Top Ten Music Artists with the Most Troubled Pasts
Ever thought that your life sucked? Well, here are some famous and critically acclaimed music artists that have most likely had it worse than you. I probably missed a few so feel free to add more.
Jonathan Howsmon Davis, also known as JD and JDevil, is an American musician best known as the leading vocalist and frontman of the nu metal band Korn. The lead singer of Korn had a very troubling and sad childhood. His parents divorced when he was 3 years old and he was sent to live with his dad and stepmother who tortured him in horrific ways. He had severe asthma attacks which almost resulted in him dying when he was ony 5. Jonathan has also revealed that he was sexually abused by a family friend, he tried to tell his family about it but they didn't believe him. He later wrote the song "Daddy" about his traumatic experience. In addition to that, he was bullied and harassed in school.
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce... read more Eminem was raised by a single mother who was described as unstable and paranoid by a social worker. Since he usually ended up living in primarily black neighborhoods, Eminem was often severely bullied. On one occasion, his arm was broken by a fellow student. As an adult (before his career), Eminem struggled to provide for his wife Kim and young daughter Hailie. He was addicted to drugs for several years and overdosed on Heroin once.
William Bruce Rose Jr., better known as 'Axl Rose', is an American singer born on February 6, 1962, in Lafayette, Indiana. He Is the founder and lead singer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. He is a celebrated but controversial figure in the world of rock. After reading that, I just have to feel so bad for the guy. What kind of father would do that to his own child?
Axl was born to a teenage mom and a local criminal who he never got to know (his parents divorced when he was 2 years old). His biological father abducted and raped him before disappearing from the small town in which he was born in. He grew up in a strictly Christian household and wasn't allowed to watch T.V., listen to music, etc because his stepdad deemed those things Satanic. Axl's stepdad was also abusive and beat up Axl, his siblings and mom regularly. When he was 17 years old, Axl found out who his biological father was, changed his name, and became a juvenile delinquent which lead to him getting arrested multiple times. A few years later, he moved to LA with his friend Izzy and formed Guns N Roses. In his later years Axl suffered from Bipolar disorder and depression. He has said that he tried to kill himself several times by OD'ing on painkillers.
Curtis James Jackson III, better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, record, film, and television producer. 50 Cent was born and raised in a primarily Jamaican neighborhood in New York. His mother was a drug dealer who died in a fire when he was 8. After his father left him, 50 Cent was adopted by his grandma. He started dealing cocaine and other narcotics when he was about 12. In 1994, he was arrested for possession of drugs and weapons and was sent to a boot camp for 6 months. He has even been shot before.
Robert Kelly "Rob" Thomas is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the primary songwriter and lead singer of the band Matchbox Twenty.
Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj (born December 8, 1982) is a Trinidadian/American rapper / pop music artist. Minaj is most known for her songs such as "Anaconda", "Super Bass", "Starships" and her feature on "Bang Bang"... read more Nicki Minaj lived with her grandma in Trinidad till she was 5. She moved in with the rest of her family after her mom bought a house in Queens, New York. Nicki's father became addicted to crack and alcohol and regularly threatened and hit her mom. It even got to the point where he burned down the house. Living in a rough neighborhood, Nicki witnessed lots of disturbing things such as shootings and drug deals.
Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1987, he started the grunge band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands ever. He was a talented yet troubled grunge performer. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend in the 1990s with his band. He committed suicide at his... read more Cobain was a very troubled man who suffered from depression and severe drug addiction. He had a bad relationship with both his parents and ran away from his house more than once. He became addicted to drugs (mostly Heroin) which led to Nirvana having to cancel several of their concerts. In 1994, he was found dead in his home. Most say that he commited suicide, others think that his wife who he had a rather toxic relationship with, murdered him. Regardless of whatever killed him, Kurt had a truly tragic life.
Gladys Maria Knight, known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian and author.
Shania Twain is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her the best-selling female artist in country music history and among the best-selling music artists of all time. Shania grew up in a rural area surrounded by poverty and a crumbling relationship. Her parents struggled to earn money and Shania and the rest of her family often went hungry. Shania started singing in bars to help pay her family's bills. When she was 21, both her parents were killed in a car accident and she was forced to adopt and take care of her younger siblings.
Michael Jackson (Michael Joseph Jackson; August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, and songwriter. He passed away from cardiac arrest caused by a propofol and benzodiazepine overdose on June 25, 2009. He donated (at least) a remarkable 500,000,000 dollars to charity. Michael... read more The king of pop was born in a large working class family near Gary, Indiana. His father was very strict and regularly whipped Michael and his siblings. Michael said that during rehearsals, his dad emotionally and physically abused him, even sometimes telling his son stuff like "you have a big fat nose" or "get your ass back on stage". He was often beaten if he messed up during a rehearsel.
Christina María Aguilera is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known for songs such as "Beautiful", "Genie In A Bottle", "Fighter", "Hurt", "Dirrty", "Your Body", "Lady Marmalade", "Reflection", "I Turn To You", "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" "What A Girl Wants", and... read more During her childhood, Christina shared a house with an abusive father who often fought with her mother. She often used music as a way to escape her violent household. Luckily, her parents divorced and she moved to the suburbs to live with her grandma.
Samuel Roy "Sammy" Hagar, also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, musician and entrepreneur.
Chester Charles Bennington (March 20th, 1976 - July 20th, 2017) was an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known for being the lead singer of Linkin Park. Before he was known for Linkin Park, Bennington was the lead singer of post-grunge act Grey Daze who was heavily inspired by Stone... read more
Corey Todd Taylor was born in December 8, 1973. He is an American musician, author, and actor best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the Nu-metal band Slipknot and hard rock/alternative metal band Stone Sour.
Lana Del Rey is a California based singer, songwriter, and model who currently resides in Malibu, California. She was born under the name Elizabeth Woolridge Grant to entrepreneur Robert England Jr. and Patricia Ann Hill in rural Lake Placid, New York on June 21, 1985. She has two siblings, Chuck and... read more Her childhood was basically being a lonely girl with alcohol problems who fear strongly the idea of her parents dying someday.
Ariana Grande-Butera (born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including two Grammy... read more
Nikki Sixx is an American musician, songwriter, radio host, and photographer, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Mötley Crüe. The bassist of Mötley Crüe, although most known for leading a glamorous lifestyle had a troubled past. His dad left the family and Sixx was sent to live with an abusive mother. He briefly moved in with his grandparents in Idaho where he shoplifted, vandalized, and got expelled from school for selling drugs. His parents sent him back to his mom and there, he learned to play bass guitar.
James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963. He is an American musician, singer and songwriter known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica.
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works.