It’s been a deservedly tumultuous month for one Ryan Adams.
In the wake of assault allegations brought against him, he’s had his music pulled from US radio, his upcoming album reportedly cancelled, and a number of women have come forward to accuse him of sexual and emotional abuse, including the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Courtney Jaye, and his ex-wife Mandy Moore.
FBI agents from the Crimes Against Children Squad have even opened an investigation into the matter.
Now, Tour Manager and Tour Accountant Thomas O’Keefe, who has worked with Weezer, Train, Third Eye Blind and Dashboard Confessional, has come forward to make his own statement about his years on the road with Ryan Adams.
In a post published to a Ryan Adams Facebook Group, O’Keefe said that he found the “disturbing stories about Ryan to be easily believable.”
“He is very smart and charming and is quick to use that to be retaliatory and manipulative,” he wrote.
O’Keefe said he was the Tour Manager of Adams’ former Raleigh-based group Whiskeytown from early 1997 until they broke up in the spring of 2000. He even released a book about the experience last year called Waiting to Derail: Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, Alt-Country’s Brilliant Wreck.
In the Facebook post, O’Keefe said that while there’s no doubt Adams is a musical genius, he could also be “mean and vindictive, showing little to no empathy for people.”
“Many times, I saw him use people–almost always to advance his art or his career–and then suddenly, without warning, ghost them and disappear out of their lives,” he wrote. “He did the same to me in late 2000, since then I’ve had very little contact with him.”
Interestingly, O’Keefe said he also (by coincidence) worked with Mandy Moore when she was a teenager.
“I found her to be a kind and honest person,” he wrote.
“It saddens me to hear these stories,” he added. “These brave women are heroes, as it’s hard to call out a bully, especially a bully that hides behind promises to make your career–and threats to break it.
“We all should stand with these women. I hope they can find some resolution and not lose their faith in their talent or in the power of music.”
Read Thomas O’Keefe’s full post below:
Since the news about Ryan broke a few days ago, many people have contacted me, so I wanted to share my thoughts.
I was the tour manager of Ryan Adams’s band Whiskeytown from early 1997 until they broke up in the spring of 2000. I wrote a book about that experience called WAITING TO DERAIL, which was released in June 2018.
During my time with Ryan, I never witnessed any abusive behavior towards women. However, this was over 20 years ago, long before he had any real success.
I knew him to be a musical genius, funny and charismatic. He could also be mean and vindictive, showing little to no empathy for people.
Many times, I saw him use people–almost always to advance his art or his career–and then suddenly, without warning, ghost them and disappear out of their lives.
He did the same to me in late 2000, since then I’ve had very little contact with him.
Sadly, I find these disturbing stories about Ryan to be easily believable. He is very smart and charming and is quick to use that to be retaliatory and manipulative.
By coincidence, I also worked with Mandy Moore when she was a teenager. I found her to be a kind and honest person.
It saddens me to hear these stories. These brave women are heroes, as it’s hard to call out a bully, especially a bully that hides behind promises to make your career–and threats to break it.
We all should stand with these women. I hope they can find some resolution and not lose their faith in their talent or in the power of music. Music can be one of the world’s most positive and unifying things. It’s disgusting to see it used as a cover for such unacceptable behavior.
