Scorpions Drummer James Kottak Vows to Quit Drinking

Scorpions drummer James Kottak has vowed to stop drinking after his spell in a Dubai jail recently.

Kottak has apparently learned his lesson, as evidenced by a contrite Facebook post that offers his side of the story while assuring fans that he’s determined to stay sober from now on.

“After years of drinking alcohol, on April 3rd, 2014 my addiction finally caught up with me during a five-hour flight from Ekaterinburg, Russia to Bahrain via Dubai, during which I consumed 5 or 6 glasses of wine,” begins the post, which goes on to describe an antagonistic exchange with an airline representative that ended as they “called the police and reported that I was intoxicated (which I was) and that I made a lewd gesture.”

Things went from bad to worse when the authorities arrived. As Kottak went on to explain, “When the police asked me to show my ID, I showed them the ‘Rock & Roll Forever’ tattoo on my back instead of my actual ID, which was in my back pack my friend was carrying for me. Apparently, the police did not find this funny.”

Ultimately, Kottak failed to find much humor in it either, and when he returned to the States after serving his sentence, he reached out to a rehab specialist who helped him find treatment and connected him with the MusiCares organization. “I am determined to come to grips with my alcoholism and am doing everything on a daily basis to beat this relentless disease,” insisted Kottak. “This entire incident caused me to realize that it is time to stop drinking once and for all so that I can become the father, musician, and friend that I know I can be. I am glad to put this unfortunate incident behind me and move onward and upward with my life.”