Classic Rock Stars Who Absolutely Earned Their Wild Reputations

2 years ago

1. Freddie Mercury Dressed Princess Diana In Drag

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2. Justin Bieber Being Justin Bieber

Image source GlobeWhen Justin Bieber hit the fame button, he was often thought to be a self-centred brat. According to 'The New Yorker' he has been banned from performing in China and parts of south Asia because, on one visit, he got his bodyguards to carry him up the Great Wall of China and also took selfies at the Yasukina Shrine in Tokyo, a memorial which honoured its war dead.

3. Britney Spears' Gross Behaviour

Image source The Mirror Nearly every dog owner would clean up after their pampered pooch but not our Britney. You might think that's not shocking but it was at her suite in the Los Angeles Four Seasons Hotel where she left dog poop on the carpet. She also insisted on smoking when there were clear rules that it wasn't permitted.

4. Courtney Love Made A Habit Of Trashing Everywhere

Image source NMEAfter the death of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love's life became out of control. She spent her days surrounded by her own mess, both in hotels and in the various apartments she lived in. Sadly, her cat died and that was due to it getting trapped in a mountain of rubbish.

5. Axl Rose Only Performed When He Felt Like

Image source BBCGuns N' Roses always had a wild reputation and the fans seemed to lap up this image. However, Axl Rose eventually annoyed the heck out of them when he would be booked in at a gig, tickets sold out and then he would decide he didn't feel like performing - so he didn't.

6. Crazy Gene Simmons Of Kiss Was A Teacher - too tame for him

Image source That Eric Alper Before Gene Simmons climbed to the top of the dizzy heights of fame, he held a 'proper' job. He taught sixth grade kids at a public school on Manhattan's Upper West Side for 6 months. He quit when he realized the reason he wanted to teach was because he wanted to stand up front and be noticed - so he did it, on stage! He wanted to be be outrageous and shock!

7. Keith Moon Washed Down Horse Tranquilizers With Brandy

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8. Ozzy Osbourne Snorted Ants

image source Irish MirrorOn a drug and alcohol fuelled tour back in 1984, Ozzy Osbourne used a straw to snort a line off ants straight off the floor. He did it to gross out his tour mates, the group Motley Crue. Not sure this is worse than when he bit off a bat's head and that was 40 years ago.

9. The Beatles Smoked Pot With Bob Dylan

Image source The GuardianEven though the Beatles were the biggest band in the Universe back in the day, they themselves idolised Bob Dylan and his song writing talent. They were totally up for meeting Dylan at a hotel room to engage in a session of smoking pot where the whole lot of them got stoned.

10. Jerry Lee Lewis Married His Cousin

Image source Ultimate Classic RockDescribed as 'rock and roll's first great wild man' and famous for the massive hit 'Great Balls Of Fire'. He was addicted to marriage by the sounds of it as he entered into his third one when he was only 22 years of age. Shocking enough but wait - the lat bride was his 13 year old third cousin.

11. Lil Wayne Insists On Armed Guards

Image source HipHopDXWhen Lil Wayne goes on tour, he insists on a two vehicle police escort from the airport to the hotel. He is then joined by an additional squad of 4 armed, off-duty officers to accompany him to the venue, then back to the hotel again. If he ventures out anywhere socially, he uses them again.

12. Dusty Springfield Broke All The Crockery

Image source Musicoholics Dusty Springfield was at the height of her fame in the '60s and the country loved her. They might not have held her in such high esteem if they had known that she would spend hundreds of dollars on cheap crockery and break it all in her dressing rom, throwing it at the walls.

13. The Beastie Boys Wanted To Shock

Image source VultureAdvertising for the Beastie Boys concerts would read 'Beware, parents! The Beastie Boys don't do concerts; they do orgies.' There would be scantily clad women on stage, writhing about in steel cages, suspended from the ceiling. It didn't look sexy, just uncomfortable for many.

