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S1E6 Travis

Season 1 Episode 6

Travis

Age: 20’s
Location: Los Angeles
Addicted to: Meth
What’s memorable: The scenes of getting him to go to treatment.

Official synopsis: An addiction to crystal meth threatens the life of Travis, a former rock ‘n’ roll star. Can his girlfriend and family get him into treatment before it’s too late?
Original Air Date: April 2005

Interventionist: Candy

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  1. Jordy

    Sometimes this show makes me so sad, I can’t stand it. (Yet I have to watch it anyway.) I just saw this episode for the first time, and it’s really too bad that it was a double episode because I don’t think they really were able to cover enough with Travis’s story. I’m from Kentucky, and when Days of the New came out, they were HUGE. I forgot about them as a band until I saw this episode yesterday, and while I kind of knew the backstory to why they broke up, I had no idea that Travis’s addiction was so terrible. He is truly tormented by his demons, and he’s thoughtful and introspective, and it breaks my heart to think that he was SO young when the band became an overnight sensation, and how misguided he probably was, being a 17 year old and then suddenly you’re opening for Metallica. I’m not in the music industry, but I’ve seen enough of my favorite bands from the 90s succumb to the same tragedies (like Alice in Chains, which is mentioned in the article above.) It’s interesting that you never actually SEE Travis use in this episode, but of course he is because of the way he’s scratching himself, and also it being common knowledge that he’s a drug addict. Anyway, I listened to a couple of their songs yesterday and it took me back to 6th grade, when I was a lonely, depressed pre-teen and music was one of the only things that made made me happy. I said a little prayer for Travis.

    1. Ash

      Jordy, your comment got me curious because I do not recall this episode at all (maybe because it was a 2 in 1). I googled it & I totally recalled the song. But looking back, they sounded like every other band back then – not to take away from the talent, but seriously…
      Last I could locate was from the article linked. The band (or a new version of it) tried to perform with Travis despite being warmed/concerned, and they formally disbanded as a result. This doesn’t bode well for his sobriety. But who doesn’t love an underdog?

    2. Katie

      I forgot all about them but seeing this episode took me right back! Wow. And then scrolling through all these comments and seeing how very, very bad he seems now. It’s so terrible and sad. I agree that sometimes I can hardly stand it. Especially watching these early seasons and seeing people who are mostly the same age I am now.

    1. Stephanie

      Well, not really…

  2. Andy

    He was arrested in 2017 for possession of a controlled substance.

  3. Kitty Katt

    I watched this episode again last week. I forgot about the mom backing out of the intervention at the last minute. Wow! Although her excuse was mainly about her “furnace” not working that morning (of all days) I thought it was lame. I would have rather not say anything…IMO.

  4. Melissa

    OH.MY.GOD. Travis was arrested in Kentucky on 1/10/19. By the looks of this picture he is definitely using meth again. https://kentucky.arrests.org/Arrests/Travis_Meeks_39587160/ Such a shame, he was really talented.

    1. Kitty Katt

      My God! He is very deep into that meth it seems. So sad!

  5. Melissa

    Record says he is currently being held on ASSAULT, 4TH DEGREE (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MINOR INJURY) and PROBATION VIOLATION (FOR MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE).

  6. Andy

    Oh god he looks terrible.

    1. Melissa

      Ikr? I knew he got arrested like back in 2014 but hes NEVER looked this bad til now.

      1. Andy

        His weight is listed at 120lbs. He’s definitely been hitting it hard the last few years.

  7. Ami

    So sad. He looks horrible.

  8. Toreigh

    Omfg. He doesn’t even look like the same person. What a damn shame. Talented. Attractive. Ugh.

  9. Kitty Katt

    Here’s a whole photo book of all his mugshots. My God……he’s been hitting it pretty hard.

    https://kentucky.arrests.org/search.php?page=1&results=56&fname=travis&lname=meeks&fpartial=True

    1. Kitty Katt

      He went from weighing 170 lbs to 120 lbs. Sad.

