Lucky Matt, right, age 4 or 5, is seen here with his dad, Joseph Matt Jr. Lucky, now 20, recently released a song on Spotify recounting traumatic experiences of his childhood and how he is determined to overcome them to lead a healthy, happy, productive life and be a role model for his younger brothers and peers.
January 11, 2026
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Resilience trumps trauma in song released by Lakeside High grad
Resilience trumps trauma in song released by Lakeside High grad
The memories of a little boy who grew up too fast are still vivid in Lucky Matt's mind. The little boy witnessed alcoholism and domestic violence. His dad was absent, away and incarcerated. His mom was in an abusive, toxic relationship. At night, the scared little boy would quietly listen to violent, substance-fueled arguments that often led to items being thrown and smashed into walls and floors. Although that little boy saw and heard too much at a tender young age, it's that very trauma that set Matt on his path to break the cycle. "I just want to change that way of life so my kids don’t live like that and my kids’ kids don’t live like that," Matt, 20, of Worley, said Tuesday. The 2024 Lakeside High School graduate harnessed the pain of his younger years and used his creative talents to weave a profound story of hope in his new song, "Cycle Breaker," which released Jan. 1.