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→Rehab and Recovery: fixed grammar
Reznor's first band in Cleveland was a cover band called [[The Urge]]. This band drew crowds and Reznor got some recognition. When he left the band months later they lost much of their audience. Reznor briefly re-joined before parting ways again shortly thereafter. In 1986 he joined the [[Exotic Birds]] as a keyboardist and back-up vocalist with [[Andy Kubiszewski]] (who would later join [[Stabbing Westward]]) and, at one point, Vrenna. The Exotic Birds received some national attention after playing a few gigs with the Culture Club, but Reznor's tenure with them would not last. This was followed by keyboardist positions in [[The Innocent]], [[Lucky Pierre]], and [[Slam Bamboo]]. But all the while, Reznor wanted to be able to do his own music and be his own musician.
In 1988, Reznor was finally able to write his first "real" song. It was entitled "[[Down in It (song)|Down In It]]" and was recorded as part of a demo during Reznor's spare time at the studio. After trying to come up with a name for his solo project, he settled on the name Nine Inch Nails (NIN for short) because "it sounded manacingmenacing, it was catchy, it stood the two-week test, and it could be easily abbreviated." He later befriended [[John A. Malm, Jr.]], who would become his manager for 15 years. The demo (known as ''[[Purest Feeling (halo)|Purest Feeling]]'') was shopped around to various record labels. Ultimately TVT Records, known for its TV music compilations, signed Reznor and offered to help him release his music.
===NIN Begins===
===Rehab and Recovery===
Overdosing on heroin was a wake-up call to Reznor, who now could not deny his problems. Worse news came in 2001, almost a year after the Fragility tour ended. While working on a live CD and DVD chronicling the US leg of the tour, a studio technician Reznor befriended was shot and killed in a gang-related crime. Seeing as that his addictions have had contributed to gang activity, Reznor was determined to get his problems under control.
On July 11, 2001, Reznor checked into a New Orleans rehabilitation center and endured a cold-turkey withdrawal experience that makes him shudder to this day. Upon leaving the facility, Reznor was more determined than ever to stay clean and sober. He finished the live set, titled ''[[And All That Could Have Been (halo)|And All That Could Have Been]],'' and began to focus on other projects. Among his projects were [[Tapeworm]], a collaboration with [[Tool]]/[[A Perfect Circle]] singer [[Maynard James Keenan]], and producing former Rage Against The Machine frontman [[Zack de la Rocha]]'s solo album.