    2. Brooke

      woooooooooow, he looks rough! sooo awful! very sad, what a waste of a talented life. i cannot believe his mother backed out of the intervention. bc of her “furnace”…really?? isn’t getting your son better more important than anything, at that point? unbelievable.

  10. mariadorval7

    Side note, not that it helped in the end, but I thought that photographer should be given a lot of credit for talking him into going to treatment.
    What a shame he turned out this way. So sad.

  11. Mike Thrisk

    I’m a huge Days of the New fan, and I’m writing a message of support for Travis Meeks. I’m aware that he’s been going through a difficult time over the last few years, and also the last couple of months. Travis has survived so much, and I hope that he’ll be able to get onto a better path. Having battled substance abuse for a long time, I hope for all the best with his recovery and becoming sober. I also hope that he’ll be able to return to making new music and performing once his legal troubles are behind him.

  12. Jeanette

    Wikipedia mentioned Travis in The Doors’ The End opus – it definitely looks like him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1yDkJQH7MI

  13. Kitty Katt

    I can’t believe this guy is still alive with all the arrests and mugshots that keep getting worse and worse.

    https://arizona.arrests.org/Arrests/Travis_Meeks_44990604/

    1. Dizzy

      Wow, that picture is chilling.

      I found this video about him that’s interesting. “Days of the New’s Disastrous Reunion With Travis Meeks” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBfVqfzfFis

      1. Kitty Katt

        Thanks for the link. I’ll have to check it out.
        I agree with you about the picture.

      2. Sudie

        The link is no longer available on YT.

    2. Polina

      Jeez……

    3. Kimmi

      My God he looks like death . My heart breaks for him and his family

  14. Kitty Katt

    Found this on Wiki:
    Travis has Asperger syndrome and considers this the ulterior reason behind most of his faults and shortcomings, while still being personally content.[4] His life and career have been plagued by substance abuse and conflict with band members.

    Meeks has two daughters from previous relationships. His first daughter, Suvanna Dawn Meeks, (who was later put up for adoption) was born in 1994 from his relationship with his then girlfriend Amy. His second daughter, Emma Rambat, was born November 11, 2004, with his then girlfriend, Karen.

    WOW!

  15. Fefe

    Anyone knows where can I watch this episode please?

    1. Sonya

      It’s on the true real network (I’m in tx)after this current episode. So 6pm central time. True real network is new in my are as of a fee months ago. They play intervention episodes all day every Thursday

      1. Jeanbak

        VICE network plays them all day Tuesday as well(usually that is ,one week they didn’t play any and yesterday they only played them from 4-10pm instead of all day.

  16. Jayla

    https://m.facebook.com/100081028459794/

    His current Facebook. He finished a 3 month rehab stay sept 21 and was said to be doing well then.

      1. Jayla

        It doesn’t, you’ve misread it. It says he’s trying to get sober after 13 years of using.

  17. Nivey

    So sad! He looks unrecognizable! I haven’t seen his episode in years but I remember it vividly! He was super talented and handsome! Wow, what a decline! Still praying for ya Travis! Reminds me of Nick from New Mexico, he’s still using heavily today, he looks awful and is very sick . I hope they find peace before its too late.

  18. Glenn

    I think the majority of this episode if not all of it was actually shot in the Louisville/Kentuckiana area. The scene of him storming off from the intervention definitely takes place at a hotel near University of Louisville’s campus.

    At some point my mother and my aunt befriended Travis before he ever got his run of fame in the 90’s. They all have their vices and one of my earliest memories is being a toddler and getting pulled over with Travis, my mother, and probably some other people in his van. All I remember is it being night-time and Travis telling the police officer that we were on our way to a recording studio. As a toddler and young child, my mother exposed me to a whole lot so I’m sure there were a few more times I would’ve been around when they were all hanging out. When his episode of Intervention came out, my mother rewatched it a few times and then informed me that she was pretty sure that he came to OUR HOUSE whenever he storms out of the Intervention. I have a vivid memory of him arriving at our home and being extremely agiatated, in the exact same outfit that he is in when he storms off. My mother never straight up told me why he came over, but as I got older and put the pieces together, it made me identify/uncover some issues that my mother had been dealing with that I was unaware of.

