Editing Art Alexakis (section)

==Early life==
Alexakis was born in [[Los Angeles]], the youngest of five children.<ref name=allmusicbio /> When Art was five years old his father left the family,<ref name=allmusicbio /> and financial difficulties forced his mother to relocate the family to the [[Mar Vista Gardens]] housing project in California, located on the west side of Los Angeles in [[Del Rey, Los Angeles|Del Rey]]. When Alexakis was 8 years old, he was beaten and sexually assaulted by older children in his neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2011/03/sxsw_film_festival_the_other_f.php" |title=Archived copy |website=blogs.houstonpress.com |access-date=19 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318150954/http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2011/03/sxsw_film_festival_the_other_f.php" |archive-date=18 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

His brother George died of a [[heroin]] overdose when Alexakis was 12. That same year, Alexakis's 15-year-old girlfriend died by suicide.<ref>[http://www.spin.com/2015/06/everclear-art-alexakis-sparkle-and-fade-interview-summerland/ Everclear's Art Alexakis: "'Sparkle and Fade' Was My Escape Route"], spin.com. June 2015.</ref> Not long after her death, Alexakis attempted suicide by filling his pockets with sand and lead weights and jumping off the [[Santa Monica Pier]]. Later, he said that the vision and voice of his brother George compelled him to survive.<ref>Edwards, Gavin.  "Clear Unpleasant Danger". ''[[Details (magazine)|Details]]''. May 1996.</ref> Alexakis started [[shooting up]] when he was 13, mostly taking [[crystal methamphetamine]].<ref name="1998interview">{{Cite web|url=http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicArtistsE/everclear.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990824170613/http://www.canoe.com/JamMusicArtistsE/everclear.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 24, 1999|title=Clearing the hurdles|access-date=May 4, 2020}}</ref> He became addicted to heroin and [[cocaine]], and he survived a cocaine overdose when he was 22.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicArtistsE/everclear.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990824170613/http://www.canoe.com/JamMusicArtistsE/everclear.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 24, 1999|title=Art Alexakis says no to drugs and yes to success|access-date=May 4, 2020}}</ref> He quit drugs [[cold turkey]] in June 1989.<ref name="1998interview"/>

Alexakis attended [[Santa Monica High School]] <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.seeing-stars.com/Schools/SantaMonicaHigh.shtml}}</ref> and took film classes at [[Los Angeles Community College]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/05192011/entefre153950_32533.php | title=E-I-E-I-Everclear | work=Gazette.net | date=May 19, 2011 | access-date=September 22, 2015 | author=Oravec, Nathan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923061039/http://www.gazette.net/stories/05192011/entefre153950_32533.php | archive-date=September 23, 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>