Bill drank for thirty years, coming from a long line of dysfunctional alcoholics of a heritage Southern family. Often his family found themselves in precarious situations due to alcohol, including his grandfather being killed. In his teens, Bill’s family encouraged him to drink. He liked beer, but loved bourbon. Bill was helped in his drinking by being the son of the local judge; his antics were easily dismissed and he was not held accountable for drunken driving. By age 25, he moved to New York with hopes of becoming an actor, but his drinking made it impossible.
