Drugs and rock and roll seem to be so much a part of each other that I suppose it would be rare to find any major stars who have never used drugs (let’s leave alcohol out of the picture here).
I know there are many who no longer use drugs (rehabbed or dead), but are there any who are known never to have used them?
Ted Nugent claims to have never used alcohol or recreational drugs with the exception of one week in 1977 when he used crystal meth with the specific intent of avoiding the Vietnam draft.
I suggest taking this claim with a few grains of salt.
I didn’t read the article (but the mousing over it seems to agree with what I’m going to say) and I know next to nothing about Zappa, but I’ve always heard he didn’t do any drugs other than drinking an incredible amount of coffee.
Also, I assume this thread is mostly aimed at classic (60’s-70’s) rock stars. I’d be surprised if it’s anywhere near as prevalent now as it was then. Maybe with the bands that have been around since the 90’s, but the ones that have cropped up in the last 10-15 years or so, I don’t know. I just don’t see Taylor Swift or Justin Timberlake chasing the dragon after a show to relax.
iirc, Roger Daltrey wasn’t into the drugs and at times used his fists on other band members to make them get more in tune with the straight and narrow.
Not a rock star so forgive the slight hijack, but Penn (of Penn and Teller, who I know have a lot of fans here) says he has never had a drop of alcohol or tried any recreational drug in his life.
The members of Pink Floyd have said that while they did some drugs early in their career, they had stopped by the time they recorded pretty much all of their albums. Apparently Syd Barrett’s example scared the rest of them straight.
You’re absolutely right, I screwed up the date. It was a 1977 article. Mea culpa for this unacceptable error on my part. See his wiki page for details.
As for the rest, I’ve heard him claim in concert that he has never used. The closest thing I could find to a cite is from SNOPES.COM
Bassist from Queen John Deacon was enough of a straight edge that the others in the band gave him the nickname ‘Deacon John’ on their first album. In a band questionnaire for their video collection under ‘Favorite Drink’ he put ‘tea’.