“He’s one of the best friends I’ll ever have. He was like the least likely person to become the Phoenix who rises from, you know, a pile of s#%t. But he has completely risen.”
— Anthony Kiedis
“Bob is a true friend. He’s my true friend. I know I can call Bob, no matter what I’m going through, and I can call him and talk about it. And I don’t ever have to worry about being judged, or being scared of making myself feel vulnerable. He’s my true friend. He always will be. I love him.”
— Flea
“I have a lot of respect for who he’s turned himself into. It’s been a long road, and hasn’t been glamorous.”
— John Frusciante
“Bob has been of service since day one. Since just about when he got clean. There are so many musicians, especially in this town, who say they owe their lives to Bob Forrest.”
— Buddy Arnold, Musicians Assistance Program, Founder (1926-2003)
“Well, he’s given up his life … He’s a great songwriter, he’s a giving, giving, good soul. You have no idea now many times he’s helped my family. You know he’s really, really sacrificed a lot for this. And it’s really poignant, because he’s given up any glory to deal with really traumatized people.”
— Courtney Love
“Bob has a way of speaking to somebody with respect and love. He had been supporting me and helping me, and giving me so many chances to get myself together. I’m not going to say there wasn’t relapses, because there was. But what Bob explained to me very basically is, that’s a part of getting sober. It’s just gonna happen.”
— Steven Adler, drummer from Guns ‘n Roses
“Basically I just told him, come work for me, please. Please. I could see the talent. I could see what he had to offer. When somebody has what he has, it’s obvious. And I brought him down here, immediately threw him into the mix. I was anxious to have him as involved as we could possibly have him, because important people on a chemical dependency team really create the ethos and the feel and the functioning of the unit. So I wanted him to be that guy.
I watched his development from someone who had a very solid program of recovery, someone who was just trying to be of assistance, to someone who has a very sophisticated understanding of the complexities of neurobiological, psychiatric, and addiction elements of this disease.”
— Dr. Drew Pinsky