“My dad was a professional,” Alvin says. “He was a musician, so very seldom he was home.” With his father on the road all the time, Alvin’s mother left the family for another relationship, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother. Alvin recalls being abused as a child. “My grandmother … would chastise you with a belt, stick, chair, whatever she could get her hands on,” he says. In addition to the abuse, she and the other adults in Alvin’s life, including both parents, aunts, and uncles, struggled with alcohol, leading him to start drinking at an early age. Alvin’s high school years were marked by being high or drunk, behavior that continued into adulthood. Catch Alvin's whole story in the link below!