U2 star Adam Clayton shares that a “hardcore” intervention from a celebrity friend helped him quit drinking and led him to realize the importance of “the only true cure.”

U2 bassist Adam Clayton, 64, has opened up about his struggle with alcohol and the pivotal role rock legend Eric Clapton played in helping him overcome it. In a “hardcore” phone call, Clapton urged him to quit drinking, which became a turning point for Clayton.

Reflecting on his journey during the new RTE series Ballroom Blitz, which explores the history of Ireland’s showbands, Clayton shared his experiences alongside stories of others in the music world, including Brendan O’Brien of The Dixies. O’Brien’s daughter, Aideen, revealed how her father turned to alcohol after being forced to stop performing.

Clayton’s wake-up call came during U2’s 1993 Zoo TV Tour in Sydney, where he missed a gig following a three-day drinking binge. This incident, coupled with Clapton’s intervention, led him to realize that sobriety was his only path forward.

Reflecting on his battle with alcohol, Adam Clayton admitted: “It was a real struggle. I had reached a point where I knew something was wrong, but it wasn’t until I missed a gig that I fully understood how bad things had gotten.

“I didn’t want to lose music—it was the only thing that had ever truly given me anything.

“I was fortunate that a friend of mine connected me with Eric Clapton, and he didn’t hold back. He was pretty hardcore about it.

‘ONLY CURE’
“He was very direct, telling me, ‘You’ve got to get yourself into The Priory—they’ll take care of you.’ At first, I resisted. I was there for about ten days, thinking, ‘I don’t want this.’

“Then I came to realize it seemed to be the only cure.”

Clayton has remained sober ever since and was visibly moved during his discussion with Aideen O’Brien, daughter of the late Brendan O’Brien of The Dixies.

The first episode of Ballroom Blitz, airing this Wednesday night on RTE One at 9:35 PM, explores Clayton’s journey and the remarkable career of Irish showband mogul Bill Fuller, a Kerry native who built a chain of ballrooms across Ireland and the U.S.