Stan Getz was one of the most popular and talented saxophonists of the second half of the 20th century. He began playing professionally as the age of 16 and was a member of the Woody Herman Orchestra in the late 1940s. But, Getz was also addicted to heroin and hit his low point in February 1954 when he attempted to rob a drug store while on tour in Seattle. The accompanying photo appeared in The Seattle Times on February 12, 1954. Later that year he wrote a letter to DownBeat magazine about the incident and his addiction. Here are excerpts from that letter:

“What happened in Seattle was inevitable. Me coming to the end of my rope. I shouldn’t have been withdrawing myself from narcotics while working and traveling. With the aid of barbiturates, I thought I could do it. Seattle was the eighth day of the tour and I could stand no more. (Stan you said no excuses.) Going into this drugstore, I demanded more narcotics. I said I had a gun (didn’t).
The lady behind the counter evidently didn’t believe I had a gun so she told another customer. He, in turn, took a look at me and laughed, saying, ‘Lady, he’s kidding you. He has no gun.’ I guess I didn’t look the part. Having flopped at my first ‘caper,’ I left the store and went to my hotel. When I was in my room I decided to call the store and apologize. In doing so, the call was traced and my incarceration followed.”

A Seattle Police officer who had been summoned to the drug store listened in on the saxophonist’s call to the drug store and reported that Getz said, “I’m sorry for the crazy thing I did. I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m not a stick-up man. I’m from a good family. I’m going to commit myself on Wednesday.” According to dangerousminds.net “The cop on the phone spoke up, pretending to be a doctor and asked if he could help. Stan blurted out his life’s story. The “doctor” said he was coming right over to help. Locked in his room, despairing and ashamed, Stan tried to kill himself by swallowing a fistful of barbiturates. The police knocked on his door minutes later and ran him in for booking. A photograph of Stan in the back seat of a patrol car looking sick and scared
was flashed over the news wire services. The overdose of barbiturates took effect minutes after he was locked up and he collapsed. “

Although Stan Getz continued to battle relapses throughout his life, he was able to stay clean and sober for long periods of time and created some of the most memorable music of his era.

Here is a link to Getz playing with John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb during a 1960 appearance on German television:

"HACKENSACK"