Bob Forrest Rock Counselor

I wouldn’t go and say that I’m a fan of all forms of reality television, but I do love a good trainwreck-specifically the fallen stars of entertainers that are picking themselves up off of the ground or walking perilously close to checking out permanently.
This whole thing about Corey Haim? Saw it coming thanks to an episode of The Two Coreys.
Racist rants by Dog the Bounty Hunter? Only someone clouded by his ridiculous jailhouse spirituality wouldn’t have guessed that he’s had issues with people of color for a long time.
Danny Bonaduce dishing out agro bullying tactics? Absolutely. What’s the next step for someone who suffers from intense self-esteem issues resulting from stardom achieved through fake bass guitar playing?
I’m sure I should be embarrassed by all of this worthless trivia, but I’m not. What I am embarrassed about is watching Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew for the past few seasons and not once recognizing who the guy in the hat was.
For those of you who don’t watch the show, Dr. Drew Pensky has a few counselors with him who bring a sense of real-world addiction to his current patients. One of them is a guy who always wears an hold hat and second-hand suits. His face is pocked-marked and he dishes out some typical “Been there. Done that.” Speeches to get the patient’s attention and to let them know he’s been as low as they are. His encouragement isn’t fake, he seems to be a very credible resource for the doctor, and many of the “celebrities” that they’re working with take his comments seriously.
He’s addressed as “Bob” in the show, and I don’t really hang around long enough to watch the credits to see who he is or what his back-story is. Truth be told, there are a bunch of people being treated that I have no idea who they are, even though they’re listed as “celebrities.”
In someone’s world, maybe.
In mine, not so much.
I tend to want to champion those that I’m familiar with, while showing ambivalence for the rest of the cast. There are a few where I question their label as celebrity (Heidi Fleiss being one) and a few that I actually question their talent (the dude that sings that “Butterfly” song)-but I genuinely hope that people can get their shit together.
I don’t quite get the forum in which they try to do it (a TV show? Really?!) but maybe it’s some weird Hollywood thing that they think we’ll lead them to additional roles, gigs, or notoriety.
The guy with the hat intrigued me, but not to the point where I Googled him or anything.
Literally, two hours ago, I discovered who he is.
Thelonius Monster did a great song about 20 years ago called “So What If I Did” that came to mind today. They also did a great song called “Sammy Hagar Weekend” which wasn’t too nice to the Red Rocker. They also did a fantastic cover of Tracy Chapman’s “For My Lover,” which is saying something because I can’t stand Tracy Chapman. Let’s be honest, Thelonius Monster did a number of great songs, but they never reached the popularity that they probably should have. In addition to possessing one of the greatest rock band names ever, they also possessed one of rock’s most notorious drug-addled frontman.
That “Bob” in Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew turned out to be none other than Bob Forrest, the lead singer for Thelonious Monster.
Twenty years and lots of drugs evidently made enough of a change in his appearance to make him unrecognizable to me. Of course, now that I know who he is-I’m seeing all sorts of resemblance. And now that I know why Thelonious Monster aren’t around any longer (aside from the occasional reunion gig), I’m glad to know Bob has found a career making a difference in people, just like I’m sure his music did a few decades ago.
Of course, it still can make a difference, which is why I’m forced to embed a Thelonious Monster video with an interview featuring Forrest who seems very comfortable with death.

Bob recent is taking his newfound counseling role and has opened up his own treatment program. Maybe he can give Shifty Shellshock a kick in the ass for me after they get him cleaned up for being such a whiney douchebag.