    I feel incredibly bad for Travis as he would likely have a lot of difficulties with his mental-health issues alone had he never meddled with Meth, his social behavior is far more like some of my classmates who had extreme cases of aspbergers rather than meth addictions. There was a time that he would come back home and stay in his van in whoever would have him’s driveway. He overstayed his welcome and my aunt literally booked him a show in Indianapolis to get him out of her driveway. My uncle, who lived in Indianapolis, was and still is a super-fan of his band and all things grunge so he happily took him into his driveway. My younger cousin picked up his dad’s music taste and this guy staying in his driveway was like John Lennon moved in. Like many people that have aspbergers, Travis doesn’t like being pressured into playing music sometimes and my cousin asked him to 24/7. Leading up to the show my aunt had booked him, Travis had a meltdown in which he was extremely rude to my cousin who was very young at the time and basically gave him his “don’t meet your heroes” moment in life. He ended up cancelling the gig and leaving and I don’t think he has reached out to anyone in our family since.

    I noticed a bit of discourse here that I have seen elsewhere about how much talent he actually had. I believe Travis had a lot of talent. He did some work with the Doors before the drugs really got ahold on him and they said he was the closest thing to Jim Morrison that they’ve ever come across. He was shortlisted to replace Layne Staley and battled for Scott Weilands spot in Velvet Revolver, but his drug use and social issues definitely deterred his prospects at either of those things. Look up Travis Meeks playing The End with the Doors and then see how he looks on this episode of Intervention and it’s heartwrenching to realize how much of his youth he lost. I think another reason people ask what if and bring up his potential is Travis grew up in a community that was at it’s lowest in terms of drug use. Only 30-40% of the people Travis went to school with in Charlestown graduated high school. A lot, I mean, A LOT, of those kids ended up on Meth and died young. Figuratively and literally. Close to the area Travis and I grew up, if you associate yourself with our hometown, people will automatically assume you either do meth or know someone that does. In a time where it seemed like noone could make it out, Travis and the rest of the dudes from Days of the New got a chance, but they couldn’t leave Charlestown behind. Travis isn’t the only one from the group still hooked. Travis even mentions in his follow-up interview that one of the hardest parts is that when he is “on-the-road” he is constantly freely given the things as a gesture of kindness that he needed to avoid.

    The intervention episode doesn’t really go into his father and what role he played in a lot of the early decisionmaking that Travis made. Travis’s father was a local musician who played in bands with my relatives and their friends. “Monkey” Meeks was obsessed with being famous but I don’t believe Travis was. Some of the deals that Travis got signed to early on were predatory in nature as there are some songs that people close to him have tried to completely stop from being shared on the internet because Travis doesn’t receive royalties for the work yet is expected to pay out royalties to the people who own the equipment, which effectively means the better Travis’s music does, the worse off he is.

    Sorry if this is a bit of oversharing, but I saw there are still fresh comments here so I figured people looking for updates would find this information fruitful in their search for extra information.

    If you want more active updates on Travis specifically, there are some Days of the New fan pages over on facebook that actively keep in contact with Travis when they can. He’s on-and-off facebook from time to time and the same seems to be true when it comes to his drug usage.

    1. Kij

      Wow! This is so interesting. Thank you for sharing this information! There’s always so much more to the story and we are here because we want to hear it so thank you again for indulging us. This poor fella has had a time. Praying for him and you & your fam.

    2. Kara Bishop

      Wow Glenn thank you so very much for sharing all of this information! We become invested in some of these people who are on intervention, as we root for them, and even have similar experiences with then, especially myself being a recovering addict, and Travis was definitely one of them for me! My heart will always go out to him ❤️

  19. Michelle A

    @Dizzy,
    Travis was 25 in the episode. Candy mentioned his age during the pre-intervention. I saw you have his age listed as “20’s” so just letting you know
    Btw – I really appreciate the work you’ve put into this site. It’s a great resource for fans to share their thoughts, and also find out what has happened with addicts that have been featured on the show. Just wanted to say thank you <3