# Who best epitomized the out-of-control lifestyle of rock and roll? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677 "2015-01-01T14:32:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/1 "2015-01-01T14:32:03Z")
Non-stop partying… drugs… booze… sex… property damage… lavish spending… self destruction. I’m thinking **Keith Moon**. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/2 "2015-01-01T14:33:33Z")
Got it in one. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/3 "2015-01-01T14:54:13Z")
Moon, quite obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/4 "2015-01-01T15:12:48Z")
[Keef](https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVjasY6VUiVMAka8PxQt.?p=keith+richards&fr=&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001) ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/5 "2015-01-01T15:17:26Z")
Before I got to the end of the OP’s question I came to the exact same conclusion. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/6 "2015-01-01T16:29:38Z")
Moonie is definitely the poster boy for Rock ‘n’ Roll excess, but Harry Nilsson was no slouch either. [Here they are enjoying a night on the town](http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lny6uz0cdY1qh96ylo1_500.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/7 "2015-01-01T16:44:02Z")
Jim Morrison Nikki Sixx Janis Joplin ---
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/8 "2015-01-01T16:55:04Z")
Jimmy Page. Includes whips and underage girls. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/9 "2015-01-01T16:59:36Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Jimmy Page. Includes whips and underage girls. That was my first thought, too - especially the “fish incident”. Still, Keith Moon is a hard guy to beat in the hedonism department. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/10 "2015-01-01T17:24:10Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Non-stop partying… drugs… booze… sex… property damage… lavish spending… self destruction. > > I’m thinking **Keith Moon**. > [@Stratocaster](#): > > [Keef](https://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVjasY6VUiVMAka8PxQt.?p=keith+richards&fr=&fr2=piv-web&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-001) Hmmm. Time for a Keith-off? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/11 "2015-01-01T17:25:04Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Nikki Sixx I suppose we could say he would be the standardbearer for the “second generation” of wild rockers. But from the earlier wave, Moon set the bar way high. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Jimmy Page. Includes whips and underage girls. Hmmm… yes, I do suppose the underage loveslave provides some serious extra cred here. Damn that \*was \*quite the different time, wasn’t it… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/12 "2015-01-01T18:04:48Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Hmmm. Time for a Keith-off? Sure. Whoever is still alive is the loser due to weak commitment. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/13 "2015-01-01T18:34:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Sure. > > Whoever is still alive is the loser due to weak commitment. I was going to say this. Keith Richards has reached the ripe old age of 71 and the worst thing that has happened to him was he fell out of a tree and hit his head. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/14 "2015-01-01T19:00:40Z")
Two words: Club 27. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/15 "2015-01-01T19:12:38Z")
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead drank and debauched himself to death by the age of 27. He was a keyboardist. Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil down at the crossroads. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/16 "2015-01-01T19:25:06Z")
Some of what Moon did seems to be an act. A kind of “Well I’m Keith fucking Moon aren’t I? This is how I’m supposed to act.” Not all, but some. Whereas I think John Belushi was just John Belushi. Belushi also gets points for living a rock and roll lifestyle when he wasn’t really a musician. Despite the Blues Brothers stuff. I guess I’d still give the top spot to Moon. Moon’s death is puzzling. he took 32 tablets of a sedative when he was told not to take more than three in one day. There’s thinking you’re invulnerable but that’s beyond the pale. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/17 "2015-01-01T19:31:01Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I was going to say this. Keith Richards has reached the ripe old age of 71 and the worst thing that has happened to him was he fell out of a tree and hit his head. I remember _Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me_ having a question about that incident (or shortly thereafter)… “When Keith Richards dies, if, indeed, he _can_ die…” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/18 "2015-01-01T19:33:37Z")
Obviously Justin Bieber. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/19 "2015-01-01T19:33:56Z")
I would nominate Robert Johnson, founding member of the “27 Club” who - although technically an R & B star - helped pioneer the rock & roll form, and definitely was the archetype of the classic rock star - guitarist, bragged about “selling his soul to the devil at the cross-roads at midnight”, cheap sex, hard liquor & dope, fast living…and checking out, un-repentantly, at age 27. Everyone since him is an imitation in some way or another. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677/20 "2015-01-01T20:26:38Z")
I remembered a scene from The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years with a guy in a pool drinking vodka while being interviewed… That guy was nuts. [YouTube link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV8X5qDARiA). The scene I was talking about starts at about 1:40. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-best-epitomized-the-out-of-control-lifestyle-of-rock-and-roll/708677.md?page=2)