The Campaign For Real Music
Intelligent Music for Grown-Ups

Music is a part of our lives however big or small and who can really blame us when throughout history there have been so many inspirational and soul stirring performers. From Jimmy Hendrix to Eva Cassidy, Chaka Khan and Rufus to the Rolling Stones, many have come and gone but left indelible prints in our hearts, minds and, of course, our record collections. 

But how many of these artists did we really know….we knew their music but in most cases were oblivious to their personal lives. Admittedly, many artists enjoyed a normal existence, well, as normal as can be expected; enjoying the fruits of their labour and level of success. However, there were also a huge number of musicians and singers who led their lives in stark contrast to those of the latter. Although most appeared to be living the dream to the outside world, behind doors they were battling their own demons and existing within a world of self harm and abuse.

It was no secret that a lot of artists used recreational drugs, whether it was to invoke creativity or help them relax enough to express it, but a significant proportion of singers, musicians and thinkers of our time abused substances to the extent that it led to the obliteration of their very own existence.  

·         Janis Joplin, American Blues Singer – Heroin/alcohol overdose aged 27 

·         Kurt Cobain, lead signer & guitarist of Nirvana - committed suicide after heavy heroin use aged 27 

·         Brian Jones, musician, Rolling Stones - died of drowning after alcohol and barbiturate use aged 26 

·         Chet Baker, trumpeter/singer – heroin addict, died after falling from an upstairs window aged 58 

·         Brian Connolly, member of the band “Sweet” – died of liver failure after years of substance abuse 

·         Michael Clarke, drummer for “The Byrds” – died of liver failure from alcohol abuse, aged 47 

·         Pete Farndon, bassist for the Pretenders – died of a heroin overdose, aged 31 

·         Billy Holiday, aka Lady Day, Jazz singer – died of liver cirrhosis after years of heroin/opium abuse 

·         Hillel Slovak,  guitarist for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers – died of a heroin overdose, aged 26 

·         David Michael Alexander: bassist for protopunk band The Stooges – excessive use of drugs/alcohol 

·         Florence Ballard, founder/lead singer of The Supremes – cardiac arrest due to alcoholism, aged 35 

·         Benny Berigan,  leading jazz trumpeter - died from excessive use of alcohol, aged 33 

·         Michael Bernard Bloomfield, American guitarist/composer - died of a Heroine overdose, aged 38 

·         Tommy Bolin, guitarist with Zephyr & Deep Purple - died from drugs/alcohol poisoning, aged 25 

…and the list goes on. In fact, the list is so extensive that you can actually find a comprehensive A-Z catalogue on Wikipedia of artists who have died of drug related causes in the past.   

we knew their music but in most cases were oblivious to their personal lives

So what is this undeniable link between musicians and mind altering substances? Why are many a musical genius naturally drawn to the dark door of alcohol or narcotics? And if they hadn’t used drugs would their music have been so great? 

In the beginning there was man…. and drugs? 

Since the dawn of man, civilisations all over the planet have sought to find answers to their existence and unravel the enigma of life itself, to live in harmony with mother earth and become closer to a divine energy. Through the ingestion of natural substances, hallucinogenic and out of body experiences were (and still are) considered a fundamental part of their subsistence and practice. These men and women were shamans or witch doctors who practiced within the realm of natural medicines or drugs, if you like, in a quest of self discovery and to help deliver them and their fellow man from earthly constraints. 

It was also religious in some cases and personal reflection and betterment was the ultimate goal. Many of these rituals included song, dance and general creativity. For example the artistry discovered in Palaeolithic caves in parts of Africa and Asia dating back to before 12,000 BC depict surreal images of human transformation into animal forms and other unexplainable symbols. Similar artistry has been discovered in more recent years and it is known that tribes descending from these eras in particular used hallucinogens to induce a higher state of consciousness which allowed them to perceive these visions. They would then interpret their experiences through art, sculpture and music.   

An example of one such natural substance is Iboga. It is a plant native to the rainforests of Western Africa and is a perennial shrub that acts as a hallucinogen when consumed. In small doses it affects the nervous system and in larger doses it can bring about visions and out of body experiences. The Iboga tree is an essential part of the Bwiti religion which is linked with the Yoruba religion (a divination of Osunlade’s faith known as Ifa) and practiced mainly in Cameroon, Gabon and the Congo. It is ingested in numerous spiritual ceremonies, one of which is the ritual of initiation upon entering into the Bwiti religion. The man or woman takes a massive dose of the drug and embarks upon a personal journey where they can expect to experience every human emotion. It is often intense and disturbing to see but it is seen as a necessary evil to attain a clean spirit entering into the new faith. On a more regular basis, the plant is eaten in smaller doses for use in rituals and tribal dances, usually always performed at night (interestingly enough).  

