# Musicians on Heroin **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 23, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878 "2008-02-23T20:07:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/21 "2008-02-23T23:36:59Z")
[QUOTE=flickster] This list would probably be much shorter if you had asked for the ones that didn’t [/QUOTE] Also, a lot of the reported deaths were not directly related to junk. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/22 "2008-02-23T23:47:51Z")
[Dr. John (Mac Rebennack),](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._John) “The Night Tripper”. At one time, he had a personal servant whose job (probably common in the industry) was to keep him happy, supplied, and out of trouble with the law. (From personal knowledge. Shut up and don’t ask any more questions.) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/23 "2008-02-23T23:50:42Z")
Gram Parsons Jimmy Chamberlin - Smashing Pumpkins IIRC, Mink DeVille Mark Sandman - Morphine - at least was into opiates Anton Newcombe -The Brian Jonestown Massacre Kelley Deal - The Breeders ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/24 "2008-02-24T00:02:36Z")
Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil. I’m not sure if Mick Mars ever shot up, but Motley Crue did Wisconsin’s fair share of smack. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/25 "2008-02-24T00:12:35Z")
[QUOTE=flickster] This list would probably be much shorter if you had asked for the ones that didn’t [/QUOTE] For a few decades, the only way to stand out in the jazz community outside of your music was if you didn’t do smack. There are some good stories of artists that overcame, such as Coltrane, who arguably made his best music when he came clean. It’s a lot less used in modern indie bands, as near as I can tell, but then again it’s not all that popular of a drug now. Bands of course still use it, such as Modest Mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/26 "2008-02-24T01:17:22Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] John Lennon Janis Joplin Jimi Hendrix Keith Richards Lou Reed Phil Lynott Tommy Bolin Paul Kossoff (Free) …just for starters… [/QUOTE] ``` Not sure of the others,but Hendrix isn't in that list according to everything I've read and heard. ``` ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/27 "2008-02-24T01:19:20Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) Miles Davis John Coltrane [/QUOTE] right… and Bill Evans. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/28 "2008-02-24T01:27:33Z")
[QUOTE=Carson O’Genic] Not sure of the others,but Hendrix isn’t in that list according to everything I’ve read and heard. [/QUOTE] Jimi Hendrix was busted for taking heroin into Canada on May 3, 1969. It is unknown how far into the habit he got, but he used it, and got arrested with it in his bag, entering a foreign country. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/29 "2008-02-24T01:29:26Z")
Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls) Grant Hart (Husker Du) Never heard that Shane MacGowan did heroin, but it wouldn’t surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/30 "2008-02-24T01:36:35Z")
you know, heroin is so mainstream now, it has been for like 17 years or so. So, you could name just about any musician … oh, and don’t forget courtney love… although she’s not really a musician though is she. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/31 "2008-02-24T02:05:49Z")
Rumors have swirled around **Chris Robinson** and **Bob Dylan** , but I don’t think either of them has ever acknowledged heroin use. On the other hand, Dylan sings about unspecified withdrawal (in “Tangled Up In Blue”), and Robinson sings about heroin addiction (“She Talks to Angels”) with suspicious authority. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/32 "2008-02-24T06:08:58Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Rumors have swirled around **Chris Robinson** and **Bob Dylan** , but I don’t think either of them has ever acknowledged heroin use. On the other hand, Dylan sings about unspecified withdrawal (in “Tangled Up In Blue”), and Robinson sings about heroin addiction (“She Talks to Angels”) with suspicious authority. [/QUOTE] I think I remember Janis singing something like “tangled all up in the blues”. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/33 "2008-02-24T06:18:18Z")
Jake Blues, aka John Belushi. Died from an overdose. SSG Schwartz ---
**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:** [February 24, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/34 "2008-02-24T06:36:07Z")
Pete Townshend ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/35 "2008-02-24T06:39:11Z")
[QUOTE=fishbicycle] Jimi Hendrix was busted for taking heroin into Canada on May 3, 1969. It is unknown how far into the habit he got, but he used it, and got arrested with it in his bag, entering a foreign country. [/QUOTE] He also said it wasn’t his, and the Canadian court agreed with him. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/36 "2008-02-24T06:51:33Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > Lou Reed It should be noted that he wrote the song Heroin before he started using it. Elliot Smith- the song [Needle in the Hay](http://www.sweetadeline.net/lhay.html) is about using heroin, although I guess it might not be based on personal experience, like what I said about Lou Reed above. I’m thinking it probably was though. What’s the story with John Lennon and heroin? Did he keep using until he died or did he quit some time in the 70’s? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/37 "2008-02-24T06:58:46Z")
I think Marc Bolan would probably qualify. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/38 "2008-02-24T07:49:24Z")
Art Pepper, Emily Remler, and no shortage of other prematurely deceased jazz musicians (of course including Bird and Miles and Trane and Bill Evans and the others cited above). ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/39 "2008-02-24T07:59:46Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] What’s the story with John Lennon and heroin? Did he keep using until he died or did he quit some time in the 70’s? [/QUOTE] He started it sometime in 1968, and used it through sometime in 1970, at least until he kicked it. He was on it for much of _The White Album_, was nearly catatonic during the rehearsals and filming of _Let It Be_ (in fact his being strung out and his unwillingness or inability to communicate or contribute during the sessions is what led George to quit the group for a few days following a row with him - not an argument with Paul, as is widely misbelieved), _Live Peace In Toronto_ and all of _Abbey Road_. That’s why he prefaced a performance of “Come Together” with Elephant’s Memory by saying, “You probably remember this better than I do…” and then proceeded to misremember it. There is an account of how he called a meeting at Apple to announce that he was Jesus Christ, and another publicity event he and Yoko staged, during which it was so obvious that he was out of his mind on smack, that nothing further was ever said about it, and none of the journalists present typed a single word about it. Even in his “lost weekend” period, he drank a lot, used coke and smoked a lot of pot, but there are no stories of heroin use that have come out. It seems unlikely that he would have been on heroin during the time when Nixon’s people were targeting him as an undesirable, had him under surveillance, and were trying to kick him out of the country. Nobody really knows what he did while holed up at The Dakota for five years, except those closest to him, and they aren’t talking. From all accounts, he seemed to have got healthy, ate a macrobiotic diet and didn’t do much, if any, recreational drug use beyond pot, which remained a favorite pastime through his life. Incidentally, John and Paul were sitting in his living room getting wasted, watching Saturday Night Live when they offered The Beatles money to come on the show. They briefly discussed getting in a cab and showing up there, but decided against it. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878/40 "2008-02-24T08:35:47Z")
Steve Clark-Def Leppard. Betwen that, Valium and having an addiction to alcohol that was almost legendary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musicians-on-heroin/438878.md?page=3)