Alcohol was also majorly in play along with heavy cocaine use. Mick wrote in his first book she checked into Betty Ford for both cocaine and alcohol addiction. Coke gets you high and alcohol brings you down some and then more coke. Its and endless cycle.
Does anyone remember Stevie's Behind the Music advertisements where Paul Fishkin says how worried everyone was about Stevie and there were near overdoses on the road. That part was cut from the hour segment but it was in the promo. I remember being so curious to hear more about the near overdoses but it was obviously cut from Behind the Music.
It was the out of control 80's. Its more scary to me than sad. But its entertaining nonetheless. I was 13 when I saw Stevie in concert in 1983. There were times during the show that scared or confused me but nothing like the RAL tour. The next stop on the RAL tour after this New York stop was Pittsburgh. Stevie was more subdued and you can listen to Stand Back in the bootleg. She does the song very good. Its obvious she was majorly partying in New York
Stevie fell off the stage opening night in Houston during the Rock A Little tour.
http://rockalittle.com/usatoday4-14-1986.htm
The Klonopin years is extremely sad. In the link I posted to see Stevie just stand by the mic and smile while she misses her cue over and over is very sad. I was hoping Mick would have written about this in his recent book but he did not. Stevie writes while coke almost ruined her life and career, Klonopin was much worse.
BTW...her voice during the NY RAL show is more alarming than any missed cues or odd behavior. Its totally shot. But the end part of the NY video when Stevie introduces her band says a lot about her uncertainty. She introduces her keyboard player who is not there. Its funny and cute but I think it shows no one knew when she was going to introduce the band and who was going to be introduced first.