SoberHeroes: Iggy Pop
Raw Power. It’s the title of the 1973 third album by Iggy and the Stooges. And it describes Iggy Pop to a T. An extreme heroin addict, Iggy Pop is a punk icon. He was a punk even before there was something called “punk.”
Pop was notorious for reckless performance antics — indecent exposure, rolling around shirtless in broken glass (he always performs shirtless) — and vomiting on the audience. He invented the stage dive.
SoberHeroes: David Bowie
David Bowie attacks rock ’n’ roll as if it were performance art. A musical chameleon, Bowie is a glam-rock god. But he was out of control with drugs.
Famous Alcoholics: Billie Holiday
She is truly one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, if not the greatest. And she was also a hardcore alcoholic and addict. Her drink of choice was a Top and Bottom — half gin, half port wine.
Famous Addicts — Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix is a touchstone in American culture. To say he is a rock icon is an understatement. Hendrix transcends rock ‘n’ roll. But from alcohol to marijuana to LSD to cocaine, he was a notorious addict.
Mood Music: Belle & Sebastian — The Boy With the Arab Strap
Soft and sensational, Belle & Sebastian’s The Boy With the Arab Strap tranquilizes the listener with its amalgam of subtle instrumentation. Belle & Sebastian are a Scottish twee-pop band with nine albums under their belt. Twee pop is sensitive and romantic. With its jingle-jangle guitars, it has the feel and idealism of ‘60s pop.
Mood Music: Flaming Lips
I can think of no album that is happier than The Flaming Lips’ 1993 noise-pop masterpiece Transmissions From the Satellite Heart.
The Rant: Drugs and Alcohol Interfere at Concerts
I’ve been to my fair share of concerts — around 600 according to my estimation, most of them punk shows. And one thing that is always ubiquitous is weed. If you have to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol in order to enjoy a concert, you’re doing it wrong.
SoberHeroes: Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey, Jr. is at the top of his game. He’s the highest-paid actor not just in Hollywood but the world — he made $80 million last year, according to Forbes. And he’s sober, having kicked alcohol, cocaine, and heroin.
Bipolar Celebrities: Stephen Fry
He’s got more than 11 million Twitter followers, is the author of 10 books, and has taken on roles in The Hobbit films. He’s also played characters in V for Vendetta, and the Sherlock Holmes movies, among others. The outspoken, gay Fry was diagnosed at age 37 with Bipolar I disorder. And he talks about it at length in the media.
Hellblade: The First Video Game to Feature a Mentally Ill Character
The authenticity of the psychosis, depression and anxiety remains to be seen, but take a gander at these screenshots from the game, scheduled for release on PS4 and Microsoft Windows in 2016.