Keith Sommers | How I Paid the Price for My Worst Mistake

Keith Sommers - You Are Enough

Celebrity bodyguard Keith Somers was living the Hollywood dream when a tragic turn of events led to his arrest. This is the story of how one man paid the price of his life for one life-changing lesson.

Transcript:

That feeling at the core of your gut, that you'd just rather die than have that experience. I remember going to the front door of my mom and dad's house, and pulling on the door frantically. "Mom, open the door. Mom, open the door. Mom, open the door." When she unlatches it, I come barreling inside. "Keith, what's wrong with you?"

Keith Somers:"Mom, leave me alone."

Keith Somers:"Keith, what's wrong?"

Keith Somers:"Mom, leave me alone."

Keith Somers:She grabs me by my face, and says, "Baby, what's wrong with you?"

Keith Somers:See, I was already the fat kid, the last person to be picked when the class got divided up by the two most popular kids. And they picked the kids. "Who wants to be on my team?" And now I'm sitting in front of everybody on the sidelines, unfit to play with the other kids. Brothers and sisters, what happened internally for this guy when I was second grade is emotional detachment.

Keith Somers:[00:00:30] At 18, I remember going to my mom and dad, and say, "You know what? I need to leave."

Keith Somers:"Keith, why?"

Keith Somers:"I need to go to California."

Keith Somers:When they realized they weren't going to talk me out of this aspiration, I fixed my hair like Prince in the Purple Rain album. I put all the gold in my collection like Mr. T from A-Team around my neck. And I got in Z/28 Camaro, and I motored.

Keith Somers:[00:01:00] And after three days, I am in Southern California. I needed a job. So I got a job doing security work at the ABC Studios. A little short English man by the name Elton John comes in. I asked his body guard, "Excuse me, sir. How do I get to do your job?" He opens his blazer, shows me a gold shield LAPD retired. He says, "Here's my business card. Send me your resume."

Keith Somers:[00:01:30] I got hired. I became an executive protection specialist bodyguarding lives. All the clubs I hoped to get access to, I now have carte blanche, 100% unfettered access to. I had Prince's number, had Madonna's number. And during my time, doing this for six years, life was good.

Keith Somers:Saturday November 14, I went to the Roxbury Nightclub on Sunset Boulevard. Very illustrious establishment, the who's who, red carpet. And it was where you'd want to be on a Friday or Saturday night. And I'm up in the VIP room, hobnobbing with all the who's who. And at 12:30, I wasn't feeling the vibe, and I wanted to leave. And I got halfway down the rear stairwell, a friend said, "Keith, go back up, man. Don't leave. Sit at my table, because you know, I'll pick the tab up, Keith, so it's all on me. Don't worry about it."

Keith Somers:[00:02:00] Well I don't want this party to stop. Back up I went. Life was good. Sure I got to smoke my smoke and drink my drink and snort my snort. So I go downstairs, and since I knew the owners, I got to keep my key. And I get in my Jag XJS V12. And I start the car, and I drive down Sunset. And I drove for a mile down Sunset Boulevard. And as I go around the turn, that's when my Jag went across the double yellow line. That's when I hit a Chevy Chevette almost head on. That's when I killed a 19 year old driver behind the wheel of that car. See when I hit that car, the steering wheel of his vehicle impaled his heart. He died instantly.

Keith Somers:[00:03:00] So November, 1992, on Sunset Boulevard, the district attorney said I committed murder in the second degree. I drank. I drove. I crashed, and a person's gone. After serving 18 years, three months, eight days, convicted of murder in the second degree for a DUI single fatality, I got released from California State Prison, Corcoran. And I walked out of that state penitentiary with 18 years, three months, and eight days of unbroken consecutive sobriety and recovery. Because my choices I was making pre '92 were all about Keith Somers. They were all about self. What can I get? Because when I get, then I'll be. When I get the money, I'll get the car. I'll get the job. I'll get the girl. I'll get the career, and then I'll be perfect.

Keith Somers:[00:03:30] And then some of my clients also suffered the same spiritual malady. Why would Whitney Houston leave 100,000 people screaming her name in a stadium, all the beauty, all the talent, all the world recognition, all the money, all the fame? Prince Rogers Nelson, Brittany Murphy, on, and on, and on. Because the malady causes us to find our cure on everything that's external. And that's the greatest lie. That's the greatest proverbial elusive carrot that we'll constantly chase to our own detriment and the detriment of everyone we say that we love.

Keith Somers:[00:04:00] I never thought I would have done what I did November 15, 1992. Playing that tape back with the perspective I now have, I can see clearly it wasn't, "Will it happen?" It's, "When will it happen, and to what degree of consequence when it does?" All that ills you is found in the cave of fears. Every single one of us on the planet Earth has an impaired perception. We're not feeling good enough. We're not feeling wholesome enough. We're not feeling educated enough. We're not feeling attractive enough. We're not feeling rich enough, talented enough. No matter who they are. So I encourage you to say, "I need help." But right here, right now, every single one of us is perfect.