Behind the Music: Fabio Rojas (part 2)

Only about one year after the release of his first album, Fabio Rojas was doing his first major stadium tour. With his smooth voice, clean-cut preppy look, and adorable baby face, Fabio was attracting fans of all ages. "It's the american dream, man," comments Billy "Blade" Roderigo, a guitarist in Fabio's tour band. "Fabio's this kid that was raised in comfort by a loving family. He didn't have many hardships or anything. Then he gets this lucky break without doing hardly any work. He didn't even need to grease any palms or anything. It's just beautiful. The fans loved him. They really loved him."

Tom Jones opened for Fabio during a few shows in Las Vegas. "I thought the kid was great. He was hot stuff. I remember there was this sweet little ten-year-old girl in the front row with a flower for Fabio. Halfway through the show, he brought her up on stage and sang a solo right to her. Now that's just class."

It was during the European leg of the tour that rumors started to emerge that Fabio might be entertaining young ladies off stage, as well as on stage. "Slander!" says Fabio vehemently, who still denies the rumors today. "Look, I had a lot of fans who did come to visit back stage. It's part of being a popular musician. Ask anyone in the business. But I kept it clean. I never, ever took advantage of any young ladies."

Unfortunately for Fabio, the rumors began to take their toll. He was still selling out shows, but pressures started to build. His record company was harping on him to start recording a second album while he was on tour. He was playing five sold-out shows a week. Fabio had promotions to do constantly, and he could never say no to a fan asking for an autograph.

"It was getting pretty bad for Fabio," says Tim Lonse, a roadie on the tour. "First he started drinking. Then he started doping up. But it got even worse. He started playing computer games. X-Wing Alliance. Mech Warrior 3. I don't think there was a game he didn't try. It got to the point where he'd have a laptop sitting off stage so he could get a quick fix in between songs. It was really bad. And then... then... he asked me to pick up a copy of... oh, God! He asked me to buy Baldur's Gate for him!"

Baldur's Gate was nearly the end for Fabio. One night, he locked himself in his hotel room. The police had to break the door down the next morning when he didn't answer the door. What they found was terrible. His laptop was smashed against the wall, and Fabio was a drooling wreck on the floor. Fabio had to cancel his shows for a week while he recovered from this gaming binge.

When we return, things get even worse for Fabio, and he takes his computer games a step too far. Then the aftermath and consequences of his indulgences. And finally, recovery, and hope for the future.

part 1