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    Former AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE Vocalist Cameron Heacock Opens Up On Addiction, Loss & Homelessness

    SenecaBy 289 Comments5 Mins Read
    The DDT Network - Cameron Heacock

    Cameron Heacock, former vocalist of industrial nü-metal outfit American Head Charge, recently appeared on ‘Soft White Underbelly’ to share his life story, including the band’s turbulent history and his ongoing struggles with addiction and homelessness.

    Drugs and substance abuse played a devastating role throughout American Head Charge’s career, contributing to the loss of multiple members. The band’s final album, bold Tango Umbrella, was released in 2016 before things came to a halt following Heacock’s 2018 arrest.

    In April of that year, he was taken into custody in Costa Mesa, CA after police discovered a stolen van containing numerous guitars and other items — including multiple instruments reported stolen from Guitar Center. He already had a lengthy history of drug-related charges by that time.

    During the new interview, Heacock reflected on his early days, including how System Of A Down helped champion American Head Charge to legendary producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash, Slayer). That endorsement led to a signing with American Recordings and Rubin overseeing the band’s 2001 breakthrough The War Of Art.

    He also revisited the devastating turning point in 2005 — the death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson — while on tour with Mudvayne, Life Of Agony, and bloodsimple. Ottoson passed away due to an accidental prescription overdose.

    Leading into Heacock’s words:

    “Unfortunately just smack in the middle of the Mudvayne tour our best friend, and just amazing guitar player person, Bryan Ottoson ended up passing away in the tour bus. And really nobody was prepared for that… I felt a lot of guilt for his death… It certainly fueled more spiraling and I really kind of turned my back away from the band for a number of years…”

    He went on to explain how tragedy continued to follow the band with the 2017 passing of bassist and co‑founder Chad Hanks, who lost a long battle with alcohol-related health complications.

    “…Chad and I had a connection that was otherworldly, and when he died I just really went off the deep end… I had no intention of waking up the next day…”

    As his addiction deepened, Heacock also lived through a frightening arrest that — in hindsight — may have saved his life:

    “I look back on that I’m really lucky… I had some bad plans with some bad people to do some really nasty stuff… I ended up doing like three months and then I had to do some treatment to satisfy the courts. I did that, came out, and we made our last record.”

    Even after attempting to return to the band, instability continued. He described how mental health issues ultimately fractured another close relationship, leaving him homeless in Los Angeles.

    “…I came home one night, or one morning, and he had changed the locks… And I had nowhere to go… I ended up homeless down in Echo Park… then MacArthur Park and [I’ve] been there for years.”

    Despite the loss, chaos, and guilt tied to the band’s legacy, he still expressed a deep love for making music:

    “I love music. I love making music… I know I have at least two to three records in my head that I want to release… it’s like my therapy and if I don’t, I know I’m going to die.”

    Later in the discussion, Heacock confirmed he still lives on the streets and is continuing to battle fentanyl addiction.

    “Fentanyl… it’s been a godsend… It’s enabled me to put [the needle] down. I never thought I would not be shooting up…”

    When asked about his biggest regret, he responded:

    “Probably not being better to myself… And I think it came out in a lot of ways that it shouldn’t. I certainly regret some relationships…”

    Pressed further on whether drugs played a role in holding him back:

    “Oh, no. For sure they are… that’s for sure the issue.”

    He admitted he doesn’t want homelessness to be the story’s end:

    “No, I can’t… It’s just this allure to that darkness that I seem to gravitate towards… I know I have a lot of music I still want to make… maybe I’ll just do it by myself and release it…”

    The most emotional moment came when he circled back to the loss that still haunts him most:

    “My biggest regret is probably not spending more time with my father before he passed… I thought we had a lot of years left.”

    You can hear Cameron Heacock’s story in full, the complete interview on ‘Soft White Underbelly’ can be found below.

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    289 Comments

    3. Matt Green on

      Jesus even a decade ago when he made national news for being caught with stolen equipment, he looked healthier than that.

