# 50 Greatest Meltdowns in Rock **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497 "2002-08-25T16:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/21 "2002-08-26T06:13:43Z")
John Phillips of Mommas and Poppas fame being kindly rescued by estranged wife Michelle as he incoherently rambles ina drug induced haze on television. Arthur Lee of Love sentenced to jail under California’s “3 strikes” law after firing a gun in the air during an argument with neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/22 "2002-08-26T09:59:45Z")
Drunk as a skink? Hee hee hee hee. ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/23 "2002-08-26T12:06:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Harvey \* > \*\*And nothing about GG Allin \*\* His whole career, up to and including his funeral, was a meltdown. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/24 "2002-08-26T14:29:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Max Harvey \* > \*\*What about a drunken Elvis Costello spouting off racist epithets about Ray Charles to Stephen Still’s band, and getting cold-cocked by a female backup singer. \*\* [Bonnie Sheridan](http://www.fleetwoodmac.net/penguin/bramletts.htm), FTR. I also wondered why they included the Rod Stewart UL. How is something that didn’t happen a meltdown, or bizarre or whatever? You might as well call the Marilyn-Manson-is-Paul-from-the-Wonder-Years rumor a meltdown. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/25 "2002-08-26T15:21:09Z")
**John Belushi** of that famous group **The Blues Brothers** died of acute cocaine and heroin intoxication. The music will never be the same man! E3 - trying to reach that elusive 1000 mark. ---
**Author:** ![Witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Witch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Witch)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/26 "2002-08-26T15:43:46Z")
The infamous “Naked girl in a rug” (Marianne Faithful) drugbust in 1967 when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards actually did some jail time. ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/27 "2002-08-26T15:52:05Z")
The whole [Count Grishnackh murdering Euronymous](http://users.freenet.am/~mayhem2/articlespin.htm) thing. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/28 "2002-08-26T16:44:33Z")
I’m glad I’m not the only one who noticed G.G. Allin’s conspicuous absence. sheesh. He deserves a category all his own. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/29 "2002-08-26T18:26:06Z")
The Pretenders, summer of 1982: In a few short months half of the band dies\* and the singer gets pregnant. \*[sub]Yes, this is simplifying things. James Honeyman-Scott was fired in June over his heroin addiction but lived until 1983.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/30 "2002-08-26T18:57:08Z")
Well none of these examples are strictly rock related, but for pop-related embarrassments, honorable mentions should be made for: -Al & Tipper Gore dancing the macarena. -Rob Lowe trying to sing on the Oscars. -William Shatner’s singing career. -the “Bride of Frankenstein” remake starring Sting. -Lenny Kravitz & Lisa Bonet. No specific incident, the fact that they were who they were should be enough to castigate them. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/31 "2002-08-26T19:07:52Z")
Well none of these examples are strictly rock related, but for pop-related embarrassments, honorable mentions should be made for: -Al & Tipper Gore dancing the macarena. -Rob Lowe trying to sing on the Oscars. -William Shatner’s singing career. -the “Bride of Frankenstein” remake starring Sting. -Lenny Kravitz & Lisa Bonet. No specific incident, the fact that they were who they were should be enough to castigate them. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/32 "2002-08-26T22:02:17Z")
The article itself was a waste. It had a few good anecdotes, but mainly it was just an opportunity for the author to say, “Look how cool I am! I’m making fun of Boston and Toto!” Hey, look, love those bands or hate them, they were popular, they sold millions of records, and didn’t do anything to embarrass themselves. Unlike, say… 1. Chuck Berry. How can you not include his arrest for setting up video cameras in the ladies’ room of his night club, so he could watch women tinkle? 2. Paul McCartney. I mean, if David Lee Roth’s pot bust belongs on the list, why not Paul’s famous adventure in Japan? 3. Bruce Springsteen. He had a MAJOR meltdown, hauling ex-girlfriend Lynne Goldsmith up on stage during a show, and berating her bitterly on stage. I’ve long suspected that Bruce has a creepy side that the press would rather not deal with. The absence of this incident on the list just confirms my suspicions. 4. Billy Joel. Just recently, in New York, it was painfully obvious that he was drunk, stoned or both in his concert with Elton John. Elton had to use every trick in the book to cover for Billy (including dancing with him), but it wasn’t enough. 5. Marilyn Manson. In the middle of an on-stage soliloquy about how much he loves pain, Marilyn was hit in the head by a bottle, thrown from the audience. Suddenly, he forget how much he allegedly loved pain, and started ranting, raving and blubbering like a baby. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/33 "2002-08-27T01:41:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Genseric \* > \*\*One of the hilarious moments in VH-1’s show (which I think was the most shocking moments in music, or some such) was Bjork attacking a reporter at some event, and I don’t mean verbally, I mean charging, scratching, hair-pulling. Bizarre and amusing. \*\* Bjork was in fact going after a paparazzi photographer who refused to stop taking pictures of Bjorks baby after Bjork had asked him to do so 5 or 6 times. the altercation happened in an airport. