'They built rehabs because of me,' the actor, who died Wednesday of an apparent drug overdose, told us.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Cory Haim
Photo: Jim Spellman/ WireImage

Corey Haim made no secret of his past battles with drug addiction and his multiple stays in rehabilitation centers over the years. Now that the '80s star has died of an apparent drug overdose at the age of 38, MTV News went back into our archives to an August 2007 interview during which Haim spoke honestly and insightfully about his struggles with substance abuse and the day he finally got clean.

"They built rehabs because of me," he said during the interview in our New York newsroom.

Haim had submitted to various treatment programs time after time, but none ever instilled in him a true desire to get clean. "It didn't work at the beginning because I was doing it for everyone else," he said. " 'Mom, I love you, I'm going to get clean for you. Dad, I love you, man, gonna get clean for you, gonna go in here for you. I'll do it for you, I'll do it for you.' Everyone but me."

What changed? Haim woke up one day — describing the timeline as "years ago" — and literally couldn't look at himself in the mirror. "I know it's an old, boring story, but it was a day where I looked in the mirror," he said. "It was strange, not because I think I'm God. I looked in the mirror and was like, 'Man, you just don't look good.' And I didn't feel well accompanied with it at all. [His loved ones said] 'That's what we were trying to tell you!' 'Right, but now I get it for me. Not for you, not for you and not for you. For me, I get it.' "

"It wasn't a good day," he added. "But it was the best day of my life, if you want to flip the script. It was an eye-opener." If early reports are to be believed, however, Haim eventually seemed to have relapsed. He died of an apparent drug overdose early Wednesday morning and an autopsy is planned.

In the summer of 2007, though, in the midst of a comeback that had him starring in A&E reality show "The Two Coreys," Haim spoke of his drug addictions as if they were strictly in the past. "I think when a person gets it with themselves finally, however they get it, that's a great day for them, if they're still alive," he said.

• MTV Rough Cut: Corey Haim
• Remembering Corey Haim

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Simon Cowell dubbed it 'the best performance we've had of all these live shows so far.'
By Gil Kaufman

Michael Lynche
Photo: Fox

Praise from the "American Idol" judges is one thing, but tears? That's when you know you've really nailed it.

And Michael Lynche definitely brought down the house Wednesday night (March 10) when he closed the top eight men's live performances with a seductive, between-the-sheets cover of one of British singer Kate Bush's most iconic tunes, "This Woman's Work," that made judge Kara DioGuardi openly weep.

Wearing a black suit coat with a red pocket square, black tie, jeans and a white dress shirt, the brawny Lynche opened with a fragile, operatic falsetto vocalization over piano that sent chills. The choice was a bold one, as Bush is a beloved figure and the song is a tricky-to-sing modern classic that has been used to dramatic effect in a number of TV shows over the years ("Felicity," "Alias," "Party of Five"). It was also famously covered by soul singer Maxwell on his 1997 MTV Unplugged album and later on his 2001 Now studio album, a version that clearly informed Lynche's take on the song.

Bush wrote it specifically for a sequence in the 1987 John Hughes film "She's Having a Baby," during which Kevin Bacon is pacing outside the delivery room where his wife is having their first child and he's fretting about the changes they're about to face and the rush of emotions he's feeling.

Making expert use of his breathy falsetto, Lynche, a new father whose firstborn arrived while he was toiling during Hollywood Week, wrenched every bit of emotion from the lyrics about life-changing events. "Ooh, it's hard on the man/ Now his part is over/ Now starts the craft of the father," he crooned in a clean, clear voice. On a night when the judges said some of the singers didn't connect with their chosen lyrics, Lynche astutely picked a song that mirrored the tumultuous adult changes he's going through in his personal life, helping to give the performance an added gravity and believability.

As he leaned into the second verse, Lynche came out from behind the mic stand and began laying a gospel edge on the song, shaking his head and shoulders, bobbing up and down and waving his hands as if giving a Sunday sermon. With a long, sustained note on the line "Oh, darling, make it go," Lynche provided the night's much-needed "wow" moment and easily punched his ticket to the top 12.