      Reply
        • Matt Green on

          Brandon Burgess I dated a girl way back like 17 years ago who got the patches for her back. That was the first time that shit was on my radar. Never would have thought that shit would have became the epidemic it has. Ironically she’s actually married with a couple of little kids now. But that’s the exception unfortunately

          Reply
    7. Brandon Burgess on

      What a bum out, I always heard the crazy stories about AHC back in the day, but it’s so sad to see not only a waste of talent, but he doesn’t even seem alive. I hope he decides to get help before he ends up another od in a tent out in Macarthar park

      Reply
      • Crismer Patrick Maturan on

        Deo Joseph Maxino Baseleres uu kita ko ani gabie. Di na gyud ni xa kabalik sa music. Lahi na gani iyang tingog

        Reply
    18. Alan Oliveira on

      Sad reality, a great vocalist with immense potential, but completely lacking the psychological strength to manage his own steps until he fills this void and truly wants to live a real life. The probability of him losing his life or living like this is high. I feel incredibly sad, I love AHC.

      Reply
    19. Malli Métalleux Malpass on

      Man this is heartbreaking. I toured with AMC in the early 2000s. They’d just come off supporting Slipknot to headline their own UK tour.

      Cameron was a star! Such a presence and a properly decent bloke. It’s horrible to see him so diminished.

      Reply
        • Scott Snyder on

          Chris J Vaughan they were awesome sadly I had no idea that they were all junkies. I just thought they were all tired all the time from riding in a van. Call me naïve. I only smoke pot. Camron needs to hook me up with a Moonrock every day just so he could sit on the couch in the dressing room, cause they didn’t have one.
          When he was on, he was on, but when he was all fucked up, he was a mess. Great band.

          Reply
      • Michael MacIvor on

        Same thoughts I have. I toured with AHC in 2006. They were a lot of fun. And I truly enjoyed the time I spent with Cameron.

        He seemed to totally have the star factor. And was such a great performer. I’ve wondered what he has been up to for many years now. It’s terrible to see this.

        Reply
    20. Gary Corrigan on

      In the War of Art I remember reading inside the cd case that little pamphlet or whatever in the shout outs or thanks to: it listed drugs. Kind of ironic now

      Reply
    22. Heather Smith on

      Genuinely upsetting to see him like this. I think he was very brave to sit down and do this interview. I hope he finds a way to heal and get healthy again.

      Reply
    24. Ron Tibbs on

      Saw them live years back. Always war of art for the win. I’m a musician of over 25 years myself, they were a huge influence. Hope he can find peace.

      I met Chris Emery, I ended up being endorsed by the same cymbal company he was on for a very short time. I gave him my bands CD, hope he got to hear it.

      Reply
    27. Christopher Harding on

      Damn, the war of art and the feeding were two albums that helped fuel me through my teens! He has a unique voice, i hope he gets clean and whole again the. back to what he loves doing

      Reply
      • Trey Yielding on

        Anthony Bonnici I agree completely his style and sound and the way he could bend his tone into a different style completely was just peak 💯🤘🏻

        Reply
    35. Джонатан Солсбери on

      Imagine being homeless and you’re just like I’m the vocalist of American head charge. Dude could come back whenever he wants and people would support anything he decides to do. Due to the fact that people love American head charge. Shit I literally just listened to them yesterday as I was eating my edible

      Reply
      • Trey Yielding on

        Джонатан Солсбери you would think that bro… He has had a lot of comebacks I think we are all just waiting for the big comeback. Some of the footage I’ve seen from the attempts are kind of sad but I’m still waiting 🤘🏻🤘🏻

        Reply
    38. Alden Wagoner on

      Hope he gets clean and starts the band back up again Christopher Nathan Emery. What do you think about all of this?

      Reply
        • Daniel Brown on

          Alden Wagoner Chris and Karma weren’t in AHC by the end. Chad was the driving force that kept the band going. Cam was awol for a long time between albums, they were looking for another vocalist before he came back.

          Reply
    49. Tony Meyer on

      Not sure why people keep saying it’s ‘sad’. I loved AHC back in the day. He made his choice and he chose poorly.

      Reply
      • Susan Johnson on

        Tony Meyer addiction is sad because it steals lives and addiction is also based in trauma, which is also sad. So not understanding why its “sad” might be be because you’re not using any empathy for the situation.

        Reply
        • Aaron Repp on

          Susan Johnson Its just weird that there seems to be this eternal empathy towards this lifestyle. Lots of people are sad but also ignore the fact that he chose this. I bet most of the people who are sad are also using and abusing as well.

