A small handful of morons have nothing better to do than try to get attention by trying to discredit their superiors. It doesn’t work but it doesn’t stop them from trying.
Everyone ran the story yesterday about the snakebite, including myself. When a family member says it was a snakebite thats enough for any journalist, so I don’t beat up on anyone for that. Then it turns out the family was using an incident from weeks ago(he did get treatment and recovered Im told) to cover the suspected over dose, I say suspected because the autopsy reports arent back as to cause of death. It wasn’t a lie we were simply mislead by the family and I don’t fault them for that.
What we arent doing is sitting on our asses and making shit up because we like or dont like someone. I actually sent emails to Theo and to Helmy and said hey this is a story you should be on. Its a tragic story and I hate that it happened but his friends in the biz are going to want to know.
I met Billy a few times and he was a nice guy, I wish that he had some other outlet to ease whatever burdens he was feeling. he left behind a lot of people who obviously cared deeply for him. Now that the story has been accurately reported its over but it doesn’t change the fact that Billy was well liked and that we all wish his death could have somehow been avoided.
Instead of funding The FSC, I think the industry would be far better served by funding a support organization for performers, maybe helping veterans like Billy find other work in the industry, there’s lots of people who could make use of it and who could help with it.
We really should take better care of our own, dropping HIV positive performers into AHF’s lap has backfired on us for sure. At one time I had heard that some industry players were discussing doing that but it never happened..too bad really.
Time to move on but lets not forget and if you know someone that needs help encourage them to get it…Its time to get this biz back on track.
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Sometimes You Try To Get It Right But You Get Mislead http://t.co/vXXSeqhpRd
It is shame that people have to mess themselves up with nonmedicinal drugs. I support legalization but that doesn’t mean I condone use. It sounds like Billy was an unfortunate victim of addiction. It is too bad but I guess that is the way it is. RIP Billy.
I will also take the opportunity to let you know that this site looks good on Ubuntu (a free to use consumer version of Linux). I am trying it out on my old XP desktop (now that XP is no longer supported and a possible future nightmare for malware), once the updates hit tonight internet browsing and bookmark syncing seem to be working pretty good (I use Firefox and have tried Chrome on it as well). I also have music playing but had to try several different free music players to find one I could use for my WMA files. I will let you know if I find anything. About the only thing I ran into is that the boot disk to install Ubuntu needs to be in the ISO format, I used my Win 8 laptop to make it but there are third-party applications to allow it to be done on earlier versions of Windows as well.
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Curious about why the FSC tweeted links to a snakebite story long after unconfirmed but closer to reality drug involvement came out? Not sure if they’re trying to recognize his passing or spin it? Simple RIP/family condolences would have done more to quiet stuff down for his family.
Grief can be overwhelming so i take no issue with family story choice, do wish they had someone to explain the value of …beyond how it feels to lose Billy we just don’t know backed with request for privacy…aka your fucking curiosity isn’t more important than our loss.
Didn’t know him but do offer condolences to his family and friends for his loss and the extra burdens speculation has added to this difficult time.
I hear that he was super super high, did in fact get bit by a snake, went to sleep instead of getting treatment (because he was so fucked up) and never woke up. Could have been because of the drugs, or the snakebite.
@removed
Exactly my point….you heard…I’m reading…last thing his family or intimate friends need right now is burden of folks trying to sort out their curiosity to compound their grief. Truly sucks that all this speculation is just gonna add fuel for controversial debates weeks from now when there is accurate info to go on. No matter how right anyone is now or proven to be in hindsight…it won’t make his passing right.
Say whatever you want verbally but respect the dead and their loved ones by leaving speculation off the perpetuity of net is my opinion.
Given that someone died, and that we’re still looking at rumor, I’d say have some respect for the family and use caution. We’re still dealing with what even you call is a “suspected” overdose. No one is in danger, there’s no pending threat. Who says you aren’t being misled this time?
@mikestabile
The snakebite story may have been put out there by a family member, hence the confusion.
Considering we are living in a time where we knew Philip Seymour Hoffman was in his underwear with a needle in his arm within an hour of his death, and photos of Whitney Houston’s bathtub hit TMZ around the same amount of time, I would say this is very tame.
As someone that has a family member with drug/alcohol issues I can tell you no matter how much you talk to a person about their problem (to plead for them to get help) unless THEY want to change you are wasting air..
That is true Karmafan but sometimes if the family is willing to play ball familial support can be cut off (not giving the addict time, money, family, etc.) can create a bottom and force someone to get treatment and clean up their act. It works better if treatment is arranged before the intervention and the addict goes directly from the intervention to the hospital to detox and directly from the hospital to the treatment center, transported by a non-family member and a non-friend such as an interventionist. It works even better if the hospital and treatment center is at least 500 miles from home so the addict can’t just go back home. You can watch the TV show Intervention on the A&E website to see how it works (last I knew episodes were still on the site even though the show is no longer made). If your family goes this route be sure to check into the treatment center to see that it is legitimate and not run by a church or cult (Teen Challenge in Norton Shores, MI which is run by my cousin’s husbands brother so I am biased but know a few things about it would be an exception to this rule but I would guess that your family member isn’t in the right age group for this facility and unless he is a Christian or from a Christian family they won’t take him anyway) or a shyster.