Rock legend Rod Stewart's stepson Ashley Hamilton is happy to be alive - after dying twice.

The man once polled as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world is lucky to be alive when his heart stopped after a motorbike accident. After the accident he became hooked on killer drug heroin and flatlined once more.

Now Hamilton is turning to music and has written songs with ROBBIE WILLIAMS.

He says, "I'm very lucky to be alive. For someone like me who has been through so much, including years of addiction, I would say it's not a bad day for a dead guy.

"My heart stopped when I had my brain surgery. I was in a coma. The addiction followed the motorcycle accident.

"I was in bed for two months and they were feeding me painkillers and opiates which I believe kicked the heroin addiction off in a way, because that came afterwards. Then I had a bad overdose where my heart stopped, too. So I've flatlined twice now. I feel I should have been dead a long time ago and I've thought that many times."

02/05/2003 13:38