* YOUR LAST DAY HAS COME *
* HOLD ME *
Reporter: FIND THE
PERFECT MIX OF RHYTHM AND
BLUES AND JAZZ, AND YOU'VE
DISCOVERED THE UNIQUE SOUND
OF JOHNNY LEE HOOKER, JR.
HE IS THE ON OF JON LEE
HOOKER.
HE HAS SHARED THE RED CARPET
WITH THE WORLD'S BEST
MUSICIANS, AND HE HAS PLAYED
ALONGSIDE THE LIKES OF B.B.
KING, LENNY
KRAVITZ.
MY DAD CAME OUT WITH A
HIT, "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM," AND
MY PEERS, MOMS AND DADS,
KNEW WHAT A HIT RECORD WAS
AND COMPLIMENTED IT.
WOW, YOUR DAD GOT A HIT
RECORD!
Reporter: BUT JOHN LEE,
JR. HAD A SECRET.
HE WAS ADDICTED TO DRUGS.
HE STARTED USING MARIJUANA
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THE
DRUGS GOT PROGRESS OF
STRONGER.
IN HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS HE
STARTED SHOOTING HEROIN.
I WOKE UP THINKING ABOUT
DRUGS.
I WENT TO SLEEP THINKING
ABOUT DRUGS THE.
AT LUNCH PERIODS AT SCHOOL,
AND AFTER SCHOOL WAS OVER, I
THOUGHT ABOUT DRUGS.
DRUGS WAS THE THEME.
Reporter: JOHN WAS
CONSTANTLY IN AND OUT OF
COUNTY JAIL ON DRUG-RELATED
CRIMES.
DURING ONE STAY, HIS CELLMATE
WANTED TO TEACH JOHN
HOW TO DEFEND HIMSELF IF HE
EVER HAD TO GO TO THE
PENITENTIARY.
SO THEY STARTED BOXING.
HE WOULD STAND RIGHT IN
THE CELL DOOR AND SAY NOW
GET OUT OF HERE IF YOU CAN.
AND I'D BOX MY WAY OUT.
AFTER I'D BOX MY WAY OUT,
HE'D SAY, GOOD WORK.
I'M JUST GETTING YOU READY.
Reporter: JUST AS HIS
CELLMATE PREDICTED, WHEN
JOHN TURNED 18, HE WAS MOVED
TO AN ADULT PRISON.
YOU'RE A KID, AND YOU'VE
GOT GUYS 30 AND 40.
AND WHO IS THIS YOUNG BOY
THAT IS COMING IN HERE.
AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH, MY GOD,
WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF
INTO?
Reporter: JOHN QUICKLY
LEARNED ABOUT THE DARK SIDE
OF CELL LIFE AFTER HIS
FRIEND WAS RAPED BY A CELLMATE
AS A, YOUNGSTER, YOU
SAY, DANG, THAT COULD HAPPEN
TO ME.
Reporter: THE SAME DAY
THAT INMATE TRIED TO RAPE
JOHN LEE, JR., JOHN HAD TO
RELY ON EVERYTHING HIS
CELLMATE EVER TAUGHT HIM.
I GRABBED HIM AND THREW
HIM AGAINST THE BARS AND
BEAT HIM UP.
Reporter: WHEN JOHN LEE
GOT OT OF PRISON, HE WENT
RIGHT BACK TO USING DRUGS
AND HIS MUSIC CAREER ENDED.
HE WAS HOMELESS, LIVING ON
THE STREETS, AND OVERDOSED
SO MANY TIMES HE LOST
COUNT.
I HAD UNCLES AND PARENTS
TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO DIE
FROM DRUGS.
WE ALREADY KNOW, YOU'RE
GOING TO DIE FROM DRUGS.
I BELIEVED THEM, AND I SAID
I KNOW, BUT I DIDN'T CARE.
Reporter: BY THE TIME
JOHN LEE, JR. REACHED HIS
40s, HE WAS SHOOTING
HEROIN IN HIS NECK BECAUSE
THE VEINS IN HIS ARMS HAD
COLLAPSED.
> HE DEVELOPED A SEVERE
INFECTION, AND WHEN HE WENT
TO THE HOSPITAL, HE FACED UP
TO THE POSSIBILITY HE COULD
DIE.
THE DOCTOR LOOK AT MY
NECK AND SAID WE NEED TO GET
THAT INFECTION OUT OR YOU
WILL DIE.
INSTANTLY, I BROKE OUT
CRYING.
AND HE SAID, YOU COULD DIE
ANY MINUTE.
AND LAYING ON MY HOSPITAL
BED, I JUST BASICALLY SAID,
LORD JESUS, I NEED YOU TO
WALK ME THROUGH WITH THIS
ORDEAL.
I SAID PLEASE HELP ME, HAVE
MERCY ON ME.
HELP ME.
AND HE HELPED ME.
HE HELPED ME.
Reporter: AT THAT
MOMENT, JOHN LEE PRAYED TO
BECOME A CHRISTIAN.
BUT WHEN HE RECOVERED FROM
THE SURGERY, HE STILL FACED
MORE DRUG-RELATED CHARGES.
HIS MOTHER CAME TO THE
SENTENCING TO PRAY FOR HER
SON.
AND AS I WAS STANDING
THERE AND THEY WERE READING
OFF THE CHARGES, I JUST
KNEW -- I KNEW, JUST LIKE I
KNOW THAT THIS HAND
HANDKERCHIEF IS WHITE --
THEY ARE GOING TO SEND ME TO
PRISON.
I SAW MY MOM, OUT IN THE
AUDIENCE, WITH HER HEAD
BOWED, AND SHE WAS PRAYING.
AND THE JUDGE SAID, YOU'RE
WORTH SALVAGING.
I'M NOT GOING TO SEND YOU TO
JAIL.
AND IN MY HEART, I KNOW THAT
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HEARD
MY MAMA'S PRAYERS ON MY
BEHALF.
Reporter: THE JUDGE
SENT JOHN LEE TO A DRUG
REHAB PROGRAM, WHICH HE
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.
HE RELAUNCHED HIS MUSIC
CAREER WITH THREE NEW
ALBUMS, RECEIVED TWO GRAMMY
NOMINATIONS, AND WALKED THE
RED CARPET DRUG-FREE.
AND EVERYONE WHO KNOWS HIM
WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING
REMARKABLE HAS HAPPENED IN
THIS LIFE.
JESUS IS MY GOOD FRIEND.
HE IS A STAR THAT SHINES IN
THE DARKNESS WHEN I DON'T
KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO.
WHEN I'M LONELY, I CAN SPEAK
WITH HIM.
HE'S MY HOPE AND HE'S MY
JOY.
AND HE HAS CAUSED MY NAME
THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T TRUST.
BUT NOW I HAVE A GOOD NAME
AND NOT BECAUSE OF
CELEBRITY, BUT BECAUSE OF
WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME.
