Terry Farrell

Record Staff

For years, Todd Butler had the well-earned reputation as one of the hardest-working musicians in the Comox Valley.

From regular paying gigs, to volunteer fundraising sets for a wide variety of causes, rarely did a weekend go by where his music could not be heard in one venue or another.

However, Butler played as hard off-stage as he did on-stage, and that lifestyle caught up to him in 2015, during a visit to Alberta.

He was admitted to Sturgeon Community Hospital in St. Albert, Alta. with what he described as 鈥渃atastrophic kidney and liver failure鈥� in August of that year.

The Comox Valley community rallied around its friend in need.

A crowdfunding effort raised more than $12,000 to help Butler with his recovery process.

It was a great boost, but the biggest help had to come from within.

Butler had to change his life, if he wanted to keep on living.

鈥淚t鈥檚 (kidney/liver failure) the best thing that could have happened to me, because I wasn鈥檛 listening,鈥� he said, in a 2016 interview with The Record.

鈥淭his drinking problem crept up鈥�I鈥檝e looked down the tunnel of hell and beat back the devil. I didn鈥檛 know if I鈥檇 ever feel any joy again. But I finally beat that demon down.鈥�

At the time of that interview, Butler was working on a new CD.

Back from the Brink was released online in July of 2017, and now he鈥檚 ready to introduce it to the community.

A Jan. 31 concert, to be held at the Little Red Church in Comox, is Butler鈥檚 鈥渙fficial鈥� launch of the CD, and his first concert in the area since his health issues arose.

鈥淚 did a show in Errington in October, and I had another one on Hornby, but those are the only two shows I have done in the past two-and-a-half years,鈥� said Butler in an interview earlier this month. 鈥淭his concert is kind of a thank you to all the people that supported me during what was a really bad couple of years, and playing the songs for them.鈥�

The aptly-named CD features 11 original tracks, most of which were written during Butler鈥檚 recovery period.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 play, or sing, or do anything for about a year 鈥� I was incapable of playing my guitar 鈥� I鈥檇 lost the ability,鈥� said Butler, of the early recovery stages. 鈥淚t was quite frightening.

鈥淪o when I started getting it back, I started compiling tunes and figured I should make a CD of this experience. I chose those songs, because they all had to do with conquering the demon of alcohol that I was battling. They aren鈥檛 all about that, in fact there鈥檚 very little mention of that, but the theme in general is one of recovery, and finding hope and discovering love, as a way to heal yourself. So it鈥檚 a pretty uplifting CD, for the most part.

鈥淲hen I went into the hospital (in 2015) I had to sign a 鈥榙o not resuscitate鈥� order, and when that happens, something inside you changes. These songs are all an expression of what has changed in me - how I鈥檝e recovered, and found hope.鈥�

Don Vinette (bass) and Mike Berman (drums) were the studio musicians for the CD, and will be playing with Butler at the upcoming concert in Comox. The CD was recorded at Vinette鈥檚 studio.

Butler said there is not enough space to thank all the contributing musicians, but he鈥檚 expecting a few cameos at the concert.

鈥淎 lot of local musicians contributed to making this CD - five or six different singers 鈥� I鈥檇 hate to mention some and miss others, so let鈥檚 just say it will be us and special guests.鈥�

Admission to the all-ages concert is by donation.

Doors will open at 7 and the show will start at 7:30 p.m.

鈥淐ome on down. It鈥檒l be a party - my chance to introduce the slimmer, trimmer鈥� nicer Todd Butler to the community,鈥� he said.