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/34 "2002-08-27T02:06:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\* > 5) Marilyn Manson. In the middle of an on-stage soliloquy about how much he loves pain, Marilyn was hit in the head by a bottle, thrown from the audience. Suddenly, he forget how much he allegedly loved pain, and started ranting, raving and blubbering like a baby. \*\* I can see it now: “Hey, WAIT! I love YOUR pain, NOT mine! YOUR pain! Jesus Christ, you ill-mannered Visigoths! What the hell is wrong with you?” ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/35 "2002-08-27T02:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WSLer \* > \*\* > > Bjork was in fact going after a paparazzi photographer who refused to stop taking pictures of Bjorks baby after Bjork had asked him to do so 5 or 6 times. the altercation happened in an airport. \*\* Hmm, not exactly, at least according to [Salon.com](http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2001/05/01/bjork/print.html) > [@](#): > > Nobody’s quite forgotten Björk’s 1996 attack on a TV reporter at an airport in Thailand. It was a turning point that came at a turning point: More and more, the media wanted a piece of her, and when they couldn’t get enough, they turned, at least on this one day, to her 10-year-old son. > > Björk had requested in advance that the press leave her and Sindri alone in Thailand until her press conference. When she arrived at the airport, she was surrounded by cameras. As Björk tried to get away, Julie Kaufman, a reporter from a cable TV station, approached Sindri and said, “Welcome to Bangkok!” > > Björk lunged at Kaufman, dragging her to the floor and knocking her head against the concrete several times before security pulled her off. Later a mortified Björk apologized and Kaufman chose not to sue. The reporter allegedly turned down an offer to do an ad for a hairspray company – whose product was strong enough to withstand Björk’s fury. Even considering he circumstances, it was not a shining moment for Bjork, I’m sure. That’s what bodyguards are supposed to be good for, beating the hell out of people that annoy you. An _artiste_ should never soil their hands in such a manner. ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/36 "2002-08-27T02:29:03Z")
By the way, here’s a link to [VH-1’s 100 Most Shocking Moments in Rock ‘N’ Roll](http://www.vh1.com/shows/series/100_greatest/100shocking.jhtml). Lot’s of crossover material, here. Plus gems like Gary Glitter’s child pornography bust, and Michael Hutchence’s ignominious end. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/37 "2002-08-27T02:35:54Z")
The King himself, he wasn’t a quitter. Elvis left the building and died on the shitter? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/38 "2002-08-27T02:56:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by t-keela \* > \*\*The King himself, he wasn’t a quitter. > Elvis left the building and died on the shitter? :eek: \*\* Reminds of a bit I heard from a stand-up comic recently. > [@](#): > > I hired an Elvis impersonator for a party. They said he was the best Elvis impersonator ever. Sure enough, he came over, ate all the food, shot the TV, and died on the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2002, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/39 "2002-08-27T05:45:55Z")
Sam Cooke had a less than dignifiable demise: [Site](http://www.history-of-rock.com/cooke.htm) > [@](#): > > With a live LP in the Top 30, Cooke was in L.A. partying when he met 22 year old Elisa Boyer at a club on December 11, 1964. They drove to South Central where they registered at the Hacienda Motel as Mr. and Mrs. Sam Cooke. Later Boyer left the room with most of Cooke’s clothing. Cooke, wearing one shoe and a jacket, broke into the motel’s office where he thought she was hiding. There he found Bertha Franklin the motel’s manager who shot him three times with a .22. Cooke was shot and killed on December 11, 1964 at the Hacienda motel in Los Angeles. The manager of the motel, Bertha Franklin claimed Cooke had tried to rape a twenty one year old woman Elisa Boyer and then turned on her. The coroner’s office ruled the death as justifiable homicide. Over thirty five years later there remain questions about the circumstances of Cooke’s death and there has been talk about reopening the investigation. Jerry Lee Lewis had a pretty rough spot in his career: [Site](http://www.classicbands.com/jerrylee.html) > [@](#): > > …on December 12, 1957, Jerry married 14 year old Myra Gale Brown, his second cousin. Cousins or second cousins getting married was a common practice in the rural Southern United States in the Fifties, but when Jerry Lee went to England in 1958, the press scandalized his marriage. He did a few concerts, but the pressure from the furious and judgemental British press became overwhelming, and the tour was stopped. The scandal nearly ruined Jerry Lee’s career. By the time he got back to the States, his records were being ripped from store shelves, his appearances canceled and his record sales declined. “High School Confidential”, from the MGM movie of the same name, sank to the bottom of the charts. Lewis stood up to the deluge, however, saying “I plumb married the girl, didn’t I?”… His career continued to spiral downward until 1969 when he started making C&W songs. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497/40 "2002-08-29T05:21:59Z")
The multiple drug busts, incarcerations, involuntary mental hospitalizations, a long-term unexplained disappearance, and a homicide that repeatedly destroyed (overwhelming repeated reorganization & comeback attempts) **Roky Erickson & the 13th Floor Elevators** , '66 - '78 or so. Something similar happened with some of the members of **Love** , albeit not quite as harshly (hey, they were in California, whereas the Elevators had to deal with the authorities in Texas, Alabama, etc.). XTC’s frontman **Andy Partridge** having a panic attack and running off the stage in France in 1982 [3?], on the tour supporting English Settlement, in the moment of the band’s peak popularity. **Kevin Gilbert** ’s [see Sheryl Crow, backing musicians] death by autoerotic asphyxiation a few years back. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-greatest-meltdowns-in-rock/125497.md?page=3)