          Reply
        • Susan Johnson on

          Aaron Repp I will forever be empathetic to addiction and those addicted because thats their coping mechanism for deep trauma. They need help and counseling, not judgement.

          Reply
        • Aaron Repp on

          Susan Johnson There are other ways to cope that dont destroy your life. I myself am an addict and have only seen drug use destroy and keep the trauma from ever being dealt with. Also pretending that every junkie is dealing with deep trauma is a reckless assumption and some people just make poor decisions 🤷🏻‍♂️ Trauma shouldnt be a get out of jail free card for poor life decisions imo.

          Reply
        • Tony Meyer on

          Luis Ifer well dipshit, that’s none of your fucking business. I have little sympathy for addicts. We all have choices. We all know addicts. We have all seen addicts and the results of those choices. They don’t damage themselves but everyone around them. Including people that don’t even know that they exist because we pay for a lot of those programs and treatments with our tax dollars. So take your self righteous attitude and stick it up your ass.

          Reply
    52. Vitold L Rybicki on

      I love their first album. Sucks. But, he is currently doing better than some other musicians who lost to their lives to addictions.

      Reply
    54. Steven Doering on

      AHC always meant so much to me… the music hit so differently. I met the guys multiple times. Just so hard to see Cam like this and that he traded the needle for Fentanyl… just as dangerous.

      Reply
      • Trey Yielding on

        Steven Doering I have loved them since the first time I heard them I got a compilation DVD that had the music video for “just so you know” on it. Their music was so unique 🤘🏻🤘🏻

        Reply
    56. Daniel Rees on

      hopefully one day he gets clean and gets to put out the music he wishes to. getting off the needle is great, but fentanyl is an evil thing I hope he’s one day gonna be free from. just as much here’s hoping he gets out of homelessness

      Reply
    57. Aaron Potton on

      This breaks my heart, ive struggled with bad addictions all my adult life so I know how hard it is to get clean, but its possible, im 6 years clean now.
      Ive been a massive American head charge fan since I was like 12 years old, im 36 now lol. I saw them live every chance I got and in the last few years ive been trying to find out what happened to Cameron, then I saw this video on YouTube and it literally broke my heart, Cameron had a fucking phenomenal voice and he used to look so healthy but the guy I saw on this interview just brought a tear to my eyes. I hope he can get the help he needs.
      He’s also missing a fucking finger on his right hand, im guessing its from injecting heroin 😢
      God I fucking HATE drugs!!!!

      Reply
    61. Sean Gibson on

      To see such an vocal inspiration for me, degraded now to this shell of a man is just fucking heartbreaking. I sincerely hope he can get his shit sorted but judging from the state hes in, in this video…..I’m thinking not.😞 Gutted.

      Reply
    70. Josh Mo on

      Cameron was a huge influence for me to become a metal vocalist, and his lyrical talent is top notch. I met him in 2006 at a show in Colorado Springs. He was quiet and appreciative. I pray he finds the courage to get clean and get back to making the music he desperately needs. Unfortunately, I don’t think he’ll live long enough. :/

      Reply
    79. Aaron Lane on

      I played a show with AHC in Des Moines, Iowa years back. A buddy of mine came who was a massive AHC fan. My buddy went up to their singer after the show just fangirling about how he loved them. The singer asked then proceeded to ask him if he had any h*roin. Upon my friend telling him he did not in fact have anything like that, their singer told him to go blow his own brains out.

      Reply
      • Jason Portinga on

        Aaron Lane I can absolutely guarantee that never fucking happened. More than likely your friend was butthurt because Cam didn’t respond the way your friend wanted and he made up that bullshit story.

        Reply
        • Aaron Lane on

          Jason Portinga if I hadn’t been standing there and heard it myself then I wouldn’t have believed it myself. It’s been a memory that stuck with me. I’m not even trying to hate. I was elated when I got the news I was able to share the stage with American Fucking Head Charge. The night holds a special place in my heart for a lot of reasons.

          Reply
    80. Chris Brennan on

      This is so fuckin tragic man! I saw these guys live in Portsmouth-UK and it was 1 of the best gigs I saw as a young metal head. I really wish the dude the best of luck going forward

      Reply
    85. Raoul James on

      So infuriating to watch, he’s so far into his addiction and situation for so long now, he doesn’t seem to want to change. In his own words, he’s stubborn and selfish, couple that with the mindset of an addict and it’s a real possibility he’ll never get back on track.
      A fucking shame!!!

