# "Clean Living" Rock Stars? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303 "2017-03-29T19:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/1 "2017-03-29T19:20:11Z")
Has anyone had long term success as a rock musician (possibly a vaguely defined term, true) and lived a life with no drug use or other troubles with the law, long term stable family situation etc.? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/2 "2017-03-29T19:26:43Z")
This thread focuses more on drug use but it’s a start. [Are there any rock stars who’ve never used recreational drugs?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=766639) ETA:[Famous rock musicians who do not use alcohol or drugs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=702691) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/3 "2017-03-29T22:43:37Z")
The term “rock star” can perhaps be used loosely here when mentioning Dot Wiggins. Glen Benton, Deicide vocalist ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/4 "2017-03-29T23:04:37Z")
Prince was a Jehovah’s Witness and took only prescription drugs and even those he took reluctantly. Sure, it’s what killed him but I think he’d still be with us today if he had been a recreational drug user. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/5 "2017-03-30T02:21:23Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Prince was a Jehovah’s Witness and took only prescription drugs and even those he took reluctantly. Sure, it’s what killed him but I think he’d still be with us today if he had been a recreational drug user. What’s the point of being a rock-star if you can’t revel in wanton debauchery? “I want to be like Pat Boone when I grow up!” - Said by no one EVER, probably even Pat Boone, Jr. if there is such. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/6 "2017-03-30T02:39:32Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > What’s the point of being a rock-star if you can’t revel in wanton debauchery? > > “I want to be like Pat Boone when I grow up!” - Said by no one EVER, probably even Pat Boone, Jr. if there is such. > > 😃 And don’t forget even Pat Boone tried his hand at heavy metal. Came out more like tinfoil but he tried. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/7 "2017-03-30T02:56:09Z")
It depends on what counts as drug use but Neil Young has had a pretty clean nose. But there is the whole “straight edge” movement, if you look at recent pictures of James Hetfield I think he was “reborn” but even has the “X” tattoo in reference to it (I think that symbol in reference to the black X all-age clubs would put on underage attendees) You can see it on his wrist here. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/79/8f/e4/798fe4cbd8d5240fb287880c50625ad9.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/79/8f/e4/798fe4cbd8d5240fb287880c50625ad9.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/8 "2017-03-30T03:02:54Z")
I had to add artists who people assume are drug users but who are reportable not. But I think fame and touring don’t really work well with family life so I am ignoring that. J Mascis Frank Zappa Henry Rollins Morrissey And if you remember Adam Ant’s - Goody two Shoes; that song was written about people giving him flack for not drinking or using drugs. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/9 "2017-03-30T03:11:56Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > I had to add artists who people assume are drug users but who are reportable not. But I think fame and touring don’t really work well with family life so I am ignoring that. > > J Mascis > Frank Zappa > Henry Rollins > Morrissey > > And if you remember Adam Ant’s - **Goody two Shoes** ; that song was written about people giving him flack for not drinking or using drugs. “Don’t drink, don’t smoke…what do ya do?” “Fuck like a rabbit…what do you do?” ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/10 "2017-03-30T04:13:16Z")
Alice Cooper is very much into healthy living. Has been for at least 20 plus years. He drank heavily early in his career. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/11 "2017-03-30T04:29:48Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > “Don’t drink, don’t smoke…what do ya do?” > > “Fuck like a rabbit…what do you do?” Gene Simmons has always said that his refusal to use drugs or drink heavily was because “someone told me your dick stays limp when you’re drunk. I thought, ‘What a horrible thing!!’” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/12 "2017-03-30T05:00:14Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > “I want to be like Pat Boone when I grow up!” - Said by no one EVER, probably even Pat Boone, Jr. if there is such. Religion can be a drug. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/13 "2017-03-30T05:59:22Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > What’s the point of being a rock-star if you can’t revel in wanton debauchery? > > “I want to be like Pat Boone when I grow up!” - Said by no one EVER, probably even Pat Boone, Jr. if there is such. > > 😃 Pat Boone doesn’t have any sons, but his daughter Debby became famous for about 15 minutes with her song “You Light My Life.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/14 "2017-03-30T06:10:14Z")
> [@G0sp3l](#): > > What’s the point of being a rock-star if you can’t revel in wanton debauchery? > 😃 In Bruce Springsteen’s case, it seems that the answer is that he really, really, \*really \*loves performing, and he avoids anything that could get in the way of making music in front of a crowd. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/15 "2017-03-30T06:30:19Z")
A co-worker, who is a fan, says one of Iron Maiden’s members flies the band’s jet. He’s probably pretty clean. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/16 "2017-03-30T06:42:04Z")
Weird Al Yankovic is pretty cross-genre. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/17 "2017-03-30T10:47:34Z")
SDMB thread from 2013: [Famous rock musicians who do not use alcohol or drugs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=702691). ETA: Oops, saw that this was posted in Post #2. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/18 "2017-03-30T11:46:42Z")
It’s probably already mentioned in one of the linked threads, but isn’t Charlie Watts the poster child for this? ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/19 "2017-03-30T12:29:45Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > A co-worker, who is a fan, says one of Iron Maiden’s members flies the band’s jet. He’s probably pretty clean. Bruce Dickinson. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303/20 "2017-03-30T12:36:46Z")
Isn’t Sting the poster child for this sort of thing? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-living-rock-stars/783303.md?page=2)