Ben Lee was a teen rock prodigy at the age of 14.What followed was decades of making music, Hollywood fame, and a journey into alternative spirituality, including time at an Ashram in India, and exploring the world of ayahuasca, a hallucinogen found in a vine in the Amazon (R).

Ben Lee grew up in Bondi in the 1980s when it was a place of bikie gangs, Yiddish-speaking grandmas and tribes of kids living next to one of the world's most beautiful beaches.

He was educated at a local Jewish school where he confounded his Rabbi by asking some surprising questions about Moses.

Ben was always a seeker, and even as a boy, he also possessed a whole lot of chutzpah.

At the age of 14 he saw Nirvana play at the Big Day Out.

The next day he started his own band and just two years later Ben was flying to America to support Sonic Youth.

After many wild years, Ben emerged with a crucial realisation about his life story.

He is now living back in Australia with his wife Ione and their teenage daughter.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison and the Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.

It explores music, songwriting, drugs, drug taking, ayahuasca, what does ayahuasca feel like, ecstasy, do drugs change your brain, your brain on drugs, your subconscious mind, Claire Danes, how to be famous, what it feels like to be famous, mental health, identity crisis, seasons of life, rock star wife, rock star husband, Evan Dando, Evan Dando drug addiction, Lemonheads, ego, big ego, tall poppy syndrome, catch my disease, gamble everything for love, fame, rock music, singing, Bondi, Noise Addict, Sonic Youth, alternative spirituality, Judaism, Australian music, celebrity, Ione Skye.

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Encore: Ben Lee, the chutzpah mystic, Bondi rock prodigy, Noise Addict

Conversations

Encore: Ben Lee, the chutzpah mystic, Bondi rock prodigy, Noise Addict