# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/41 "2015-12-10T01:41:05Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Nikki Sixx > [@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. Yep. The first album from Sixx A.M. (_The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack_) was entirely about that. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/42 "2015-12-10T01:47:09Z")
I’m unsure of how much of George Michael’s health troubles in 2011 were attributable to self-destructive behavior, but I understand that he has made a full recovery. Which is a Good Thing. I want him healthy and in full possession of his faculties when we stand him up in front of the firing squad for the crime against humanity that is [Last Christmas.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI) ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/43 "2015-12-10T06:07:26Z")
Ozzy Osbourne was so drug/alcohol addicted he tried to kill his wife. As for being clean and sober, I think other than a few brief slip ups, he has never been that bad again. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/44 "2015-12-10T13:23:37Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Title say it all. I’m just trying to comprise a list of rock stars that have successfully beaten their addictions. Whether it be drugs or alcohol. (or whatever) Ken Block, Sister Hazel…complete turnaround, now community leader type guy, still cranking out decent R&R ---
**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 10, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/45 "2015-12-10T15:43:19Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > 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. That whole “conspiracy” is total bullshit. She did not kill Curt. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/46 "2015-12-10T20:10:33Z")
> [@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. Yes, I also read “The Dirt” when it came out, and “The Heroin Diaries.” The amount of drugs he used on a daily basis was staggering. His overdose is legendary. In typical “rock star” fashion, he didn’t sign himself out. He tore the IV’s out of his arms, told the cops and the nurses to f\*\*k off, then hitchhiked home in only a pair of leather pants. Once there, he changed his answering machine (It was 1987) message to “hey it’s Nikki, I’m not here because I’m dead…” then cooked up the largest shot of heroin he’d ever had. Passed out in his bathroom with the needle still in his arm, where his manager found him the next afternoon; which happened to be Christmas Eve. Somehow, someway, he was still alive. Unreal… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/47 "2015-12-10T20:36:58Z")
> [@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. I’ve heard this about Warren Zevon as well. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/48 "2015-12-11T06:39:28Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I’ve heard this about Warren Zevon as well. I saw Warren Zevon circa 1978 at CU Boulder. He was so wasted he couldn’t stand up. Some guys in the crowd were heckling his guitarist Waddie Watchel. “Fucking Hippie” kinda stuff. Warren stands up, swaying, said something like “Colorado, man, you guys should be mellow. Here have some valium.” And tossed out a pill box to the hecklers. It was a fuckin’ great show. Not surprised he didn’t make it through the other side though… ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/49 "2015-12-11T08:19:32Z")
Ironic that after everything it was the tobacco that killed Zevon. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2015, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/50 "2015-12-11T09:45:08Z")
> [@Truman\_Burbank](#): > > Ironic that after everything it was the tobacco that killed Zevon. Actually it was [Mesothelioma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelioma), most likely caused by exposure to asbestos in his father’s carpet shop. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-rock-stars-that-have-successfully-made-it-back-from-the-brink-of-self-destruction/739809/51 "2015-12-13T19:02:20Z")
> [@FallingLeaves](#): > > 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. Bob Mould did the same thing. Meth was a bigger problem for him than alcohol, however. He’s said in recent years that he rarely thinks about drinking, but he still thinks about meth all the time, 30 years after giving it up. [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=2)