How good was it? DioGuardi was literally brought to tears. "I've never cried after hearing something like that," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "It's amazing. You were amazing. And it's so relevant for you, and I can feel it. It's your life right now. It's your respect for your wife, what you've gone through ... and as a woman who doesn't have a child, I can relate to it so much and it brought me to tears."

All Randy Jackson could say was, "Really?" telling Mike he was going to put Maxwell on notice that he should watch his back. "For everybody that doesn't know, it was dope, it was unbelievable," he said. "I wanna call Maxwell and tell him, 'Yo, Big Mike is knockin' on the door, dog, be ready!' But the last note? ... I was like, what?"

Ellen DeGeneres said it was so good it felt like the show had just begun and Lynche was suddenly the one to beat. "This was so needed tonight," Simon Cowell said of the breath of fresh air on an otherwise-boring show. "You come out with an incredibly difficult song to sing and you 100 percent nailed it. Not just the best performance of the night, it's the best performance we've had of all these live shows so far."

What did you think of Big Mike's performance? Were you just as moved as Kara was? Let us know!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Aaron Kelly and Andrew Garcia, however, get some tough words from the judges.
By Gil Kaufman

Tim Urban
Photo: Fox

The top eight men took the stage on "American Idol" on Wednesday (March 10), a night when the front-runners staked a claim for their spots in the top 12, and the weaker members of the herd punched their tickets home. When the dust settled, Michael Lynche emerged emerged as the new one to beat with a performance so strong, it brought judge Kara DioGuardi to tears, and seeming also-ran Tim Urban possibly saved himself with his strongest performance to date.

Lee Dewyze made it clear that he intends to hang around, coming out strong with a Dave Matthews-like acoustic ramble through Owl City's "Fireflies." It wasn't always on key, but he made up for it with his infectious charm and barroom sandpaper drawl.

Randy Jackson thought it was too soft a song for Lee's voice, and a bit pitchy, but he liked how he made it his own, and Kara appreciated the confident vibe he brought to the tune. "There's nothing to rave about after that," said Simon Cowell, who didn't feel his favorite male semifinalist had "a moment" but still displayed solid progress.

As his star has steadily risen on the show, Alex Lambert nailed his song choice with Ray LaMontagne's weary ballad "Trouble," a tune that perfectly fit his dry-throated voice and sad-eyed, innocent demeanor.

"The only thing standing in the way of you winning is you right now," Kara said, praising his unique voice but counseling him to let it rip. Ellen busted out the ripening banana metaphor one more time and said Lambert is getting better and better every week, even as he maintains his innocence. Continuing with the inappropriate advice, Simon said Lambert needs to loosen up, perhaps by imagining Jackson in a bikini.

With two weeks of bad news behind him, Tim Urban went for it by tackling Leonard Cohen's iconic — and hard-to-sing — "Hallelujah." Strumming an acoustic guitar, Urban didn't try to reinvent the wheel but capably hung in there for his strongest effort to date.

Ellen, feeling bad about slagging Urban every week, ran up onstage and hugged him as a kind of apology, and Simon patted himself on the back for giving Urban back his confidence, calling it Tim's best performance to date. "You walked in some pretty big shoes, and I think you did a pretty good job, Tim," Randy said, as Kara predicted he might have sung his way back from the brink with his honest, emotional take on the song.

Needing to find his groove again, Andrew Garcia went back to the well for a cover of Christina Aguilera's breakthrough hit, "Genie in a Bottle." The Santana-like flamenco/soul take felt like another high point, with Garcia making the song his own.

Kara, though, sensed he was fighting with the melody and straining too hard to recapture his "Straight Up" glory, saying, "It just wasn't great." It was a good idea, but too pitchy and not dynamic enough for Randy, though Ellen loved the song choice and wished the genie had come out of the bottle earlier. "It was a little bit desperate," Simon said.

