She’s released seven albums, and her group Wilson Phillips had three No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Hot 100 List, five Grammy nominations and sold more than 13 million singles worldwide.
But there’s one accomplishment that tops the charts for singer and actress Carnie Wilson: 2024 marks the 20th year of her sobriety and recovery from food, drug and alcohol addiction.
On October 24, Wilson will be the keynote speaker at Pearls of Wisdom, The LCADA Way’s Annual Benefit and Recognition Dinner, which will take place at Embassy Suites Rockside in Independence. Since 1981, the nonprofit organization has delivered customized approaches for treatment to men, women and adolescents in Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties and surrounding communities. This year, Pearls of Wisdom is being held in partnership with the Nord Center. In July, the organizations joined forces to form Riveon Mental Health and Recovery.
“Over the years, our annual benefit has featured an impressive list of speakers, including Tom Arnold, Judy Collins, Patrick Kennedy, Mariel Hemingway and Dr. Drew Pinsky, who shared their stories about addiction and recovery,” says Joe Matuscak, chief marketing and development officer for Riveon Mental Health and Recovery. “It says a lot about the fact that addiction is a disease that touches everyone in some way.”
Wilson, the daughter of legendary Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, understands the instrumental role recovery organizations play in saving lives.
“The reason I’m so excited about coming to Ohio is because Riveon also addresses the mental-health aspect of addiction. One of my goals is to raise awareness about that connection,” she says.
“Those of us in recovery all come from different backgrounds,” Wilson adds. “Maybe the setting is different, maybe our line of work is different, or we’re rich or poor or famous or not. But we’re all on this never-ending journey together. There’s no graduation. But the prize is balance and serenity that organizations like Riveon help so many of us discover.”
