Sober and successful

Local musician Jason Feddy came to the U.S. from his hometown of Yorkshire, England, more than a decade ago, after drug addiction severed his ties with record labels, halted his promising music career, and left him without even a couch to sleep on.

“I showed early promise, which I destroyed with self-absorption and drugs,” he said.

“That heroin is very more-ish you know “” kinda like pretzels. I had burned my bridges in the U.K., but my brother [who lived in Las Vegas] offered me a place to stay on the condition that I got sober.”

While in Las Vegas, Feddy’s friend and fellow-musician Bob Hawkins (former guitarist for Missiles of October and now a member of Feddy’s band) offered him a gig in Laguna Beach.

“Nine years later, I’m still here [making music] and off drugs,” Feddy said.

The musician is a prime example that desire and willpower can overcome any dysfunctional situation.

A little talent doesn’t hurt either.

Since that time, the performer “” who once opened for artists like Neil Young, David Gray and Ben Folds Five, and who made headlines in the London-based “Time Out” magazine “” has made steady progress, and just released his third album, “Connected,” in 2008 under his own Big As Records label.

Prior releases are “So Long Lives This” (2006) and “Is This Thing On?” (2003). His inspiration, he said, is simply the sheer joy of music for its own sake.

“It’s the metaphysics of harmony “” the strange, shared and blessed unrest of living with unsolved riddles,” he said.

Feddy is known for his soulful solo performances throughout Orange County, to which he has returned this week after months of touring the U.K. and Israel.

He and Hawkins, accompanied by bassist David J. Carpenter, keyboardist Phil Parlapiano and drummer Evan Stone will perform at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Mozambique’s Shebeen Lounge.

Feddy remembers falling in love with music as a young kid.

It was particularly the works of legends like Elvis Presley and the Beatles that inspired him to start playing, he said.

Nowadays, when he’s not on stage, traveling or working on his next album, Feddy teaches an after-school guitar program at Top of the World and El Morro elementary schools in Laguna Beach. He also gives private lessons.

There is no admission charge to the show at Mozambique. For more information, visit www.mozambiqueoc.com.