WOE IS ME
Donnie Vie rambles on about hillbillies, God, drugs, his arrest, depression and Enuff Z’Nuff firing him

Metal Sludge — Donnie Vie is a life-long musician. He’s a singer, a song-writer and an admitted addict of anything that is not good for you.

But most of all, Donnie Vie is interesting.

Vie as most know, is the original voice of Enuff Z’Nuff and a hell of a word-smith and melody maker too.

In addition to singing on roughly a dozen Enuff Z’Nuff studio albums, Vie has also released several full-length records as a solo artist.

Most recently, “Beautiful Things” with the first single “I Could Save The World”, which by all accounts is a genius gem of a song. (hear below)

But song writing abilities and musical talents have never been a short-fall for Vie.

Sadly it’s his scattered, tattered and self-battered brain that makes him fall short on (many) occasion.

An industry veteran once described Vie as; “A hell of a singer/song-writer but without a doubt a questionable human-being.” 

Classic Enuff Z’Nuff pictured inset with Donnie Vie, Derek Frigo, Chip Z’Nuff and Vikki Foxx.

Take one listen to the singles below, and no doubt  – most will be blown away.

Then take a second listen to the recent Donnie Vie “Live at Studio East” youtube clip and you just might be left wondering… what the hell did I just listen to?

Vie claims he’s honest and says he owns everything he’s done… the good and the bad.

But Vie also finds it easy to point the fingers at others, casting blame for whatever it is that has went wrong in his self described “sad and depressed” life.

The accusations fall on the shoulders of the music industry, his past band members and even his own family.

“I’ll play good shows, if they can pay enough and it’s worth it. Cause I’m playing with good cats, I’m not getting the usual suspects who have been in everything, I’m not getting Johnny Monaco and those turds.” says Donnie Vie of his solo band

“I was the singer, and songwriter for Enuff Z’Nuff, and now I’m not. I got fired” Vie adds with a smile.

Vie is a Chicago native who for the most part talks in circles and the circles seem to overlap with squares and triangles as he goes deeper with each passing minute.

Listening to his answers is like the audio version of a scrambled rubiks cube that was hit by a sledgehammer.

Vie recalls returning from a European tour when he was arrested by Custom’s Agents at a Detroit area airport: “That was the ultinate rock bottom, is that I thought that I hit it, so many times but there’s a trap door. You know, and you go lower, and lower and lower. And ah… I was done with this, and I was done with life and everything. And I just prayed to God, that, do something. At this point, I don’t care what it is you know, which is a dangerous thing to pray to God. You know, you know I got home from Europe, I’m doing a tour and ah, the customs were waiting there, to grab me. And then I got captured by Hillbillies and held without ransom for, like 6 months and put in a recovery program…”

Now the female interviewer (looking concerned and confused) asks: “Wait a second… you got captured by Hillbillies?”

Donnie smiling continues with: “Well they took me, I was in Michigan, they’re all Hillbillies without hills. But it was good for me, because I was already getting clean and then….”

Interviewer interupts again: “Wait, what happened before the Hillbillies…you said something about, I heard like two crazy things… you got off the plane or something…”

Vie adds: “I’ve been depressed and lonely, all through my whole career and stuff, because I was frustrated, and I was sad and I was treated like crap. I was getting off the plane, and I had shattered my ankle, like 4 days before. Like the bottom of my shoe was staring up at me. I knew it, it powdered it, and 4 days later I went on tour in Europe. And um, I was coming back, and that’s after I said, and God answered my prayers. They held up the plane for a while. said that the thing that comes out, that you get off of, that it was broken. And then all of a sudden, they went up, they’re just trying to get their stuff together, to get me.”

“There was no way I could, I was thinking to leave my guitar on there, and try to…(in audible) …they’re gonna get me anyway. It was a warrant for something I didn’t even do.  I ended up getting thrown under the bus by my sister, but she just had a new baby and stuff, so…I took a bullet for her. But it was good for me.” — Donnie Vie

Although many of his tales have a glimmering interest, there are several bits and pieces that are reminicent of the homeless one might hear mumbling outside the local Starbucks.

Donnie Vie and his music, in and out of Enuff Z’Nuff are of the highest caliber, no doubt.

But sadly during this recent Live storyteller clip Vie shows a side of him that will likely make many people wonder to themselves; “Is he really clean?””

Vie bites his lips continuously with eyes hidden behind sun-glasses then tells the fans: “I’m blowing it, you guys should send me home now…not even pay me” as he fumbles his way through parts of a half-dozen songs.

At the 23:00 minuate mark of the Studio East Live interview Vie plays “Fly High Michelle” for the crowd, but struggles to remember the words and chords.

Throughout the 30 minute clip Vie complains his hands hurt, and admits to staying up all night and smoking “something else” before the performance.

So much for the sobriety and how good it was for him to get (stay) clean.

In addition to the Studio East Live clip, Vie was recently interviewed on The Classic Metal Show and the Eddie Trunk radio show. (see – hear links below)

Metal Sludge wishes Donnie Vie nothing but the best and congrats on the new songs. but next time you’re going Live in studio, maybe go to bed the night before.