Ann 2
Alain
JennYMuzikal Talent Lost to Drugs...Who Do You Miss?
November 15th 2006 04:26
Elvis Presley - The King of Rock n Roll
Tommy Bolin, Deep Purple musician
Robert Buck, 10,000 Maniacs Musician
Tim Buckley, musician
Steve Clark, Def Leppard musician
Nick Drake, musician
Andrew Wood - Major Ancestor in Grunge Lineage
Jim Morrison - The Doors
GG Allin, cult psychopathic punk rock singer
and country and western singer who fronted
The Jabbers, The Scumfucs, The Murder Junkies
among other bands.
and country and western singer who fronted
The Jabbers, The Scumfucs, The Murder Junkies
Janis Joplin
Jimi Hendrix
John Entwistle, musician
Brian Epstein, Beatles manager
Keith Ferguson, Fabulous Thunderbirds, musician
Judy Garland, Singer/actress
Tim Hardin, musician
Jerry Garcia - Grateful Dead
Dee Dee Ramone - The Ramones
Keith Moon
Kristen Pfaff - Hole Bass Guitarist
Bon Scott - AC/DC
Bobby Hatfield, musician
Shannon Hoon, musician
Phil Lynott, musician
Frankie Lymon, musician
Brad Nowell, musician, Sublime
Gram Parsons, musician
Bobby Sheehan singer/musician, Blues Traveler
Sid Vicious, musician, Sex Pistols
Hillel Slovak, musician, original guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Shannon Hoon, musician
Phil Lynott, musician
Frankie Lymon, musician
Brad Nowell, musician, Sublime
Gram Parsons, musician
Bobby Sheehan singer/musician, Blues Traveler
Sid Vicious, musician, Sex Pistols
Hillel Slovak, musician, original guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Layne Staley, Frontman, Alice in Chains
(All pictures courtesy of Wikipedia)
It's shocking seeing it all in one place, isn't it? This is just a sample of what the music world has lost. It pisses me off. So much incredible talent wasted, gone, never to be replicated and for nothing. What's worse...100% preventable.
Of course, there are so many more that I didn't get on this list, so add your tribute...Which artist would you give anything to have back? Do you know some trivia about one of the rockers listed here or want to add your own fallen god of rock...be my guest...
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Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
It's amazing at how long the list really is. Sad. Only word for it.
Thanks and come back,
Voices~
Comment by Hellvis
Earache Hotel
And Sid Vicious was hardly a musician, they turned his amp off during most performances.
Its still obviously sad that so many great performers died. What's just as sad is that someone like Sid Vicious may have become a great musician if he wasn't too fucked up on smack to at least learn some rudimentary bass skills.
On the flipside I think drugs are part of the rock culture and can often help performers tap into their creativity. As with everything, moderation is the key (which is kind of hard when heroin is involved).
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Kurt Cobain comes to mind instantly. Technically it was the shotgun that killed him not drugs, but he had shot up enough heroin to kill an elephant at the same time, and you'd hope if not for his drug problems that he wouldn't have ended up in such a dark place where taking his own life seemed like the only way out.
He famously made the throwaway comment that 'it's better to burn out than fade away', but I for one would loved to have heard the music that would have created in his 30's and 40's.
So much talent wasted.
KylieW
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
GG Allin is included on this list for one reason, he was well known in music and he died from drugs. As for his talent...well, I was speaking nicely of the dead, let's just say. Ditto on Sid.
Hellvis, Hellvis, Hellvis...we were doing SOOOO good on the agreeing thing...I will just say this about your comment about drugs in moderation possibly being a creative process, no one is so rich that they can afford to do drugs.
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
The staggering amount of talent that has been lost to heroin, alone, is enough to make me sick. I always do the same thing when I think or hear of someone ODing...I try to picture the first time that they put the needle to their arm -(I know there are other ways to do it but I always picture the needle for some reason) and I imagine what they were thinking at the time. "I am going to do this...just once...I'll never do it again." That was the true moment of their death. The rest of their life up to overdosing was just decay.
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
Thanks for commenting. Its a sad thing to comment on...but thank you...
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Hellvis
Earache Hotel
Sid could've been really talented but threw it all away for drugs. There's a heartbreaking moment in the doco The Filth & the Fury were Johnny Rotten breaks down and cries over how Sid was treated by the media and the band's manager Malcom McLaren. People think just because they were snotty punks that they weren't human.
As for nobody being able to afford to do drugs, I'm not so sure. Certainly heroin becomes a problem for anyone, no matter how rich, due to the physical nature of the addiction and the exponential way in which the need for that drug overtakes the body: the more you have, the more you need.
But some artists have used other drugs quite successfully. None of the Beatles died of drugs, but they were off their friggin' heads on all sorts of stuff back in the day. I agree that heroin is incredibly nasty and not a good idea for anyone. But pot, LSD, cocaine: all of these take their toll with overabuse (just like red meat or sugar), but can be used in moderation.
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
That is terrible! Are you using something in moderation right now?? I am firmly scolding you...You know I hate disclaimers...
THE MOST RECENT POSTING BY HELLVIS HAS NOW CREATED A NEED FOR A DISCLAIMER...please read this very quickly with an annoying TV announcer voice.
"This site does not now, nor will it ever, encourage the use of illegal drugs in any shape, way or form for any reason, excuse or medical condition.
Muzikal Mafia and The Voices in my Head (all of them) does not agree with the idea that occasional experimentation with drugs is a good idea or valid method of tapping into some 'unknown to you' creative source. If you believe you have talent which can be tapped into by using drugs, take a pez and tell yourself to have a nice trip..."
Comment by Hellvis
Earache Hotel
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
*taking swig of my beer* I do blanket statement drugs. *Taking a bite of my steak* I am a bit of a goody goody on that subject. (hand me my cigarettes, please, they are just there beside you.)
On a different topic...do you know what would be wonderful? If they made alcoholic Mt. Dew!
I am standing firm on consuming nothing bad for you...
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
Inner West Life
Shane McGowan. Watching a doco on him the other day made me want to vomo.
Comment by David my David
Being musically ignorant ... in a miserably blissful way ...
I was only visiting your site to learn a bit about music without commenting ...
but when I saw the pic of Kristen Pfaff I felt like I compltely understood (in an analogous way) what a huge loss some musos must be to their fans ...
Faces, fingers and kneebones like that don't come along all that often ...
David ...
Comment by Josh Z
Both poets.
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
No, he isn't dead yet. I liked this quote from him on the topic:
"The press has been giving me six months to live for the past twenty years...they must be getting pissed off at interviewing me."
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
Nor does the ability she possessed to play the bass guitar, especially being self taught...I would guess music fans would miss that most of all. *smile*
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
Yes, they were...both of whom allegedly had affairs, although brief ones, with Janis Joplin. If I am not mistaken, one of them died within a short time of Joplin...I want to say Morrison. They were both the same age, also. Tragic.
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Joe Blogg
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
Sid Vicious is hardly a a musician & pretty much contributed nowt to music in general.
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
NBL News
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
NBL News
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
I would recommend you visit the forum and convince me why I should love hip hop. I am not a big fan and I would like to have more appreciation for it...I am generally very negative about it. Maybe you would be the one to change my mind...*smile*
Come back.
Voices~
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
Laura was lost to a brain aneurism, you naughty, naughty boy...I know you grieve her. But truly, you must move on, now...
Come back, you know I adore you!
Voices~
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
NBL News
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
I am pretty flexible...no worries. *smile* Unless you did the unthinkable. The absolute worse thing that a muzikal mafia member can do..and that is...to say that Britney Spears has talent. That is the ONE unforgiveable rule...
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by TonyK
AFL Central
NBL News
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
MTv is banned in my house for the most part. On occasion they have something worthwhile to watch...like the 1996-(I think it was, I need to look that up again)-
(collective groan from the readers entered here...when you have been here enough, TonyK, you will learn...)
-Unplugged featuring Alice in Chains. THAT was worth watching. Own it on DVD, actually. TonyK, in case you do not know this, and I am telling you because this may make your job of helping me to appreciate hip hop a bit more difficult, I am obsessed with AIC. I worship them, actually.
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
No. However, and this is a little known fact that I am sharing with you, Bryn. Most people watching 'Spinal Tap' lost significant amounts of brain cells. In fact...and this is just a rumor, but I have heard that many of them forget to turn lights on when they take pictures of themselves. *shrug* I don't know if that's true...but something tells me...
Come back, you evil little evil-doer, as we Americans are prone to say...(not really)
Voices~
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
*clapping hands* Up to scratch? Is that like up to Par, or up to snuff? I love it...
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
Now I know all your hard-rock readers are going to laugh...and technically he's not really dead, although we did loose him to heroin didn't we...because he became a Zombie, I'm talking about the Boy ... George... and yes, cool or not, I liked his music... at the time... it wasn't cool but brunettes rarely are... but it was good...
Was he popular there in the states V?
Lilla...
Comment by Little Angry Doll
Falling Haiku Leaf
Inner West Life
Great quote from McGowan! I'd have though he'd died from blood poisoning by now - if not from the grog then from the teeth!
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
no no no...*I should have known...*
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
I didn't know that Boy George was addicted to Heroin..I thought it was something else. That is horrible news. I love Boy George. I consider him to be a tremendous artist pushing boundary lines, and I love his music.
My faves are 'Miss Me Blind', 'Church of the Poison Mind', 'It's a miracle' and 'Karma Chamelion'.
Have no worries about being ridiculed from me..I am a George junkie. *sorry...bad use of words there*
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
I found this little tidbit on McGowan:
"[McGowan] was introduced to alcohol at the age of five by his aunt on the promise he would not worship the devil; she also introduced him to cigarettes at the same time. MacGowan first tried whiskey when he was 10 and continued to drink heavily from that point on. (Wikipedia)
I would say that he has done well with his life considering...
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Lilla
From The Home Front
Enviro Warrior
Dream Herald
Esoteric Bookshop
That's good to know... so many people ridiculed him.. I thought he was very good and I loved all those songs you mentioned... Last I heard about five years ago was that he kicked the habit, but could never sing a song again.. whatever that 'something' was it was definitely gone... He did a few gigs in shopping malls trying to do covers on his own songs...
in 2003 he went on to London Radio for a while and starred in that show the Kumars, then he got writing and wrote some stuff about Feng Shui (a forward in a book I think), and now he's writing some songs for Kylie Manogue.
Recently he told Jonty Skrufff that his new TrusttheDJ brand of DJ-ing was about clubbing elitism and a return to pretentiousness which could revitalise today’s disposable pop culture...(that's a link btw)... *and he still looks wrecked....*
Anyway he just had his first commercial release after 8 years with a song he's co-written with Amanda Ghost - called 'Time Machine.'
It is a real shame, he had so much to give and gave so much too...
Lilla...
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
He had a beautiful voice in his early career. It is sad at the effects of Heroine not only on his body but obviously his career and mind.
That is a great match between his writing style and Kylie Minogue. She is just a very sexy performer and he will feed into that beautifully and may even add a bit more depth to her career.
One can only pray that he truly kicks the heroine habit and other drugs he may use, as well. There are no old heroine junkies for a reason.
Thank you for commenting, as always.
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Wendi
I'm one who tends to believe our date of death is somewhat predetermined. We have "X" amount of time to accomplish our goal/mission/purpose before returning to the all that is and waiting for another go at it. When we look back at lives of musicians "cut short" by drugs, we realize they've accomplished more in their short life span than many of us could even hope to achieve if we lived to be more than a hundred. Janice Joplin's body may have died long ago, but there is no doubt her spirit lives eternally in her music.
In a sense, these artists are absolutely immortal because even after the artist dies, the music lives on.
Again, not condoning drug use - however, I believe it had its place in the lives of these artists and their music and that the imact on us may not have been the same if everyone was on the "straight and narrow" path of enlightenment.
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
You bring up a number of interesting questions with your comment...all very thought provoking.
I do see your point, (and Hellvis') on this matter. I do believe that they probably experienced things during highs that inspired some of their music.
I have to wonder though, if that is the case, and if that is what has led to great music, and if that is the reason that we still elevate these musicians to the god-like level that we do, if we are not celebrating their deaths by doing so? That we are thankful for the creativity, which stemmed from addiction which ultimately led to death for these individuals, and then shrug and say, "It was what made them great"? How selfish does that make us?
As for the other points you raised, that is best saved for our all night session when we skip on over to your site and discuss them...which I am dying to do. I have so many things I would love to get your opinions on. Let's do that soon! *smile*
Thank you, as always, Lovely Lady Wendi-licious,
Come back,
Voices~
Comment by Wendi
As for the all nighter at my place, just say when. I've got about 3 weeks left before my next trip, unless an unexpected opportunity for travel presents itself. Next trip will be a long one - going back to Vegas, so I'll basically be gone for the mid-section of December, but back in time for a Kentucky Christmas (hopefully a white one!) With me, you never can tell, though - if an opportunity to explore surfaces, I'm all over it. *LOL*
Gonna go over to my place now and begin working on a story that's begging me to write it... and to share some of the orb photos I'm so tickled with. *grins*
Comment by tinkster
Comment by The Voices in my Head
The Voices in my Head
I have gone on and on about my Layne...nice to see someone else do it for a change, although I am not sure Lethal would agree...
Come back,
Voices~