      Reply
    86. Liam Mitchell on

      Seen them a couple times. Last time I was supposed to see them was with Mushroomhead in Glasgow in the mid 2010’s. I believe it was his issues that had them pull out. It’s a shame as they were brilliant. The War of Art is a phenomenal album.

      Reply
      • Steve Vanderperren on

        Liam Mitchell could that have been 2016? They pulled out last minute because of an issue with their drummer 🙁

        Reply
    91. Abba Don on

      They were such an amazing band and really cool guys. I’ve seen them and hung out with them a few times and got some signed setlists from them.
      They had a bit of a revival and looked like they might be getting back on then it all fell apart.

      Reply
    92. Paolo Villalba Storti on

      Me llena de mucha tristeza. Amo American Head Charge. Todos sus álbumes son perfectos. Es un vocalista talentoso. Deseo de todo corazón que pueda recuperarse y salir adelante.

      Reply
    104. Sam Joachim on

      Greatest metal band of the 2000s. Should have and would have been on the very top if it weren’t for that pesky booze

      Reply
    105. Ryan Milford on

      I really hate to see him like this. He looks so diminished. He isn’t that much older than I am, but he seems ancient. It’s truly sad. Hopefully, he can get himself together and care enough about himself and the music he wants to create and put out into the world to recover from this.

      Reply
    108. Nicky Suitter on

      Saw then with slipknot 2002 tour.
      I always wished the best for these guys,they formed in a rehab clinic as a band and I’ll never get over that way of bonding while suffering from addictions them self’s!
      Hope he gets back on his feet again.

      Reply
    115. Dan Hasslehoff on

      Give them The Feeding back so we can listen to it somewhere other than YouTube! These guys were amazing and got fucked so many times 😡

      Reply
    118. Craig Fawcett on

      How sad to see him this way.Such a talented man and amazing vocalist that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing twice. Loved the band from when I first saw them support Slipknot.

      Reply
        • Kyle Heuss on

          Its pretty guttering to see how things have played out for cam. Ahc flew under the radar a fair bit . Should of been way bigger.still play war of art every now and then!! literally every track on that album is on point

          Reply
    128. John Davis on

      A VIOLENT REACTION!!! That is one of my all-time favorite songs. Keep your head up, you got good things ahead of you. I got over 4 years clean myself and I worked at a rehab for 2 years. Give me a shout if you come through columbus!

      Reply
    130. Boris Steinbach on

      When you blame yourself the way he does or live with so many regrets people tend to orbit around self destructive patterns and convince themselves they don’t deserve release from this self inflicting punishment turning it into a cycle…some people never realize it, some realize it too late most need to hit rock bottom to realize very few do before its too late…but as flawed humans we are in this society…we all deserve to give ourselves a chance, hope he opens his eyes… only he can stop doing this to him self, he still has fight in his eyes he just needs to turn that fight away from himself and turn it for himself! Stay strong Cam belive in your self hope you get this!

      Reply
    132. Glenn Palmer on

      Remember seeing them on tour with Slipknot early 2000’s. Always loved their work.

      Such a shame! Hope he gets the help he needs. 🙏🏻🤘🏻

      Reply
    135. William Michael Lenhart III on

      So sad. One of the best vocalists and a killer lyricist around. Hope he gets it together and makes some more music before its too late.

      Reply
    143. Amanda Jordan on

      I hope the people who personally know him, go find him and try to offer him some help. American Head Charge is one of my favorite bands from when I was a teenager.

      Reply
        • Amanda Jordan on

          Jason Portinga It takes a village. And addicts won’t get help unless they really want it. But everyone is rooting for him

          Reply
        • Jason Portinga on

          He knows there are countless numbers of people who will help him if he wants it but like he has told me literally hundreds of times over the last 20 years, “I like being a junkie” which is usually followed by “So leave me the fuck alone”.

          Reply
    145. Tim Roundtree on

      After I watched his SWU interview, i went and did my research on his band. I never got into them during their time. So better late than never.

