Wow and they say that stuff doesn’t happen, that the rich and celebrities aren’t given preferential treatment, but they absolutely are. Probably the worst I ever heard was about John Phillips of the 1960s singing group the Mamas and Papas. In the 1970s he became a massive heroin and cocaine addict. By his own admission he said he did the stuff “every 15 minutes for 2 years”. How he survived, who knows. But later on in the 1980s he was a full blown alcoholic and drank until his liver failed after which a short wait he got a liver transplant. And when he was released from the hospital what did he do? He hit the bar as he said “to break in the new liver”. I always think about that when I read about a kid needing an organ transplant. How many rich people and celebrities were placed in front of his name?
It’s ironic that John Phillips spent two years at Annapolis before embarking on a music career and a lifetime of drug abuse. Classmates at the Naval Academy remember watching him walk off the grounds for the last time, guitar case in hand. Of course, Phillips was an exceptionally talented musician, but an absolute dirt bag as a human being. Along with the drug and alcohol abuse, he also had a long-term, incestuous affair with his daughter, actress Mackenzie Phillips. She described the relationship as “consensual.”
If there was anyone who didn’t deserve to be on a transplant list, it was John Phillips. But he got one, and other celebrities have used fame, power and fortune to rocket to the top of the list. Another example: New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle. He spent exactly one day on the transplant list before surgery, and lived only two months after receiving a new liver. Like Phillips, Mantle’s own liver was on the verge of failure, thanks to years of heavy drinking.
Mantle lost a lost of money in bad business investments, but did start a successful restaurant in New York City. The restaurant was a frequent advertiser on Don Imus’s radio show, and the I-Man (a recovering alcoholic and drug addict himself) used to ad-lib the spots. He sometimes ended with: “And don’t forget their late-night promotion. Guess which table Mickey’s under at 3 am and win a free dinner.” As far as I know, Mantle never complained.
One more note on Phillips: his drug and alcohol abuse was so excessive that he was kicked out by his room mate...wait for it...Keith Richards. Phillips lived with Richards for a time back in the 70s. When your consumption of illegal drugs and booze is too much for Richards, you’ve reached the pinnacle of addiction.