14. Marilyn Manson Charged With Misconduct

Image source Louder SoundMarilyn Manson had always loved to shock and always succeeded! He went too far on one occasion though. At one of his concerts, he was wearing nothing but a G-string, wrapped his legs around a security guard's head and neck and started rubbing himself against him. Unsurprisingly, the police were involved.

15. Mariah Carey Has Insane Demands

Image source The Daily BeastWhen the public refer to you as a diva, it can be complimentary as it shows you are at the top of the tree. Mariah Carey takes her diva-ship to a new level. She doesn't say a word to anyone on the day of her performance, she insisted that a record store redecorated its bathroom when she made an hour's performance and she wanted to be surrounded by doves onstage, as a sign of peace.

16. Stevie Nicks Turned Down 'Purple Rain' -She Didn't Like It

Image source Showbiz Cheat SheetStevie Nicks and Prince were good friends and Prince even played keyboards on her 'Stand Back' track. When 'Symbol' asked if she would pen lyrics to a 10 minute instrumental (Purple Rain), she refused because she said she didn't think the track was up to his usual standard - how wrong was she!

17. Led Zeppelin's Nazi Uniform

Image source DeciderLed Zeppelin's on-tour antics have been even more legendary than the actual performances. According to the Independent, Jimmy Page used to bring a Nazi uniform on tour so he could wear it to drag queen bars and snort coke without being easily recognised. Page was also once taken to a hotel room full of female groupies where he was striped naked and covered in cream!

18. Cardi B And Hubby Should Stay Out Of Strip Clubs

Image source Entertainment TodayCardi B and husband Offset are a class duo onstage and off. In 2020 they performed at the Fontainebleau in Miami, visiting a strip club 'Booby Trap On The River' afterwards, where some fellow guests were in a very festive mood. They got in the crossfire of being sprayed with bottles of champagne so Offset grabbed one of the bottles and hit a party goer over the head with it.

19. Johnny Ramone Full Of Anger

Image source TwitterThe Ramones' hatred for each other was no secret and there's no way they would have ever have got as far as they did if they hadn't learned how to keep their dislike away from the stage. Away from the spotlight, they used to scream and hit each other, Johnny Ramone being the worst culprit. He was reported to have physically abused his girlfriend, while struggling with song lyrics, throwing her against a wall.

20. Slash's Childhood Might Have Made Him Wild

Image source Forbes.com Slash's mother was a costume designer and regularly worked with top names in the '60s and '70s. She was a single mother and very outgoing so maybe this was why no other than David Bowie took a shine to her. When Slash was still a kid, he walked in on his mum and Bowie, both naked and said it haunted him for years. Would that explain his own wild behaviour.

21. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick, Did Acid At The White House

Image source Dangerous MindsPresident Nixon's daughter, Tricia, invited many of her fellow Finch College alums, including Grace, over to the White House. Miss Slick went along, with some recreational acid and her plan was to drop some in Nixon's drink but she couldn't get past his security guards.

22. Kid Rock Was A Thug

Image source Daily MailKid Rock always had a reputation for bad behaviour. He's so self-aware about his inability to behave correctly but doesn't care about being branded a bully or a thug. He's often been up in court, at one time when he beat up 3 guys outside Teddy's nightclub in L.A. He was fined $35,000 but it didn't change the way he acted in the future.

23. Keith Richards - A Genius Under The Influence

Image source Getty ImagesWhilst no one should condone illegal drugs, it's a fact that the '60s in particular saw this as almost the norm! Story has it that the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards passed out after a heavy session of over-indulging on everything. He woke up the next day to see his cassette recorder had been left on. When he wound it back, without any recollection of it happening, he had got up in the night and recorded the riff to 'Satisfaction'!

24. The Kinks Were Banned From The States

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25. Iggy Pop's Crazy World

Image source WikipediaIggy's world revolved around drugs. Back in the late '60s and early '70s, he hung out with his original band, the Stooges. When not performing, they spent their days in an apartment in Detroit, trying out all manner of illegal substances. Problems set in when heroin became their friend and it led to a lot of sadness and destruction.