Casey James went with Keith Urban's "You'll Think of Me," a safe, straightforward acoustic country ballad that highlighted his soulful tone. That's exactly what Randy thought, encouraging Casey to go edgier and more rock. For Simon, it was James' second-best effort, one that made him seem sincere and sounded great, even if it was a bit forgettable. His former number-one fan, Kara said she was missing the spark, but was glad he wasn't trying to be a phony rock star anymore.

A singer seemingly on the bubble, Aaron Kelly, also chose a country tune — Lonestar's "I'm Already There" — which started out pitchy and tentative and didn't get much better as he rose from his stool and wiggled awkwardly back and forth, alternating between pure and off-key notes.

The singing wasn't great for Ellen, but she thought Aaron carried himself like a much older, more experienced singer than he is. "I love you, you come out onstage every week and you give it your all," said Kara, who then pointed out that the song is about a man calling home to talk to his kids, which just doesn't make any sense coming from a 16-year-old. Simon, however, totally disagreed, saying it was the right type of song for him and he had the right emotion, even if it wasn't a great vocal.

Todrick Hall's philosophy? If you might go home, go big. His unexpected take on Queen's "Somebody to Love" turned out to be a bold choice for the dancer, who turned the tune into a sanctified gospel showpiece.

"Todrick is back!" Randy announced, calling it one of the best male vocals he's heard in weeks. Cowell took it down a notch, dubbing the performance more fit for Broadway than an "Idol" recording artist while giving Hall props for performing and not just sitting on a stool and strumming a guitar.

Then Big Mike Lynche brought down the house. He also switched it up, singing British icon Kate Bush's classic ballad "This Woman's Work," evoking Maxwell with his silky, between-the-sheets R&B version.

The praise was unanimous. Simon said it was the best performance of all the live shows so far, Ellen declared the personal trainer the new one to beat, and DioGuardi literally burst into tears at the emotion the new dad put into the tune. All a dumbfounded Randy could say was "Really?"

Four more singers go home Thursday night as this year's top 12 is revealed.

What did you think of the men's performances? Who killed it? Who blew it? Who is definitely making it to the top 12? Let us know by leaving your comments below.

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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'Lost Boys' actor was pronounced dead early Wednesday morning.
By Eric Ditzian, with additional reporting by Jocelyn Vena

Corey Haim
Photo: Michael Bezjian/ Wireimage

Following actor Corey Haim's death from an apparent drug overdose at the age of 38, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office told MTV News that it will conduct an investigation and examination, including an autopsy.

Calls to both the coroner's office and the North Hollywood police department, however, revealed contradictory information about the timeline of Haim's death early Wednesday morning. The police department told MTV News that he was transported to Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank around 3:30 a.m. PT and was declared dead at 3:38 a.m.; the coroner's office told MTV News that he was declared dead at 2:15 a.m.

At press time, the Corner's office was unable to provide information about when the autopsy would take place nor when any findings would be released. Toxicology tests can typically take up to six weeks before results are completed and made public.

TMZ reported that law enforcement sources have confirmed Haim died of a drug overdose and that his mother discovered him at his apartment complex and called 911. The site also cited unnamed law-enforcement sources as saying prescription-medication bottles were found near his body, and that Haim's mother said the actor had struggled with prescription drug addiction for years. TMZ also said the LAPD has opened up an investigation into his death.

Born in 1971, Haim rose to Hollywood fame through a string of '80s films like "Silver Bullet," "Lucas," "License to Drive" and "The Lost Boys." He struggled with substance abuse issues throughout his career. In recent years, though, he seemed to make something of a comeback, starring alongside frequent co-star Corey Feldman on an A&E reality show, "The Two Coreys," for two seasons. He also made a cameo in a sequel to "The Lost Boys," "Lost Boys: The Tribe," in which he reprised his role as Sam Emerson.

• MTV Rough Cut: Corey Haim
• Remembering Corey Haim

• Corey Haim: A Life In Photos

Read more: MTV News