DJ AM Dies While Helping Others

It may be weeks before toxicology reports confirm just what killed celebrity disc jockey DJ AM (aka Adam Goldstein). He was discovered dead in his Manhattan apartment on Aug. 28, 2009 after missing a plane to Las Vegas, where he had a standing Friday night gig to spin records at The Palms’ Rain nightclub.

Multiple news outlets reported that after the NYPD broke down the door to Goldstein’s SoHo area apartment, they found him dead, with drug paraphernalia, crack cocaine and prescription drugs nearby. Initial reports suggest his tragic death was an accidental overdose.

Goldstein’s MTV Show on Intervention

Prior to his death, Goldstein, 36, claimed he had been clean for more than 11 years after battling a crack cocaine addiction. He was even working on a reality show with MTV that helped others get off drugs. The future of the unaired project, Gone Too Far, is undecided. All eight of the show’s planned episodes had already been filmed and the show was scheduled to premiere Oct. 5. Following Goldstein’s death, message boards were abuzz with speculation that the show had contributed to his relapse, while others pointed out that DJ AM had helped others toward recovery long before the show came along. His own words offer insight as well: "There's no better way to remember what it was like when I was at my bottom than to see someone at their bottom," Goldstein told the Associated Press while doing publicity for the show.

Goldstein is just the latest in a long line of recent celebrity deaths attributed to drug use, following Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. This tragedy drives home once more just how hard ongoing recovery is and that it is, indeed, a lifelong process.

If you or someone you know needs help with a substance abuse problem, contact La Paloma at 877-345-1887. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have.