26. Liam Gallagher's Vanity

Image source Manchester Evening NewsThere's no doubt that Oasis were brilliant and many of their hits have become anthems. However, Liam Gallagher has been famously outspoken, bragging about his success and being too cocky. When interviewed, during the height of oasis' success, Liam remarked that he was one of the most important humans on the planet! Is there a name for a male diva?

27. Ministry Caused Mahem

Image source The Arts DeskMinistry, the iconic Norwegian black metal band, went to extreme lengths to shock audiences at concerts. Even before they got on stage they would do weird things like inhaling the scent of a dead crow in a polythene bag! Their frontman, Per Yngve Ohlin (also known as 'Dead') came up with that one!

28. Jim Morrison Was More Than Moody

Image source Irish Mirro Morrison made his name as the moody, lead vocalist of The Doors but he didn't always keep things as chilled as his public persona. At a show in New Haven in 1967, he got into an angry rant in the middle of the gig and ended up getting arrested for public indecency.

29. John Bonham Antics Could Fill A Book

Image source Quora The legendary Led Zeppelin drummer lived a short and very wild life. In fact his stories could fill a very thick book! He once rode a motorcycle through a hotel lobby, where visitors were standing and they had to dive out of the way. He said he enjoyed it so much that he did it again a few weeks later.

30. GG Allin Would Defecate On Stage

Image source InsiderThis man was disgusting and there's no other word for it. He was well known for bleeding on stage and defecating it. Not surprisingly, he attracted a very niche audience who thought this behaviour was entertaining, as much so as the music itself. What can you say?

31. Lemmy Kilmister Was Kicked Out Of His Band For Drug Use

Image Source / History CollectionThe bassist for the rock band Hawkwind and then Motörhead front man Lemmy Kilmister was actually going so hard on the drug use that even a rock band said that it was too much - and kicked him out. He was a heavy drinker as well as drug taker all his life.

32. Jerry Lee Lewis Was Arrested In Elvis Presley's Graceland For Carrying A Loaded Gun

Image Source / History CollectionJerry Lee Lewis was known for carrying around firearms, as he sometimes even took guns on stage with him whilst on tour. He was arrested outside Elvis's mansion, Graceland, whilst carrying a firearm and very drunk on champagne!

33. Jimmy Page Had An Interest In The Occult

Image Source / Guitar.comThe famous guitarist of legendary rock band Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, was apparently interested in the occult. It's said he had a hand in esoteric practices others might consider strange - but very fitting for a rock band, perhaps - which included buying the old house of famous Satanist Aleister Crowley.

34. Keith Moon Destroyed His Own Equipment - And Front Teeth

Image Source / History CollectionKeith Moon apparently had a big problem with his own instruments, as well as his own front teeth, because he roughed both of them up quite a bit. Moon was known for kicking and destroying his own equipment whilst on stage, and he knocked his own front teeth out during his 21st birthday party - whilst naked.

35. Captain Beefheart Ran His Band Like A Religious Cult

Image Source / History CollectionCaptain Beefheart is perhaps one of the lesser known rockers, but one of his albums, Trout Mask Replica, is credited for being one of the best albums of all time. With his band, Beefheart would control them and treat them like a strict cult, which included bandmates being controlled, starved and beaten up, according to the band's drummer.

36. Keith Richards Snorted The Ashes Of His Dead Father

Image Source / History CollectionWe're not really sure his dad requested that in his will, but it's what Richards chose to do! He would often be snorting cocaine when performing, but there was one time - when he was 59 years old back in 2002 - that Richards decided to snort his dad's ashes, because he was cremated and Richards "couldn't resist".

37. Steven Tyler Spend Millions On Drugs

Image Source / History CollectionAround $6 million, in fact. The Aerosmith frontman - as well as bandmate Joe Perry - were known to take a lot of drugs during the 1970s. It was Tyler himself who estimated how many millions he'd spent on drugs, which he revealed in his autobiography.

38. Ozzy Osbourne Bit The Head Off A Bat

Image Source / History CollectionIn perhaps one of the most famous rock and roll stories, and one of the most famous things Ozzy Osbourne has ever done, we have the story of him biting the head off a live bat on stage. A lot of people have thought this might be fake, but it turns out Ozzy apparently thought it was a toy after someone threw it at him.

