Behind the Music - Season 1 Episode 143 Blues Traveler

First joining forces as a basement band in 1983 in Princeton, New Jersey, Blues Traveler charted a course that would have them playing 250 plus concert dates a year throughout the late 80's and 90's. With their brand of high-octane improv rock mixed with jazz, blues and funk, the band earned a massive following of loyal free-spirited fans. In 1995, Blues Traveler jumped on to the super stardom highway with their rollicking hit "Runaround". Spending an amazing 49 weeks on the Billboard charts, the single propelled their album "Four" to multi-platinum status. But Blues Traveler hit a few detours in the years following this success. Front man, harmonica great John Popper and bassist Bobby Sheehan were racing to death's door as they battled addiction and health problems. Popper's weight ballooned to 420 pounds as he indulged an addiction to junk food. Chest pains led to an emergency angioplasty in July 1999 to clear an artery to his heart found to be 95% blocked. Bobby Sheehan's more traditional Rock & Roll excesses, drugs and alcohol, finally took their toll in August of 1999. He was found dead in his New Orleans home from a deadly mixture of cocaine, Valium and heroin. Sheehan's death devastated the band and had them on the verge of calling it quits. But Popper was scared into confronting his health problems and in April 2000 had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Within a year, Popper lost close to 200 pounds and gained control of his food addiction. Ready to return to the stage with the slimmed down John Popper leading the way, Blues Traveler refueled with two new members in May 2000. Their new album "Bridge" is set for release in May 2001 and Blues Traveler is geared up for the next ride on their Rock & Roll journey with Bobby Sheehan's spirit a guiding force.