List of Known Opiate Addicts
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Actors, Actresses, Models, and Directors
- Bridgette Andersen, 1980s/90s child actress (deceased) [1][2]
- John Belushi, actor and comedian (deceased) [3]
- Gia Carangi, fashion model (deceased) [4]
- Montgomery Clift, actor (deceased); Montgomery Clift: A Biography ISBN 0-7864-1432-4
- Robert Downey Jr., actor [5]
- Jeanne Eagels, silent film actress (deceased) [6][7]
- Chris Farley, actor and comedian (deceased) [8]
- Mike Hammett, 1960s-70s child actor, “Another World” [9]
- Artie Lange, actor, radio personality
- Béla Lugosi, actor (deceased) [10]
- Natasha Lyonne, actress [11]
- Jason Mewes, actor [12]
- Robert Pastorelli, actor (deceased) [13]
- Matthew Perry, actor [14]
- Dana Plato, actress (deceased) [15]
- River Phoenix, actor (deceased) [16]
- Glenn Quinn, actor (deceased) [17]
- Wallace Reid, silent film actor (deceased) [18]
- Alma Rubens, silent film actress (deceased) [19]
- Christian Slater, actor [20]
Writers, Poets, and Journalists
- Charles Baudelaire, poet/writer of “Les Fleurs du mal” among many other works (deceased) [21]
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (deceased) [22]
- William S. Burroughs, writer of “Naked Lunch” among many other works; drug culture and early cyberculture icon (deceased) [23]
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet/writer of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” among others (deceased) [24]
- Sigmund Freud, pioneer of psychology, wrote The Cocaine Papers during his cocaine experimentation. (deceased)
- Lucy Grealy, poet/writer of “Autobiography of a Face” (deceased) [25]
- Aldous Huxley, writer of “Brave New World,” “The Doors of Perception,” and others (deceased) [26]
- Denis Johnson, writer of the series of short stories “Jesus’ Son” among many other works of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. [27]
- Anna Kavan, A writer who named herself after a character in one of her books.(died of natural causes at 67)[28]
- Patrick K. Kroupa, writer and hacker [29]
- Rush Limbaugh, American radio talk show host.
- Thomas de Quincey, writer of “Confessions of an English Opium Eater” (deceased) [30]
- Hubert Selby Jr., writer of “Requiem for a Dream” among others (deceased) [31]
- Will Self, writer, journalist, broadcaster [32]
Singers & Musicians
- Steven Adler, former Guns N’ Roses drummer (near-fatal overdose) [33]
- GG Allin, punk rock singer (deceased) [34]
- Duane Allman, founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and member of Derek and the Dominoes (deceased)
- Gregg Allman, founding member of and lead singer for The Allman Brothers Band [35]
- Brett Anderson, Suede/Tears frontman [36]
- Chet Baker, Jazz trumpeter whose addiction is discussed at length in the biography Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker.[37][38]
- Ginger Baker, drummer for Cream and Blind Faith [39]
- Tommy Bolin, guitarist for Deep Purple (deceased) [40]
- David Bowie, actor and singer [41]
- Ray Charles, so stated in his autobiography Brother Ray: Ray Charles’ Own Story ISBN 0-306-81335-1 (deceased)
- Jimmy Chamberlin, Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan drummer [42]
- Eric Clapton, guitarist and prominent rock-and-roll figure since the mid-1960s [43]
- Kurt Cobain, Nirvana frontman (deceased) [44]
- Brian Cole, bassist and vocalist for The Association (deceased) [45]
- Natalie Cole, singer, according to VH1 Behind The Music
- Darby Crash, founding member of The Germs (deceased) [46]
- David Crosby, founding member of Crosby, Stills, and Nash/Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young [47]
- Robbin Crosby, Ratt lead guitarist (deceased) [48]
- Miles Davis, jazz trumpeter and bandleader (deceased) [49]
- Pete Doherty, frontman of the bands The Libertines and Babyshambles [50]
- Steve Earle, country-western singer and guitarist [51]
- Howie Epstein, bassist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (deceased) [52]
- Pete Farndon, Pretenders bassist (deceased) [53]