39. Al Jourgensen Had A 20-Year Heroin Addiction

Image Source / History CollectionThe frontman of the band Ministry not only took drugs, but was apparently addicted to heroin for over 20 years. He even used the money given to the band to make a new album on drugs instead. His drug fuelled behaviour also included blowing up the band's tour bus with a firework.

40. Nikki Sixx Died From An Overdose - Then Came Back To Life

Image Source / History CollectionThe bassist for the band Mötley Crüe had a heroin addiction that actually killed him - for two minutes before he came back to life. Sixx overdosed on heroin and was clinically dead for two minutes before being brought back by a shot of adrenalin. If that wasn't enough, he overdosed again straight after!

41. Vince Neil Drunk Drove - And Killed His Friend

Image Source / History CollectionAnother Mötley Crüe rock star, frontman Vince Neil was already drunk when he realised the alcohol had run out at a party - deciding to go and get some more by driving out with his friend, rock band drummer Razzle. He collided with another car, and Razzle died, while the people in the other car suffered brain damage.

42. Marilyn Manson Smoked Human Remains

Image Source / History CollectionWe've had a rock star smoking his own dad's ashes, and now we have another smoking drugs laced with human remains. Manson, when out with his bandmates, found human bones sticking out of the ground when they were in a graveyard. Instead of leaving them alone, they smoked them.

43. Iggy Pop Defecated On Stage - Then Threw It To The Crowd

Image Source / Encyclopedia BritannicaAny fan might be ecstatic when their favourite rock star throws something from stage at them, but maybe this isn't exactly what they had in mind. Iggy, whilst wearing a bikini, defecated behind an amplifier on stage and then decided to throw his poop out at the crowd.

44. Dave Davies Was Banned From America

Image Source / History CollectionThe Kinks' Dave Davies had a temper so bad that it actually got him banned from an entire country. Davies would constantly be fighting with his brother and bandmate, as well as taking drugs, and his temper eventually got even worse when he'd start fights on stage. Due to a brawl on the Dick Clark show, they were banned.

45. Courtney Love's Drugs And Violence

Image Source / History CollectionCourtney Love has certainly had a controversial reputation, and she's been arrested loads of times due to violence, confrontations and threatening behaviour. She has battled against drug, and her own daughter had claimed that Love "existed" on drugs, sugar and cigarettes.

46. Rick James Spent Thousands A Week On Cocaine

Image Source / History CollectionNot only did Rick James have an expensive passion for drugs and sex, but he also kidnapped a woman whilst out on bail after being arrested for.... kidnapping a woman! He had a cocaine habit that amounted to around $7000 a week.

47. GG Allin Ate His Own Feces

Image Source / History CollectionThis now doesn't make Iggy Pop seem so bad for throwing his own out at the crowd. Rock star GG Allin would not only poop on stage and smear himself with it, he was also known to eat it, too. He's also been known to insert things into his rectum, too.

48. Billy Idol Had To Be Forcibly Removed From A Hotel Room After Trashing It

Image Source / All That's InterestingWhen one party just wasn't enough, Billy Idol hosting parties in a hotel penthouse suite for three weeks back in the 80s, where he caused enough damage to rack up a $149,000 bill. He then refused to leave the room and had to be removed by the Thai military shooting him with a tranquiliser and carrying him out on a stretcher!

49. James Brown Threatened People With A Gun For Using His Toilet

Image Source / All That's InterestingBack in the 80s, after thinking that employees of an insurance company had been using his toilet, James Brown went into the company office, which was next door to his, and pulled out a shotgun. He'd apparently been high at the time, and it escalated into a car chase and then his arrest.

50. Ace Frehley Chugged A Bottle Of Perfume

Image Source / All That's InterestingThe guitarist of rock band Kiss, Ace Frehley, apparently once decided to chug a whole bottle of perfume whilst already drunk. He's apparently drank the entire bottle during a limo ride because it 'contained alcohol'!