# List of Rock Stars that have successfully made it back from the brink of self destruction? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 8, 2015, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809 "2015-12-08T09:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/21 "2015-12-08T19:45:18Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > David Bowie did so much cocaine that there are entire albums of his that he has no memory of ever working on. A dabbler, he was not. Bowie used to sell Sly Stone cocaine. He was a hard-core user. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/22 "2015-12-08T20:23:13Z")
Stevie Nicks has been relatively open about how bad her cocaine addiction got. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/23 "2015-12-08T20:39:04Z")
Nikki Sixx ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/24 "2015-12-08T20:45:28Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Stevie Nicks has been relatively open about how bad her cocaine addiction got. She was the first one who came to my mind. She was also addicted to Klonopin. I read one of Mick’s autobiographies (I don’t recommend it, blech) and he may not admit it outright, but he was addicted as well. The entire band indulged heavily and it fueled all their drama during the Rumours era. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/25 "2015-12-08T21:09:11Z")
Steven Tyler (and the rest of Aerosmith?) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/26 "2015-12-08T21:10:20Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Barry McGuire has been a hard core Christian since the early 1970’s. I have his first 2 Christian rock albums and he’s influential as a Christian music producer. He produced albums for a group called 2nd Chapter of Acts that’s really good. AFAIK he’s still very much clean and sober and has been for at least 40 years. Whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/27 "2015-12-08T22:42:01Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Nikki Sixx Nikki Sixx crossed over the abyss and came back. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/28 "2015-12-08T22:45:40Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Nikki Sixx Oh hell yes. I remember seeing his interview where he admitted to overdosing on heroin, waking up in the ER, signing himself out and going back home to do more heroin :eek: You can probably put all of Motley Crue on the list, although Vince doesn’t seem to be done destructing yet. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/29 "2015-12-08T23:10:46Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > Oh hell yes. I remember seeing his interview where he admitted to overdosing on heroin, waking up in the ER, signing himself out and going back home to do more heroin :eek: > > You can probably put all of Motley Crue on the list, although Vince doesn’t seem to be done destructing yet. I finally read the group autobiography “The Dirt”, which came out ca. 2000, a few years ago. It was one of the saddest books I have ever read, and it was really, really obvious to me that Vince and Nikki were horribly abused as children. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/30 "2015-12-08T23:11:50Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I know of a once-successful rocker who beat her drug problem, but she also got out of the business and was never heard from again. But she is alive. Does that count? Just curious - who is she? You can PM me if you don’t want to post it here. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/31 "2015-12-08T23:34:13Z")
Paul McCartney, of all people, apparently came close to a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed/alcoholic shortly after the Beatles broke up (around the time the _McCartney_ album was recorded). He himself has said that he almost became a “rock ‘n’ roll casualty”. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/32 "2015-12-09T02:53:44Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Paul McCartney, of all people, apparently came close to a nervous breakdown and was severely depressed/alcoholic shortly after the Beatles broke up (around the time the _McCartney_ album was recorded). He himself has said that he almost became a “rock ‘n’ roll casualty”. AFAIK, no member of R.E.M. has ever been to rehab, but Michael Stipe had a mental breakdown in the mid 1980s which was almost certainly catalyzed by drugs. He’s also admitted that around that time, he had an eating disorder, although I don’t think he’s ever revealed the exact nature to the public. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/33 "2015-12-09T15:08:20Z")
Courtney Love. She is doing well these days. Put out some new music this year, was in a musical, a few tv shows, and has a movie in the works. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/34 "2015-12-09T19:34:38Z")
Keef. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/35 "2015-12-09T21:15:04Z")
Pete Townshend was in a bad way in the early 80s. He said this about his habits in an interview in Penthouse: > [@](#): > > I’d been freebasing two or three grams of coke, which required about half an ounce of coke to produce; I was smoking about one gram, sometimes more, of heroin; and on top of that I was usually taking about eight to ten Ativan tablets plus two or three sleeping tablets to get to sleep at night – I was a walking pillbox. …and that didn’t count his daily bottle (or more) of brandy. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/36 "2015-12-09T21:53:22Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Courtney Love. She is doing well these days. Put out some new music this year, was in a musical, a few tv shows, and has a movie in the works. Speaking of Courtney Love. Just watched a documentary on Netflix called “Soaked in Bleach”. It discusses the details around Kurt Cobain’s death. It’s hard for me not to see her as one guilty bitch now. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/37 "2015-12-09T21:58:17Z")
Does Brian Wilson count? (Just saw Love & Mercy recently. Great movie.) ---
**Author:** ![FallingLeaves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/54ee81/32.png) [@FallingLeaves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallingLeaves)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/38 "2015-12-10T00:21:41Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I finally read the group autobiography “The Dirt”, which came out ca. 2000, a few years ago. It was one of the saddest books I have ever read, and it was really, really obvious to me that Vince and Nikki were horribly abused as children. His book The Heroin Diaries details a lot of it too. I couldn’t put it down. Terrifying as well as fascinating what people put themselves through. Phil Collen of Def Leppard could be added to such a list. He had quite the drinking problem in the 80s, similar to the one that took the life of his band mate Steve Clark. He instead quit drinking (has been sober now for probably 20+ years) became a vegetarian and is seriously into exercise and taking care of himself. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/39 "2015-12-10T01:33:25Z")
Ringo’s problems, mostly with alcohol, were (are?) a lot worse than was publicly known. He claims to have been sober for years. He and wife Barbara Bach went into rehab in 1988; not much information about the intervening years is available. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/40 "2015-12-10T01:39:59Z")
Dave Mustaine has been in and out of rehab dozens of times, mostly for heroin…last I heard he’s rehabbing with Jesus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809.md?page=3)