- John Frusciante, former and current Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist; also has a side solo career [54]
- Dave Gahan, frontman for Depeche Mode (near-fatal overdose)[55]
- Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead frontman and guitarist (deceased)[56]
- Leif Garrett, child actor and pop musician popular in the mid-1970s [57]
- Boy George (born George Alan O’Dowd), former Culture Club frontman [58]
- Keith Godchaux, keyboardist for The Grateful Dead (deceased)
- Carlos Gomes, Brazilian romantic composer (deceased) [59]
- Brett Gurewitz, Bad Religion guitarist and founder of Epitaph Records
- Hampton Hawes, jazz pianist who self-described as such, after cleaning up, in his autobiography.[60]
- Billie Holiday, jazz singer (deceased) [61]
- Shannon Hoon, Blind Melon frontman (deceased) [62]
- Janis Joplin, singer (deceased) [63]
- Alain Jourgensen, Ministry/Revolting Cocks frontman and renowned addict to several different drugs [64]
- John Kahn, bass player, Jerry Garcia Band (deceased)
- Anthony Kiedis, Red Hot Chili Peppers vocalist [65]
- Mark Lanegan, Screaming Trees frontman [66]
- Tommy Lee, drummer for Mötley Crüe [67]
- Courtney Love, rock musician and actress, according to BBC‘s 2006 documentary “The Return of Courtney Love”
- Frankie Lymon, The Teenagers frontman (deceased) [68]
- Phil Lynott, frontman for Thin Lizzy (deceased) [69]
- Jimmy McCulloch, Wings guitarist (deceased) [70]
- Vaughn Meader, bluegrass musician and comedian (deceased) [71]
- Dave Mustaine, Megadeth frontman [72]
- Brent Mydland, keyboardist for The Grateful Dead (deceased)
- Dave Navarro, guitarist for Jane’s Addiction and later the Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Fats Navarro, jazz trumpeter.[73]
- Chuck Negron, Three Dog Night frontman, battled addiction to heroin for over 30 years [74]
- Fred Neil, famed blues/jazzman (deceased) [75]
- Nico, 1960s-70s singer with several bands, most remembered for her work with The Velvet Underground (deceased) [76]
- Bradley Nowell, Sublime frontman (deceased) [77]
- Anita O’Day, jazz singer [78]
- Jimmy Page, lead guitarist for Led Zeppelin and later for Page and Plant [79]
- Charlie Parker, jazz saxophonist (deceased) [80][81]
- Art Pepper, jazz musician (deceased)
- Joe Perry, lead guitarist for Aerosmith [82]
- John Phillips, The Mamas & The Papas frontman (deceased) [83]
- Iggy Pop, Iggy and the Stooges frontman; also had a successful solo career, and is considered by many to be the prototypical punk rocker [84]
- Elvis Presley, singer and guitarist, addicted to Dilaudid during his later years (deceased) [85]
- Dee Dee Ramone (born Douglas Glen Colvin), Ramones bassist (deceased) [86]
- Lou Reed, frontman and guitarist for The Velvet Underground, later a successful solo artist [87]
- Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails frontman/conceptualizer [88]
- Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones lead guitarist, renowned multi-addict [89]
- Axl Rose, Guns N’ Roses frontman [90]
- Andy Rourke, The Smiths bassist, fired briefly due to addiction [91]
- Judee Sill, addicted to heroin before her career, but died of a cocaine overdose.[92]
- Nikki Sixx, Mötley Crüe bassist (near-fatal overdose) [93]
- Slash, former Guns N’ Roses/Slash’s Snakepit/Velvet Revolver guitarist [94]
- Hillel Slovak, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist (deceased) [95]
- Layne Staley, Alice In Chains frontman (deceased) [96]
- James Taylor, vocalist and guitarist [97]
- Pete Townshend, frontman and guitarist for The Who [98]
- Steven Tyler, lead singer for Aerosmith [99]
- Sid Vicious, bassist for The Sex Pistols (deceased) [100]
- Charlie Watts, Rolling Stones drummer, for a brief period in the 1980s [101]
- Scott Weiland, Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman [102]
- Danny Whitten, rock musician from Crazy Horse (deceased) [103]
- Al Wilson, vocalist for Canned Heat [104]
- Johnny Winter, blues musician [105]
- Andrew Wood, Mother Love Bone frontman (deceased) [106]
