Can you name a musician that dies from a drug overdose? If you are over the age of five most likely you can!
The latest of course is Whitney Houston who died earlier this month in Los Angeles, California. Her body was reportedly discovered by a personal assistant at the Beverly Hills Hotel where she was to attend a party for her mentor, music industry legend Clive Davis.
We all know Houston struggled for years with substance abuse. From rehab stints for cocaine and crack to serious battles with alcohol, Houston was a victim of her addictions.
Other pop stars such as Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, guitar great Jimi Hendrix, and more recently singer Amy Winehouse, had similar problems.
Other lesser-known entertainers suffering from substance abuse are Gregory Isaacs, Ninjaman, Wayne ‘Baby Wayne’ Parkinson all battled drug addiction. Known as the ‘Don Gorgon’ of dancehall, Ninjaman converted to Christianity in 1997 as part of his attempt to fight his addiction.
Throughout his successful career, Isaacs openly battled an addiction to cocaine. Ironically, one of his biggest hit songs was Hard Drugs — a frank look at drug addiction.
Isaacs died from cancer, and in his memory, his widow June, along with music producer/distributor Tad Dawkins launched a drug awareness campaign.
There are different reasons entertainers get hooked on drugs. The consumption of hard-core drugs changes the way an individual feels. As it relates to entertainers, the euphoria of success sometimes takes them into different places where they meet other persons who are sometimes richer than them who are drug addicts. With greater availability and a higher rate of colleagues using drugs it often leads to peer pressure.
Whatever the reasons it is sad to see someone succumb to addiction. Musicians need drug classes just like everyone else. They need people close to them to help keep them sober.
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