Alter Bridge and Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators singer Myles Kennedy discussed his father refusing to see doctors because of his Christian Science faith, and how it helped lead to his death, in a new interview with Eddie Trunk discussing his solo album Year of the Tiger. Ultimate-Guitar transcribed the story.
“I realized year of the tiger was 1974, which was the year my father passed away when I was a kid. I was like, ‘Oh, man, I don’t know if I want to go down that road,’ because I’ve never really wanted to tackle that one for all the years of my writing. That’s a heavy one for me.
“My family, at that point, were Christian Scientists. So basically, this woman Mary Baker Eddy started this in the 1800s, and the premise is that you don’t go to doctors. You believe that god is gonna heal you. It’s very frustrating even talking about it, frankly.
“So dad got sick and chose not to go and see a doctor. He died of the appendicitis. He died one night in his sleep because it blew up and gangrene went all over.
“He didn’t know it was appendix because he wouldn’t go and see a doctor. But what is interesting is that he got really sick about eight weeks prior. He was in a lot of pain. So there’s a theory it might have actually ruptured then. He may have had gangrene actually for quite a while. But mom woke up one morning and he passed away. I was four [at the time].
“So that started the whole journey. It was a heavy thing for my brother and I, and mom. My grandmothers on both sides chose not to go to doctors and passed away. We were entrenched in the Christian Science faith.”
Asked if his mother decided to abandon Christian Science following his fater’s death, Myles replied:
“The light has actually gone off for her a little earlier, previous to his death. Because she worked at a nursing home and she realized that a lot of people associated with the Christian Science faith were passing away. I think this change started for her a little earlier.”
