Blackout Nights & Reinventing Yourself - Al Jackson

Comedian Al Jackson sits down with Forrest to talk drinking, quitting, rebuilding your life, and why getting sober unlocked a whole creative world he didn't know he had. They dive into wild early-comedy stories, misadventures in Miami, ventriloquist-dummy disasters, and the moment Al realized alcohol was taking more than it was giving. It's raw, funny, and brutally honest — from blackouts and bad decisions to writing books, making music, crafting sneakers, and rediscovering who you are when drinking stops running the show. 🎧 If you're trying to get your life back on track, curious about sobriety, or just love a comeback story told by two comics, this episode hits. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes on addiction, recovery, mental health, and comedy. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:00 – Why start a humorous addiction podcast? 02:15 – Addiction, recovery, and who the show is really for 04:00 – Introducing Andy Haynes 05:35 – Early comedy days & terrible old bios 07:50 – The ventriloquist-dummy disaster 10:30 – Drinking culture in comedy 12:55 – Humor as a coping tool during trauma 15:00 – Losing a parent & laughing through grief 17:05 – Andy's drinking timeline & the slow unraveling 19:10 – College, partying, and discovering "oh, I'm good at this" 22:00 – Meeting Forrest in Miami & early stand-up memories 24:30 – Realizing drinking wasn't funny anymore 26:45 – The moment Andy finally had to stop 29:15 – Time management, free hours, and relapse risk 32:40 – Filling your life with creative work 37:00 – Music, writing, shoes, and rediscovering purpose 41:10 – Theme songs, production, and making things sober 45:30 – Addiction, boredom, and why comics spiral 48:20 – Staying busy vs. staying drunk 52:10 – Wrapping up with Andy 54:00 – Outro 🎙️ Find Al Jackson: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aljacksonig/?hl=en ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlJackson