Fame is a dream many chased after without realizing the cost that comes with it. For generations, musicians have climbed on stage and entertained excited crowds with their incredible sound, But the lifestyle itself is often a difficult one that is filled with strangers, being used, endless days on the road doing tours, and the weight of being the star the label sold to the public. For many, the career takes a small toll on their lives and their health, but for some, the story took a dark turn as their lives spiraled out of control for the many musicians who battled an addiction to drugs and alcohol.
For some musicians, it isn't the typical street drugs that they become addicted to, but prescription drug abuse stemming from an original need for the medication that has spiraled out of control. Michael Jackson had spent his life battling rumors, the media, his family, and most notably, himself. The singer spent millions altering his appearance over the years to create the person he believed he was meant to be. He was insecure in many areas, which contributed to his growing dependence on powerful prescription drugs.
Few knew how much the singer used the medication, aside from his personal physician Conrad Murray. Murray was the person who discovered Jackson's near-lifeless body in 2009; though his pulse was weak and paramedics administered CPR, the pop icon passed.
The autopsy revealed numerous drugs in his system, including an overdose of Propofol and benzodiazepine which led to his death, as well as traces of lorazepam and midazolam. Murray was eventually convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the case, one that could have ended much differently if he had simply pushed Jackson to enter prescription drug rehab instead of enabling the musician’s addiction/
One musician who has received a lot of press over his struggles with heavy drinking and drug use is Ozzy Osbourne. Osbourne's life was one that told the tale of classic addiction. The rocker started his use of drugs and alcohol during his time in the rock band Black Sabbath. While on tour, Black Sabbath was known to party with drugs and alcohol flowing like candy. During his time of heavy use, Osbourne was known to use anything he could get his hands on including alcohol, cocaine, heroin, cough syrup, acid, Vicodin, Rohypnol, Klonopin and so much more. The rocker even admitted to using many of those all in one day.
One day in 1979, the rock singer’s behavior came to a head when Black Sabbath fired their lead singer. He was unable to function properly and was reluctant to work on a new album, the band felt they had no choice if they wished to save their reputation. Osbourne's story has a happy ending though. As of 2006, the rocker has been consistently clean and sober and rejuvenated his career through reality television and books.
Not all musicians are as lucky as Osbourne. Amy Winehouse hit the music scene with a bang with her catchy hit song "Rehab". The song was one that would be tragically ironic with her eventual death in 2011. The singer publicly battled her addiction as media published photos of her wandering the streets at night, not coherent and visibly high, videos circulated depicting the singer smoking crack or snorting coke and many photos of the track marks on her arms. The singer wasn't picky about much, she was an equal opportunity drug addict, but heroin was clearly a favorite of hers. The singer attempted rehab, but it didn't stick.
In the summer of 2011, the singer's horrible story came to an end when her body was discovered. Her tale was an interesting one, it wasn't a drug overdose as many had thought, instead, it was alcohol poisoning. She had followed the path of many other famous icons who have drunk themselves to death.
Addiction is a growing problem in the United States of America, and it is clear that no matter how rich and famous a person is, addiction isn't picky and will destroy the lives of even the rich and famous.
Disclosure: This is a contributed post.
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