Bill D. (Bill Dotson) — A.A. #3 (“The Man on the Bed”) — Canton, OH (1950)

Bill D. (Bill Dotson) is widely known in A.A. history as A.A. #3 — the legendary “Man on the Bed.” His sobriety helped prove something revolutionary in the earliest days: that one alcoholic talking to another, guided by spiritual action, could create lasting recovery and a fellowship that could grow. In June 1935, Bill W. and Dr. Bob visited Bill D. in the hospital in Akron, Ohio. That moment became one of the pivotal turning points in early Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill D. never drank again, and his experience became a living example of the power of recovery carried person-to-person. This recording captures Bill D. sharing that early message with rare clarity and humility — what it was like when the movement was still new, the road was still being mapped, and the “how” of recovery had to be lived before it could be written down. 📌 Also connected to Big Book history: Bill D.’s story later appeared as “Alcoholics Anonymous Number Three” in a later edition of the Big Book (not included in the 1st edition). 🎧 Explore more historic recovery audio: RecoverySpeakers.com (largest free archive of recovery speaker recordings) ✅ If this helped you, please support the mission: 👍 Like 💬 Comment (Where did you first hear about “the Man on the Bed”?) 🔔 Subscribe for weekly historic releases 📤 Share with someone who loves recovery history #RecoverySpeakers #AAHistory #BigBook #BillD #ManOnTheBed #AlcoholicsAnonymous #Recovery