Who really knows what the main motivations are behind this common need to sustain or enhance artistic energy. Could it be that musicians of more recent years who use drugs are doing it for the same fundamental reasons; to purge and cleanse their demons through a creative outlet? Or is it simply because they enjoy it and have time and money to spend?  And although drugs are an historical and intrinsic part of our human behaviour, is it fair to say that whilst its use hasn’t changed over the years, its ingredients and stimulus have? 

Hands in the Cookie Jar? 

So we know that one reason drugs are taken is to temporarily enhance the pleasure found in listening, playing or dancing to music and, let’s be honest, life itself. They can heighten the senses and bring about a sense of elation and rapture to the user.  You only need to look back to the 70’s when the true essence of free love was in full effect. Men and women could often be found wearing nothing but a peace sign swaying in a summers breeze to artists like the Doobie Brothers or Sly and the Family Stone. Taking drugs was a way of rebelling against the system, political change and the stark realities of the times and many artists themselves openly explored the spectrum of recreational use.

A good example of this was a San Francisco Rock band called the Grateful Dead who formed in the 1960’s. Well known for their unique and diverse song-writing skills, they were heavily influenced by psychedelic sounds fusing rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, country jazz and even gospel into their repertoire of music.  Their early music was also inspired by the early “Acid Tests” which were hippy festivals put on by the Merry Pranksters who once traveled across America in a multi-colored bus’ promoting LSD, acid, marijuana and the music. Interestingly enough, the Merry Pranksters actually were a collection of people who were founded by the American Novelist Ken Kesey, most famous for the book “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.  Ken Kesey was well known for his dabbling in psycho-active substances and is thought to be the main link between the “beat-generation” of the 1950’s and the hippies of the 1960’s.  His is an interesting life story that I would recommend you read about.  Anyway, the Grateful Dead had a huge and loyal band of followers who were renowned for their support and knowledge of the groups’ music. They would follow them on tours and concerts for years and were known as “Dead Heads”…similar to the terminology that we use i.e. “house heads” or “hip-hop heads”. They were seriously into the music and equally as serious into drugs, so much so in fact that a breakaway group was formed called the Wharf Rats.

The Wharf Rats were former dead heads who had chosen to lead a clean and drug free life and set up their own support group. They would then go to concerts, still following the music, and offer help to former Dead Heads who wanted to get out of the cycle of sex, drugs and Rock n Roll…. How crazy is that!

who really knows what the main motivations are behind this common need to sustain or enhance artistic energy?

Jefferson Airplane was also another San Fran based Rock Group who were closely linked with the Dead Heads and it is said that their singer Grace Slick planned to lace US President Richard Nixon’s tea with LSD when she was inadvertently invited to the Whitehouse by Nixon’s daughter.  However, her guest who was a hippie activist named Abbie Hoffman was recognized by Secret Service Agents and they were both turned away…damn! Could you imagine that making the front page news?!

Many other bands and artists throughout history have openly sung songs about drug use from reggae artists like Bob Marley and Pete Tosh “Legalize it” to The Allman Brothers Band and the Beatles who sang “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” – one of their most famous songs thought to be about the use of LSD. You only had to look at George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars to know they were on something. The outlandish costumes, multicolored hair, shaggadelic music and lyrical innuendo all pointed to the notion that maybe they were under the influence of a little more than just government juice…well, that and the fact that on December 6, 2003, Clinton was charged with one felony count of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia in Tallahassee, Florida.

Yet, despite this, they are undisputedly one of the greatest and most influential funk bands to ever grace the planet, producing fabulous albums like “Hey man smell my finger” and “T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.S” – The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership, neither of which are album titles that you would expect to hear from groups like West Life or Girls Aloud. Bearing in mind that some of the best music ever produced was probably born out of an idea formed within a haze of opium or some other substance, could it be argued that there is a distinct difference between creative users and destructive users? All of the above examples seem to be pretty cool and harmless characters who enjoyed dabbling in things you probably couldn’t even spell. We can label them a product of the times because most everyone associates the 70’s and 80’s with peace pipes and daisy chains, but what about musicians that openly crossed the line of “soft” drugs and displayed a less glamorous side to it all?  

Work Hard – Play Harder 

Ray Charles Robinson, also referred to by Frank Sinatra as “the only true genius in the business”, needs no introductions with an astounding musical career that spanned over 4 decades. He was a pioneering pianist and singer who shaped and defined the heart of rhythm and blues adding his stamp of soul to everything he touched from country, to pop to Jazz.  He had a passion for music, women and of course heroin. Ray Charles was an addict for 17 years and finally kicked the habit in 1965 after his third police arrest.  In an interview with journalist and jazz man, Ed Bradley, Ray said “Some of the biggest records that I’ve ever had is during the time when I was using drugs, but that ain’t to say that it was the drugs that created the big records… I used drugs because I enjoyed what I was doing.” 