      Reply
    147. Steve Smith on

      I was a HUGE AHC fan until I saw them in 2013. He came out obviously fucked up, messed up his own lyrics, halfassed his stage presence (spent more than 1/2 the show laying with his head hanging off of the stage), and then begged me to buy shots for him at the venues bar (after I had already spent $250 on their merch and three admission tickets). I lost every shred of respect for him that night. The rest of the band was absolutely phenomenal, and Chad Hanks was absolutely the coolest and most appreciative of their fans.

      Reply
    158. Brian Lee G on

      Got through some rough childhood stuff listening to The war of art. The feeding was a monster too. Hope Cam can find help. Don’t even need him back in music. Healthy would be a good start.

      Reply
    162. Chris Ellis on

      To this day American Head Charge remain one of the wildest bands I’ve seen live. I recall it was some years ago on the last show of a tour and the drummer was so trashed he needed a sick bucket on stage and fans to cheer him on throughout.
      I remember Cameron climbing the stage and throwing himself off things, they were all on something and smashed the shit out of their instruments and the stage to the delight of the venue at the end. 😂
      I wanted to get a picture with em but none were in much of a state for that, they just needed water and a lie down.
      It’s sad to see any of them in dire straights, they were so good.
      I’d sure offer a sofa to sleep on while they get their shit together, any one of them.

      Reply
    163. Derek Casper on

      Mark Oliver this is heartbreaking. Those nights they came to ec were some of my all time favorite. I don’t even recognize his voice in that video. Wild

      Reply
    164. Killian Monson on

      Sadly, given how open they always were about being dysfunctional addicts in their interviews as early as 2001, this was inevitable. Still horrible to see

      Reply
    167. Michael Reynolds on

      Absolutely one of my favorite bands. I saw them live at least a half dozen times and have a few signed items from them 💔💔💔

      Reply
    170. Ian Cimino on

      When he said he didn’t see himself spending the rest of his life out on the street… Man… Is he that stubborn or is there just no one in his ear trying to kick a little reality to him? Also, naming one of his regrets in life as not becoming a father, that shit hit me really hard. That’s a legitimate regret right there.

      Reply
    172. Ian Cimino on

      Man if I had the time/resources,  I wouldn’t hesitate to fly out there and track him down, I can’t imagine it taking more than a day or two. He needs like three days in the studio for a little motivation and then off to a year of rehab, physical therapy and counseling. But I’m dreaming, Cameron is proof you cannot underestimate how fucking powerful addiction is.

      Reply
    174. Josh Bennet on

      saddest interview I’ve ever seen I had to go back and watch old interviews of him when he was more alive can’t believe all the weight he lost used to be one of my favorite bands right next to Hed PE

      Reply
    176. Ginny Marie Dawson on

      When I met him, he was just such a kind soul, talked to me for a while. I hope like hell he gets sober, so sad to see him so sick 💚

      Reply
    177. Nate Von Guten on

      i got one of his megaphones he threw into the grow an the old “rock nightclub “ in maplewood

      so sad he’s going through hard times :(!!!

      Reply
    178. Christian Onstott on

      seems he paved that road he’s on all by himself… sad… he had a tremendous amount of talent… these are the things that happen when one just refuses to open that knock at the door .. 🚪😞

      Reply
    179. Roxy Quinn on

      Chad Hanks held the gates open to Ozzfest that morning and AHC was the first band on the second stage. It was an iconic Ozzfest as it was Drowning Pool with Dave Williams played a side stage. Crazy Town got booed off the mainstage and I was introduced to Happy Tree Friends. I got to see Mudvayne with the makeup, Linkin Park when Chester was still alive. Spineshank and Taproot. Slipknot with Joey and Paul. Disturbed when David still had a voice.

      Rest in peace to all of those we lost along the way.

      Reply
    181. Sarah May on

      Didn’t the label that produced The Feeding go under? I’d be interested in who retaines the rights to the music on that album now. I’d like to think that it would go back to any existing band members. So I was thinking that maybe an anniversary addition could be released and have the proceeds go towards helping Cameron and any other members of the band that needs support?

      Reply
    182. Jay McConnell on

      so…can we start a gofundme for a rehab……6 months…1 year…whatever…I think there’s enough people here to cover. give him a chance.

      Reply
    184. Christian Laddusaw on

      Loser. Life’s full of choices, and this is what he decides to do. That’s what he gets for burning an American flag on stage.

      Reply
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