SCEPCOP Forum

I don't understand something. Why do many stars go into drug addiction and attempt or commit suicide? Marilyn Monroe reportedly made suicide attempts. And her death may have been a suicide. Elvis Presley went into drug addiction didn't he? And so did Michael Jackson. Didn't Kurt Cobain commit suicide? And Drew Barrymore attempted suicide too, I heard. My parents told me that one of their favorite singers of the 70's, Andy Gibb, committed suicide over a woman that left him. Is that true? (He was good looking and had a tender charming voice, what kind of woman would leave him, and why would he care since he could have easily gotten another woman?)

Anyway, why do so many pop stars go into drug addiction and try to kill themselves or sometimes succeed? I don't get it. I mean, if I were rich and famous and could get any girl I want, and had millions of girls fawning all over me, the last thing I'd want to do is ruin myself with drugs or try to end my life. It seems so illogical. What motivates that? Is there some mysterious karmic force that attacks your soul when you become rich and famous and loved, cause you've gotten more than you deserved?

Any explanation?

How about a first hand explanation?

In the 1970's I had the misfortune of being treated like a "star' whilst doing shows for a big company and making "big" money... I was busy as hell, popular, and thought I was "somebody" (though I wasn't)... but I was also a kid that was being raised by two oppressive right-wing extremists who viewed Billy Graham, Anita Bryant and Richard Nixon as being right as well as righteous and expected me to fit that mold... two people that lived in extreme denial, hiding behind closed doors and closed curtains, thinking the outside world would never know their "truth"

But I was coming into my latter teens and early adult years, disco was big and cocaine even bigger... an "accepted" factor in the show biz sense of reality. Couple that delusion with the perpetual party life of the Gay scene in those days (well, into the 80's AFTER AIDs hit the fan) and voila! It's easy to get lost and become a chronic junkie before age 20 and going back and forth on the rehab wheel before it finally stuck... that was almost 28 years ago. But the ride doesn't end there; especially for a "has been" that "never was"... you constantly beat yourself up for your failure both, vocationally as well as by way of how others see you... most especially your parents... at 51 years in age I still have deep fears over my 76 year old, frail & senile father because of how he brutalized us "in the day"...
... you see, there's always a back-story...

Entertainers exist in a make-believe world and when you get that sudden boon of carnal success it goes to your head... very few can handle it! That is why you have so many "one hit bands" or those that only crank out the first 3-5 albums for their recording label (not to be confused with today's way of doing things... people can poop out CD's faster than most people change their socks and without any established entity standing behind them)... truth be know, that is what most major record companies like A&M only sign on for those first 3-5 records, they know when the ego-driven burn typically takes its toll and of course, if you're still functioning at the end of that 5th album them put you on a hell tour in the hope of burning you out... that way you can't easily bounce back and cut them out of your next decade or three making "real" money vs. the petty cash they allow you to have initially.

Are you seeing the other ingredient yet? Having to kiss but and take table scraps from the corporate entities that "make you"?

I've seen it happen in Music, Magic and the Comedy world all of them environments that are more than conducive to "being" an alcoholic and/or addict. Though I will say that things are changing for the better in that world because of a higher degree of health consciousness by the performers as well as their sense of global obligation... neither has been witnessed at before, and at such an amazing level of commitment.

So that's the gist of it all... I've helped mega stars get to the recovery facilities more than a few times, one of which just died this past year. Show Biz as a whole, is a cruel mistress for most, no matter how famous or wealthy you become through it. Even after you've actually "made it" the odds of surviving beyond a single decade and retaining longevity in the industry, are stacked waaay against you; and having a "normal" life is essentially unheard of.

Oh! One Last Thing... it is the one vocation one seems to have no choice in taking on. It's a part of who you are, which is why you take the abuse and deal with the depression, heartaches, anxiety, and everything else. Thankfully most folks are smart enough to avoid it.

Thanks for the first hand explanation Craig.

But I don't get a few things. Why would it be hard to handle fame and fortune? If everyone loves you and you're rich, wouldn't your life be easy with all those "attendants" doing things for you? And with you eating all those fine meals with important people, staying in fancy hotels, etc.? How can that ever be anything bad?

Also, why would music companies want to burn you out if you're a star? Wouldn't they want you to be happy and pay you well, so that you perform for them at your best, resulting in a win-win situation for you and them? I don't see the conflict. Can you elaborate further?

Also, can you elaborate on what happened with your fame and stardom, and why you couldn't maintain it longer? What were the drawbacks of it all? I mean, if you have everything, why would you feel depressed? What's there to handle?

Thanks.

why would i be the best to discuss this?
im not famous, i had the priviledge of doing regular gigs
but i am in no way famous like a pop star

I can assure you "fame" in and of itself, can be a major infringement on one's life and likewise how you look at the world... ego need very little to get energized and when that happens YOU tend to go a bit blind as to general reality... it's not just the entertainment industry but most any situation that can thrust you into the limelight ProfWags perspective is close to what I'm getting at but MONEY + FAME does not = happiness... frequently the contrary when it comes along too fast and too easily... I've simply watched this scenario unfold far too many times over the years with young, amazing talents that barely get a taste of the "real" money in my industry, let alone Big Time show biz. . .

Think about it this way... coming from a moderate and even lower-income background and in under 18-14 months time you find yourself swimming in cash, surrounded by every kind of luxury & vice there is in the world -- you're like a kid in a candy store with no one telling you NO... everyone around you is a "Yes Man" for the most part and most are trained to look the other way and ignore your growing, self-destructive habits. Unless an experienced old fart steps in, slaps you awake and gets you to smell the coffee, chances are very strong that you will become a falling star that simply self-destructs. IF you are lucky, you will have that special person that will call you on your crap and you'll be wise enough to listen before its too late. . . before the damage can't be undone. . . (and that too, is something I learned the hard way. . . burnt all kinds of bridges between age19 and 25... and yes, even when you get into recovery for a few years you can still be an idiot that's full of themselves and too bloody arrogant to LISTEN.)

That kid in the candy store looses most all of their discipline and that's why they fall down and no one reaches out to pick them up... until they've picked themselves up to a major degree and "proven" themselves in a way that's humble and far more mature.

People that slowly obtain wealth... true wealth... don't tend to let all these things go to their head and frequently live quite humble lives. This nation is filled with multi-millionaire types that live in 1,200 - 1,500 square foot homes in some residential area than you'll find in the million dollar mansions & fancy cars. These are people that typically keep puttering around and working long hours for most of their lives, rarely if ever, flaunting what they have or seeking to know actual "fame" outside of maybe the little community they live in.

No... you really need to walk a half-a-mile in the shoes of those that survive that life-style to know what it's all about and why.

Look at Mel Gibson. Why does he need to treat women so rudely? Hell with his money, looks, etc., if he doesn't like something she says or does, move on to the next one. 'Course, without living in one's shoes, it's hard to say what I'd really do.