- - Why some famous musicians outlived their wild reputations

Ricardo RamirezJanuary 17, 2026 at 9:26 PM

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Why some famous musicians outlived their wild reputations

Rock and roll has always meant excess and danger. But some legendary musicians proved that the wildest rockers can become the longest survivors by reinventing themselves through sobriety.

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Steven Tyler

Aerosmith’s frontman battled drugs for nearly 40 years, starting with cocaine and Jack Daniels through the 1970s and 1980s. After bandmates staged an intervention in 1988, Tyler entered rehab but relapsed in 2006 following foot surgery. He finally achieved lasting sobriety in 2009.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Ozzy Osbourne

The Prince of Darkness consumed drugs and alcohol for over 40 years with Black Sabbath. His notorious behavior included drunkenly urinating on the Alamo memorial in 1982. After multiple failed attempts, Osbourne finally got sober in 2014 with wife Sharon’s zero-tolerance support.

Image Credit: DepositPhotos.com.

Elton John

The legendary pianist consumed massive amounts of cocaine through the 1970s and 1980s, nearly destroying himself. Meeting Ryan White, a teenager dying from AIDS, sparked his transformation. White’s death in 1990 provided the catalyst. Within six months, John achieved sobriety lasting over 30 years.

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Eric Clapton

The guitar legend spent 20 years drunk and using heroin and cocaine, calculating he spent sixteen thousand dollars weekly on heroin at his worst. After multiple failed attempts, Clapton achieved lasting sobriety in 1986. Even his son Conor’s tragic death in 1991 couldn’t derail his recovery.

Image Credit: Depositphotos.com.

Alice Cooper

Rock’s original shock artist drank a case of beer daily until his liver and pancreas started failing. After hitting rock bottom in 1983, Cooper entered rehab and embraced Christianity and golf. He’s been sober for over 40 years, proving the wildest persona could hide disciplined recovery.

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Eminem

The rapper’s prescription pill addiction led to a near-fatal overdose in the early 2000s. Getting sober in 2008 meant relearning how to write and rap. His 2009 album Relapse documented recovery. He now treats sobriety like a superpower after 17 years clean.

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Keith Richards

The Rolling Stones guitarist quit heroin in 1978 and cocaine in 2006. He stopped smoking in 2019 and drastically cut back on drinking at 79. Richards admitted trying to enjoy being straight is “a unique experience” after decades of legendary excess.

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Anthony Kiedis

The Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman battled heroin and cocaine addiction for years, creating what he called a “dark energy” around the band that nearly destroyed them. His best friend and guitarist, Hillel Slovak, died from an overdose in 1988, but Kiedis continued using. He finally got clean at 27, relapsed in 1994, then achieved lasting sobriety since 2000.

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Wrap up

These legendary musicians all proved that wild reputations don’t have to be death sentences. Through interventions, rehab, and determination, they transformed from cautionary tales into inspiration. Reinvention is possible at any age, and sometimes the greatest comeback is simply surviving to tell the tale.

Related:

Legendary musicians who used creativity as a coping tool

The weirdest musicians of the ’70s

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”