Rob had a successful radio and DJ career, but drug and alcohol addiction stripped it all away.
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Reporter: ROB AETNA WAS
BORN
WITH A
GIFT OF
GAB.
FOR MOST OF HIS LIFE, HE HAS
MADE HIS LIVING FROM
TALKING, WHETHER AS A D.J.,
AN ACTOR, OR A SHOPPING
CHANNELIST.
HE FELL IN LOVE WITH RADIO
IN HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN ONE OF
HIS TEACHERS HELPED STUDENTS
RAISE MONEY FOR THEIR OWN
RADIO STATION.
HE WAS MY INSPIRATION.
WE GOT OUT AND STARTED A
RADIO STATION.
Reporter: ROB STUDIED
COMMUNICATIONS AT A LOCAL
COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND HE WAS
ALSO ELECTED CLASS
PRESIDENT, BUT ALSO LOVED
THE PARTY SCENE.
I LOVED THE PARTY SCENE.
WE WATCHED MONDAY NIGHT
FOOTBALL, PLAYED POKER, AND
RECEIVED TO CLASS.
IT WAS THE BEST EXAMPLE TO
BE CLASS PRESIDENT AND
YOU'RE THE LEADER OF THE
PARTY CREW OUT THERE AS
WELL.
Reporter: DESPITE HIS
LIFESTYLE, ROB MANAGED TO
GRADUATE.
HE WAS OFFERED A JOB AS A
D.J. IN A TOP RADIO STATION
IN MASSACHUSETTS.
AT NIGHT, HE SPUN PLATTERS
AND LATER AT A STRIP CLUB.
THAT'S WHEN HE TRIED COCAINE
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THERE I WAS WITH MAYORS
AND CITY COUNCILLORS IN
FRONT OF ME, AND I'M PLAYING
MUSIC FOR THE NAKED LADIES
AND I'M GETTING HIGH ON
COCAINE.
Reporter: HIS LIFESTYLE
AND COCKY ATTITUDE
EVENTUALLY CAUGHT UP WITH
HIM.
HE WAS FIRED WHEN HE MADE AN
OFFENSIVE REMARK AND HE
FLUNKED OUT OF SCHOOL.
I ENDED UP PARTYING WITH
THE D.J.s AND THINGS LIKE
THAT.
Reporter: HIS DRUG USE
CONSUMED HIS LIFE.
ONE YEAR ROB SOLD HIS HOUSE
AND MADE A $35,000 PROFIT,
BUT SPENT IT ALL ON
COCAINE.
HE LOST EVERYTHING AND MOVED
TO FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA,
WHERE HE BECAME HOMELESS.
EVERY TIME I GATHERED A
LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, IT
ALWAYS WENT TO FIND A DOPE
DEALER OR A BOTTLE OF
BOOZE.
Reporter: HE ATTENDED A
LOCAL CHURCH, EVEN THOUGH HE
WOULD TURN UP HIGH.
I WOULD WALK THREE MILES
BUT I WOULD END UP STINKING
IN THE CHURCH.
I DID LINES OF COCAINE AT
CHURCH.
AND OF THE PASTOR, EVERY
WEEK, I WOULD SAY, HOW DOES
HE KNOW ME?
IT WAS LIKE HE WAS TALKING
ONLY TO ME.
GOD WAS TRYING TO GET ME A
MESSAGE THROUGH ALL OF MY IN
INSANITY.
ONE DAY IT HIT ME IN THE
HEAD, AND I SAID, LISTEN,
WHAT IS THE POINT OF ME
TAKING UP ROOM ON THE
SIDEWALK.
I HAVE NO LIFE.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD END IT
ALL.
I KNEW I COULDN'T SWIM, BUT
MY LUCK IT WOULD BE THE ONE
DAY IN MY LIFE I COULD
SWIM.
I SAID AT LEAST IF I END UP
BEING ABLE TO SWIM, ONE OF
THE CRUISE SHIPS WILL PLOW
ME OVER.
IT WAS WEIRD.
I WAS WALKING OVER THERE,
AND GOD OBVIOUSLY HAD A
DIFFERENT PLAN FOR ME.
Reporter: AT THAT
POINT, ROB HEARD A VOICE
TELLING HIM TO MOVE TO
CALIFORNIA.
FIRST HE WENT TO VISIT
FRIENDS UP NORTH, WHERE HE
HAD ANOTHER LIFE-CHANGING
EXPERIENCE, A D.U.I.
THE DAY AFTER
THANKSGIVING, 1992, I ENDED
UP HAVING A FIGHT WITH MY
GIRLFRIEND.
IT WAS THANKSGIVING NIGHT.
I WENT OUT AND GOT DRUNK.
200 YARDS FROM THE POLICE
STATION AT 2:00 IN THE
MORNING, I GET PULLED OVER.
WHEN SHE CAME TO PICK ME UP
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER, I
LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, MAN,
I'M DONE.
I CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE.
Reporter: ROB ENTERED A
12-STEP PROGRAM AND GOT
SOBER.
HE FINALLY MOVED TO
CALIFORNIA AND CONTACTED A
WOMAN ABOUT A ROOM SHE HAD
FOR RENT.
WHEN I TALKED TO HER, SHE
WAS LIKE, YOU CAN'T MOVE
INTO ME.
YOU'RE A GUY AND I'M A
CHRISTIAN GIRL.
SHE SAID COME TO THIS
CHURCH.
COME MEET ME THERE AND WE
CAN CHAT AND TALK, AND MAYBE
I CAN HELP YOU GET A PLACE
TO LIVE.
Reporter: ALTHOUGH ROB
WAS SOBER FOR OVER A YEAR,
HE KNEW HE NEEDED TO TAKE
THE FINAL STEP AND GIVE HIS
LIFE TO CHRIST.
I SAID, IT IS TIME FOR ME
TO FULLY GIVE MY LIFE TO
CHRIST.
I DON'T WANT TO BE STONED
AND DRUNK.
LET ME GIVE MY LIFE TO HIM
AND LET HIM GUIDE ME.
Reporter: SINCE THEN,
ROB HAS WORKED AS A HOST FOR
SEVERAL SHOPPING SHOWS, AND
HAS WORKED ON SEVERAL
SHOWS.
TODAY HE IS MARRIED TO TAMMY
AND HOSTS A POPULAR
CHRISTIAN RADIO TALK SHOW
CALLED "IN YOUR FACE."
THE PURPOSE OF THE SHOW
IS TO INSPIRE, AND MOTIVATE
US TO BECOME THE BEST WE CAN
BE.
Reporter: AND ROB IS
ALSO HELPING THE HOMELESS IN
HERE IN CALIFORNIA.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HELP
ONE ANOTHER.
MY MOTO THIS YEAR IS EXACTLY
THAT, "WHAT CAN I DO FOR
YOU?"
BECAUSE IF I'M DOING
SOMETHING FOR YOU, IT MEANS
I'M DOING WORK FOR GOD.
AND IF I'M DOING WORK FOR
GOD, MY LIFE IS GOING TO BE
OKAY.