Other Celebrities & Public Figures
- Lenny Bruce, comedian (deceased) [107]
- George Carlin, comedian [108]
- Pamela Courson, common-law wife of Jim Morrison (deceased) [109]
- Aleister Crowley, occultist and adventurer (deceased) [110]
- Wrote The Fountain of Hyacinth as a diary documenting his hard-drug addiction [111]
- Brett Favre, American football quarterback, addicted to pain killers [112]
- William Halsted, known as the “father of modern surgery”; associated with Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland (deceased) [113]
- Domino Harvey, fashion model-turned-bounty hunter (deceased) [114]
- Howard Hughes , aviator, film producer/director, multi-business tycoon, billionaire (deceased) [115]
- Robert Kennedy, Jr., lawyer, son of Robert F. Kennedy [116]
- SaRenna Lee, porn star and big bust model [117]
- Dr. John S. Pemberton, chemist, inventor of Coca-Cola (deceased) [118]
- Edie Sedgwick, socialite friend of Andy Warhol (deceased) [119]
- Nancy Spungen, prostitute/groupie, girlfriend of The Sex Pistols‘ Sid Vicious (deceased) [120]
- Brandon Novak, skateboarder/signed by Tony Hawk, close friend of Bam Margera, tv star, radio personality
Ty and Adam…Aaron Lewis has never admittedly had a drug problem of any kind. Coke? Quit believing everything you read on Wikipedia. The reference to addiction in Its Been Awhile was in regards to a girl that left him that he felt “addicted” to. Stated by him in interviews.
Layne Staley did not pass in 96. That was the year his last live performance with Alice in Chains. He died April 8, 2002 exactly eight years apart from Kurt Cobain
Also John Coftrane.. Big heroin user, surprised that’s not on there
Forgot to mention John Lennon. Many books detail his heroin and opiate use but the Beatles biography by Bob Spitz details the exact point of his usage. It was actually a pretty surprising length of time too. Basically during their last 4 albums he was on heroin every single day which in part was why he was notably “irritable” and a dick to Paul, George and Ringo in the studio. If that’s not enough to confirm his addiction, in the song Happiness is a Warm Gun he clearly talks about it, “I need a fix cuz I’m going down”, and Cold Turkey also obviously. Also possibly, everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey
Adam, Aaron wasn’t addicted to opiates, it was coke. Trust me.
Eugene Bertram “Gene” Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz and big band drummer, actor and composer.
Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon)
Ozzy
Teena Marie socialite,Singer,Mother&friend
Tina Marie
One of the first Caucasian R&B artists with heightened above! &beyond rhythm &soul who took the music industry by storm in the early 70′s- the 80′s and made her strong artistic presence known.
Well known phenomenal woman and mother also often sang beside Rick James in many duets which she proceeded after him in death in 2010
Nick Cave, Australian music icon. The Birthday Party and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Elliott Smith-singer/songwriter (deceased)
Nivek Ogre-frontman of Skinny Puppy
Rozz Williams-Frontman of Christian Death (deceased)
That explains why Sigmund Freud had such outlandish ideas and theories.
Hunter S. Thompson??
Is the georgeos actor Errol Flynn part of this group?
Jean Cocteau – French filmmaker, actor, visual artist, novelist, & poet (this guy could do everything!),was an opium addict (smoker) most of his life. His book “Opium” is about his own addiction.
John Lennon’s missing from your list. Around ’68 he & Yoko were heroin addicts (sniffers, not injectors). John’s song “Cold Turkey” is about kicking.
I’m skeptical about your inclusion of David Bowie & Sigmund Freud as opiate addicts. Both were cocaine addicts. I recall reading a Bowie quote where he talked about cocaine addiction, but said “he was always afraid to do heroin.”
Bela Lugosi actor
Townes Van Zandt, singer/songwriter
Nicole Richie, Socialite, TV Personality & Designer
Daryl Strawberry, New York Mets and New York Yankees
Aaron lewis, frontman staind