Fuck John Mayer and the whole breed of quasi celebrity, elevator music making, feminized american male "artists". I'm tired of this country glorifying the soft.
this is what should be pumped into our testosterone deficient brains...until we get it.
When asked why he quit drinking Stevie said that he was walking down the street on his way to breakfast with the band after a tremendous night of drinking and started puking blood on the sidewalk. The first thing he did was 'down the flask of JD I had to settle my stomach". 
Stevie came along at a time in music where blues was dead, as it is now. There was Madonna starting out, Culture Club, Duran Duran and the stragglers from other generations like the man that changed Stevie's life....David Bowie.
Stevie stuck to his guns in many many ways, and never wavered in his goal. During the recording of his 2nd album, one of the record execs got a hand on the material and upon finding out Stevie immediately called the record company and said "Don't ever fuck with my stuff again!" Ballsy, but it paid off for him.
Stevie was the exception, not the rule. I agree that more of him is needed in music today- not just style but in bravado, tenacity, forcefulness, and charisma. I don't see it happening though.
The story as you recite above, it was Chris Layton and Stevie walking through the streets, and Stevie started to vomit. Attempting to get back to the hotel, he again vomited. Chris sat Stevie down and said "Stevie what do you need?" and the reply was 'I need a drink.' Chris said "The hell you do!" and Stevie agreed and went and got a nip knowing that was his last drink he'd ever take prior to entering rehab.