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.
The Top Ten
1 Jonathan Davis Jonathan Howsmon Davis (born January 18, 1971), also known as JD and JDevil, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as the lead vocalist and frontman of the nu metal band Korn, which is considered a pioneering act of the nu metal genre... read more

Jonathan Davis, 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 father and stepmother, who tortured him in horrific ways. He suffered severe asthma attacks that almost resulted in his death when he was only 5. Jonathan has also revealed that he was sexually abused by a family friend, but his family didn't believe him when he tried to tell them. He later wrote the song "Daddy" about his traumatic experience. Additionally, he was bullied and harassed in school.

2 Eminem 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 their young daughter Hailie. He was addicted to drugs for several years and overdosed on heroin once.

3 Axl Rose 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 Rose was born to a teenage mother and a local criminal. His parents divorced when he was 2 years old, and he never got to know his biological father, who abducted and assaulted him before disappearing. Axl grew up in a strictly Christian household where he wasn't allowed to watch TV or listen to music, as his stepfather deemed them Satanic. His stepfather was also abusive, regularly beating Axl, his siblings, and his mother. At 17, Axl discovered his biological father's identity, changed his name, and became a juvenile delinquent, leading to multiple arrests. 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, and he has mentioned attempting suicide several times by overdosing on painkillers.

4 50 Cent 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.

5 Rob Thomas 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.
6 Nicki Minaj 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 until 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 many disturbing things such as shootings and drug deals.

7 Kurt Cobain 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 home 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 committed suicide. Others think that his wife, with whom he had a rather toxic relationship, murdered him. Regardless of how he died, Kurt had a truly tragic life.

8 Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight, known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian and author.
9 Shania Twain 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.

10 Michael Jackson 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 into 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 things like "you have a big fat nose" or "get your ass back on stage." He was often beaten if he messed up during a rehearsal.

The Contenders
11 Christina Aguilera 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.

12 Sammy Hagar Samuel Roy "Sammy" Hagar, also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, musician and entrepreneur.
13 Chester Bennington 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
14 Corey Taylor 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.
15 Lana Del Rey 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 strongly feared the idea of her parents dying someday.

16 Ariana Grande 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
17 Nikki Sixx 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.

18 James Hetfield 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.
19 Woody Guthrie 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.
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