 12: Many Rivers to Cross 91
Chapter 13: Married Life 95
Chapter 14: Road Stories 102
VI Miracles for Breakfast
Chapter 15: Me and Brownie McGee 111
Chapter 16: Me and Mr. Johnson, 1985–1987 118
PART III – CHANGE IS GOING TO COME
Chapter 17: Empty Inside 129
Chapter 18: Th e Painful Beginning 132
Chapter 19: Th e Th ree Wise Guys 141
Chapter 20: Leaving the Donwood 149
Chapter 21: Learning to Get Down! 154
Chapter 22: Th e Test 163
Chapter 23: Demons and Angels 170
PART IV – THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Chapter 24: Miracles for Breakfast 181
Chapter 25: Th e Nashville Miracles 193
Chapter 26: Th e Loblaws Miracles 205
Chapter 27: UCB Radio and Richard Wright 209
Chapter 28: “Bama Bound Miracle”/Johnny Sandlin 211
Chapter 29: Divine Appointments 220
Chapter 30: My Family Today 231
Chapter 31: How I Came to Be Published 235
Epilogue 237
End Notes 239
Acknowledgments 242
About the Author/Discography 243
chapter thirty-one
Foreword
When least expected, Fate tumbles in.
| Percy Sledge
IT WAS SEPTEMBER OF 2002 and I had contracted an airborne
virus while traveling through the southern United States. It wasn’t just
some old virus that goes away in a couple of weeks. I still remember
the day the doctor told me (after I had been reluctant to take “the
cure”) that if I did not take a strong dose of prednisone right away,
this virus could attack major organs in my body, resulting in a very
unhappy ending. Key word here was ending. No one had ever said this
to me before, or since. I took the pills.
Shortly after that I was sent a copy of a CD by Th e Northern
Blues Gospel Allstars called Saved. I got stuck on a track called “Still
Standing Tall” by a guy named Danny Brooks. I had never heard of
him at the time. I found out quickly that he had been so down and
out that “everything looked like up to him,” but he had been revived
spiritually by the Holy Spirit and his devoted wife, Debi.
I listened to Danny’s “Still Standing Tall” over and over and over
again. It was a song about being down, frightened, in pain—and com-
ing out the other side. I would say that I’m a fairly religious man, but
when you are very ill your childlike spiritual feelings from youth reap-
pear. Th e innocence of blind faith. I was raised a Catholic and up until
the 9th grade was set for the priesthood.
Suddenly, as I was listening to this track for about the twentieth
time, something happened. I suddenly just lifted my hands up and I
VIII Miracles for Breakfast
prayed. Tears welled up in my eyes. I asked God, if he wasn’t too busy,
to heal me. I told him that I would put it all in his hands.
Believe me, in hindsight I remember hearing of people doing this,
but I did it at the time so naturally. Without thinking. Th en, within
moments, I felt like a load had been lifted from my body. I had for the
fi rst time in my entire life felt the power of prayer. It was absolutely
overwhelming. I knew then that everything was going to be okay. I
still play that song over and over; through tough times.
I sometimes wonder what would have developed had I not heard
Danny Brooks and “Still Standing Tall” that day. It was the healing
music of Danny that has made us good friends today. What a voice. A
raspy growl that will make you stand up and take notice!
Th ank you, Danny, and may your music … take you Higher.
John Donabie
Broadcaster, musicologist
Introduction
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT pointing people to a lifestyle of happiness,
joy, peace and hope for today and tomorrow. It tells of a journey
involving terrible loss and an expectation of the miraculous. No matter
where you have been, what you have done, how hopeless you may even
feel at this moment, you can make it, because there is nothing that
God and you together can’t accomplish. Th e size of the miracle you
need doesn’t matter; God wants to blow your spiritual socks off ! Why?
So you will tell people about it and thereby spread the good news of
what He can do!
I am a former substance abuser—but the story I am about to tell
you is not about how bad I was or how tough I thought I was. (I
really became tough when I decided to do right. It takes courage and
strength to do what is right). Rather, this book is about turning failure
into success and sorrow into joy. JOY beyond words!
“Miracles for breakfast” has more than one meaning, and it is my
deepest desire and reason for writing this book that you fi nd those
reasons out and start having your miracles for breakfast.