There were many points in his career where people around him had worried about his well being and addiction to drugs and although at times the quality of his health was called into question, the quality of his productions never were. Listening to his music you can believe it. You would definitely have to have a certain degree of natural talent to create such innovative sounds because I know for a fact that no amount of heroin or crack could make me sing like Alicia keys or bless me with the ability to play the piano like Stevie Wonder. So in Ray’s case you could say the motivation was not to improve his music but to simply get high! Creative minds need creative outlets and in most cases this means using drugs. 

what about musicians that openly crossed the line of “soft” drugs and displayed a less glamorous side to it all?

Another well known Jazz Man who developed a serious heroin addiction was Miles Davis but unlike Ray Charles, it had more of an adverse affect on his music. Whilst playing in the jazz clubs of New York City, Davis, like many of his generation, came into contact with dealers and drugs. It was part of the music scene and during the 1940’s there was a major epidemic of drug use within the jazz community. Miles managed to avoid getting wrapped up in it all but he was finally bitten in the 1950’s and  Miles Sessions became less inspired and innovative then they had previously been.  He knew it was because of his habit so during the winter of 1953-54 he returned to his home town of East St Louis and locked himself in his father’s farm for days until he was clean and well. Davis’ Quintet was also never a stable unit due to some of the other musician’s chemical dependency and Miles Davis actually fired John Coltrane because of it, replacing him with Sonny Rollins in 1957.  This was the year they finally disbanded.

Legendary alto saxophonist, Charlie Parker was less fortunate in his abilities to become free of his drug reliance and he died at the tender age of 34.  Although Parker had many brilliant recordings under his belt he was always missing gigs or getting fired for being high on stage. A recording of “Lover Man” for the Dial label from July 29, 1946 provides evidence of his condition when, reportedly, Parker could barely stand during the session and had to be physically supported by others in order to keep him positioned properly against the microphone. A few days afterwards Charlie was drinking in his hotel room when he set fire to his mattress with a cigarette he was smoking. He then proceeded to run through the hotel lobby wearing nothing but his socks. He was arrested and committed to Camarillo State Hospital where he stayed for six months.  Coming out of hospital Parker was initially clean and healthy and proceeded to do some of the best recording in his career but drugs and alcohol soon crept back in. 

It was in 1955 that Parker died while watching Tommy Dorsey on television in the suite at the Stanhope Hotel. Though the official cause of death was pneumonia and a ruptured ulcer, his death was doubtlessly expedited by his drug and alcohol abuse. The 34-year-old Parker was so haggard that the coroner mistakenly estimated his age to be between 50 and 60. Parkers addiction created the impression that his musical genius was somehow related to his drug use (which in turn became a stigma for many other musicians that followed). Even a decade after his death, jazz was closely associated with narcotics and many musicians began using, partly to imitate their musical idol.        

Conclusion - Creative Minds equals Creative Pastimes                                                                           

In more recent years we have seen the public decline of many artists such as Jimmi Hendrix, Whitney Houston, James Brown and Pete Doherty as they struggle to deal with their various addictions. All have been in trouble with the law in their past and most recently Pete Doherty was sentenced to rehab to clean up his act. The reasons behind it could be attributed to personal insecurities or the rise to sudden fame which is often a daunting and scary experience. To suddenly be thrown into the public eye can be hard to take. Although you may think stars would be surrounded by a supportive network of friends and family, in many cases they are often very lonely, surrounded by “yes” people that want to ride on the wave of their success. 

In other cases some musicians feel that drugs gives them the confidence they need to get up on stage and perform and then a vicious cycle ensues where a performer thinks they are incapable of performing to the best of their ability unless they are under the influence.  The indulgence of creative minds in illegal substances extends far beyond the boundaries of musicians. The same applies for writers, actors, dancers and so forth. I know many a DJ and producer and I would be hard-pressed to show you more than 2 out of 20 who don’t use some sort of stimulus within their world of music. 

Whether this is good or bad I do not know. I suppose it just comes down to knowing your limits and knowing when your extra curricular activities are having an adverse affect on your musical and personal relationships. Which ever way we look at it music and drugs have a deep and meaningful relationship that will be here for a long time to come. It is inherent in our psyche as demonstrated by our forefathers and mothers and maybe we have lost the true balance between the two.

You can take drugs and feel closer to a higher energy but you can also become stranded as far from the light as you could ever imagine.

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