HIS OBITUARY WOULD HAVE

READ "CELEBRITY JOHN TESH

COMMITS SUICIDE BY DROWNING

OFF THE JERSEY SHORE."

WHEN PAIN TAKES YOUR FACE

AWAY, IT REALLY CAN, THE

ONLY THING THAT IS LEFT IS

THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN

YOU AND WHO CAN HELP KEEP

YOU CONNECTED TO GOD.

Reporter: HE HAS ALWAYS

HAD THE MITAS TOUCH.

THREE GOLD RECORDS, TWO

GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, SIX

EMMYS, AN ASSOCIATED PRESS

AWARD FOR INVESTIGATIVE

JOURNALISM, JUST TO NAME A

FEW.

EVERYBODY REMEMBERS JOHN AS

THE POPULAR CO-HOST OF

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT.

HE STUNNED A LOT OF VIEWERS

BY LEAPING OUT OF

BROADCASTING INTO HIS FIRST

PASSION, MUSIC.

SO I'M THE POSTER BOY FOR

QUIT YOUR JOB, FOLLOW YOUR

DREAMS.

NOW HE IS PERFORMING LIVE

ON STAGE AND SPEAKING OVER

THE AIRWAVES FROM HIS OWN

RADIO SHOW, "INTELLIGENCE

FOR YOUR LIFE."

AND WE TALKED ABOUT A WIDE

RANGE OF TOPICS FROM SOCIAL

NETWORKING TO HUMANITARIAN

RELIEF.

SO I WAS SHOCKED WHEN FOR

THE FIRST TIME JOHN SPOKE

ABOUT A BACK JOURNEY TOOK

HIM ON AN EXCRUCIATING

PAIN.

I HAD A DISC COME OFF AND

LANDED ON MY NERVE ROOT AND

PARALYZED ME.

AS THE PAIN GOT

PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, JOHN

DID HIS RADIO SHOW ON HIS

BACK.

NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT

OTHER PEOPLE HAVE TO GO

THROUGH, BUT THE PAIN IS

REAL.

AND PEOPLE ARE, WELL, TAKE A

PAIN PILL.

IT'S LIKE TAKING AN ASPIRIN

WHEN YOU BROKE YOUR LEG.

THAT DOESN'T WORK.

I WAS IN ONE OF THESE PAIN

CENTERS WHERE THEY GIVE

THESE EPIDURALS.

AND THIS LADY WHO HAD BEEN

IN PAIN FOR 20 YEARS, SHE

LOOKS OVER ME AND SAYS, OH,

YOUR SUCH AN YOUNGSTER AT

THIS.

YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR

SPINE FIXED, AND CONSIDER

YOURSELF LUCKY.

CONSIDER YOURSELF BLESSED.

I'M GOING TO BE HERE THE

REST OF MY LIFE.

I'M GOING TO PRAY FOR YOU.

AND I THOUGHT, THIS WOMAN

WHO IS IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN

STILL HAD THE ENERGY TO PRAY

FOR ME.

I FELT HORRIBLE AT THAT

MOMENT.

I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN.

I COULDN'T TAKE PAIN PILLS.

THEY DIDN'T WORK.

CONNIE IS JUST SUCH A

TROUPER, BUT I DON'T THINK

SHE KNEW HOW BAD IT WAS

UNTIL SHE CAME IN SHE CAUGHT

ME -- I HAD NEVER HAD AN

ANXIETY ATTACK -- I HAD

NEVER HAD ONE BEFORE, SO I

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.

SHE CAUGHT ME ON THE FLOOR

AT ABOUT 2:00 IN THE MORNING

AND I COULDN'T BREATHE.

SHE KNEW WHAT TO DO.

SHE GRABBED A PAPER BAG AND

SHE HAD ME BREATHE INTO THE

PAP BAG.

JOHN SAID HE KNEW OTHER

PEOPLE IN THE PAIN CENTER

WERE FAR OFF, AND HE HAD HAD

SUPPORT FROM HIS WIFE

CONNIE.

STILL, THE PAIN SCREAMED

LOUDER.

I HAD BEEN IN HORRIBLE,

EXCRUCIATING PAIN.

I LOST THE USE OF MY LEFT

LEG.

I WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR.

JOHN CONVINCED HIMSELF

THE ONLY WAY TO STOP HIS

PAIN WAS TO TAKE HIS OWN

LIFE.

HE PLANNED TO GET DRUNK AND

PLANNED TO GO INTO THE

OCEAN.

THE DOCTOR SAID YOU CAN'T

GO IN THE WATER BECAUSE OF

MY LEG.

I HAD DOWNED ABOUT A HALF

BOTTLE OF VODKA, AND I

HEADED TO THE JERSEY SHORE,

GOING TO GO FOR A SWIM.

WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO WAS

KILL MYSELF BECAUSE I JUST

COULDN'T TAKE THE PAIN

ANYMORE.

JOHN'S SUICIDE ATTEMPT

ENDED IN THE ARMS OF HIS SON

GIBB.

HE GRABBED ME AND HE

SAID, YOU WANT TO GO FOR A

SWIM.

AND I SAID, YEAH.

AND HE TOOK ME AND HELD ME

IN THE WATER AS THE WAVES

WASHED OVER ME, AND I

REALIZED THAT I HAD A LOT TO

LIVE FOR.

A SUCCESSFUL BACK SURGERY

EVENTUALLY RESTORED JOHN'S

HEALTH.

WHEN YOU GET TAKEN DOWN

LIKE THAT, IT PUTS

EVERYTHING INTO

PERSPECTIVE.

AND YOU'RE HEALED NOW?

I AM.

SO THE PRAYER WORKED?

THE PRAYER WORKED.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

IN THAT KIND OF

SUFFERING, I LEARNED THE

POWER OF INTERSES

INTERSENSORY PRAYER.

I TRIED EVERYTHING, AND THE

ONLY THING THAT WORKED FOR

ME IS JESUS CHRIST.

I GUARANTEE YOU AT 58 YEARS

OLD, I HAVE TRIED

EVERYTHING.

NEW AGE, THIS, THAT,

WHATEVER.

THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS IS

A CONNECTION TO GOD.