It is currently fashionable to knock Davy (NB this is how he currently spells his name) Graham and it's been cropping up periodically on one forum or another over the past couple of years.

I have been loath to contribute to this latest assassination attempt because, as has been remarked more than once, such a thread is not helping.

I have, however, known Mr Graham (not well but intermittently) for around 40 years. I knew him best when, back in the 60s and living close to C# House where I worked, he underwent and survived a spell of heroine addiction.

The whole point of addiction is that it is not self-inflicted. Other than falling in love with which it has remarkable similarities, it is the one human activity that is not an act of will. It happens and the person so afflicted has no control over it, nor does s/he even admit that there might be a problem. Unless and until they do, there is no hope of resolution and it is pointless to be prescriptive about what they 'should' do. All friends can do is suggest 'maybe you might . . . ' and be supportive wherever possible.

I know not whether Davy is back on the H or just the booze. I have seen him perform twice fairly recently and he was fine in the musical sense, with comprehensive and fairly comprehensible preambles and good (though not brilliant) execution. OK, he was odd but that's part of the charm. His illness is more frightening but is absolutely not a signal for opprobrium and abuse from erstwhile 'fans'.

Think on. You might be there yourself some day.