Eccentric Or Just Plain Weird?
You know how the old saying goes...when someone's poor, they're just weird, but when they're rich, they're "eccentric". And few career paths inspire as much eccentricity, wild behavior, excess, and odd scenarios as that of the rock musician.
From over-the-top womanizing and hotel-trashing to downright bizarre spectacles, these eccentric rock stars took unhinged living to the next level.
John Bonham
If you’ve ever wondered where the stereotype of the hotel-trashing rock star came from, look no further—it originated with the band Led Zeppelin, and the wildest member of all, drummer John Bonham. Bonham was so out of control that even his hard-partying bandmates found it difficult to put up with him.
How eccentric was he, you ask?
Richard E. Aaron, Getty Images
John Bonham (cont’d)
During a visit to the famous Edgewater Hotel in Seattle, Bonham beckoned to friend Vanessa Gilbert to check out what he had in his hotel room. There, she found a bathtub filled with mud sharks—one of which witnesses later reported was used by Bonham to, ahem, caress a groupie. Soon after, they started throwing everything that wasn’t bolted down out of the hotel windows and straight into the Pacific Ocean below, including Bonham’s mattress.
He screwed himself on that one, but sometimes he targeted his own bandmates.
The Purse
During one tour, Bonham found himself alone in a train car after Jimmy Page and his girlfriend went to the dining car—but unfortunately for her, she’d left her purse behind. Bonham decided to play a “prank” by…emptying his bowels in it. Talk about an unpleasant surprise.
more19562003, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Tokyo Hilton
Later, during the same tour, Bonham and the band’s manager bought some samurai swords—and then spent the even slicing their hotel rooms to shreds. Unsurprisingly, they were then banned from the Tokyo Hilton.
Jerry Lee Lewis
We couldn’t write a list about the most eccentric musicians in history without including rock’s very first wild man, Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis was a stone-cold weirdo and one of the first to make drinking, pills, and womanizing a standard part of the rock star lifestyle.
In fact, he took that last part to a disturbing new level.
Maurice Seymour, Wikimedia Commons
Jerry Lee Lewis (cont’d)
It’s amazing that Lewis had a career as long as he did—considering what he did to torpedo it in the 1950s. Lewis had already been married twice when it came out that he had a new wife. Who was 13 years old. And also his cousin.
Sure, it was a “different time,” as they say. But not different enough—when people found out, they were appalled, and it nearly destroyed his musical career. And he had other, more dangerous habits too.
Klaus Hiltscher, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lewis’s Collection
Lewis didn’t just collect wives—he also collected firearms, and he loved to bring them out in public…with varying results. He once accidentally shot his bassist, who survived, and was arrested after showing up at Elvis Presley’s estate, bombed on champagne, and crashing into the gates at Graceland.
Lemmy Kilmister
Lemmy Kilmister was the long-time bassist and singer of the legendary rock band Motorhead—but few realize that that band name actually came from the nickname he’d earned for his hard-partying ways in his previous band, Hawkwind.
When it came to stereotypical rock star excess, Lemmy could’ve left any of his contemporaries in the dust.
MarkMarek, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lemmy (cont’d)
Lemmy truly took rock star excess to the next level—in that he’d essentially used booze, smokes, and harder stuff to pickle himself. As one legend goes, he needed a blood transfusion in 1980 but was told it would be too dangerous, and his body wouldn’t know what to do with healthy, non-toxic blood.
And substances weren’t his only vice.
David W. Lawwrence, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lemmy’s Collection
Lemmy was also an avid collector of some…less than savory memorabilia. He collected German military regalia, and even had an Iron Cross on his signature bass. He did clarify that he appreciated the items for their aesthetic and historical significance, and spoke out against racism.
PSParrot, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
David Bowie
Speaking of unsavory allusions to the Third Reich, David Bowie was once accused of performing one of their characteristic salutes during his 1976 Isolar tour. Though he later claimed he had just been caught mid-wave by a photographer, it certainly didn’t help that earlier in the tour, he’d been in possession of German WWII memorabilia, and had said that Britain could use a Fascist leader.
Somehow, this wasn’t even the weirdest part of that era of Bowie’s career.
David Bowie (cont’d)
At the time, Bowie was at the height of his addiction, and subsisting on a diet of milk and peppers, only sleeping once every 3-4 days. He doesn’t remember most of the recording of Station to Station, his hit album. But that was really nothing compared to the period when his addiction had began, two years before.
Djmehow, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Diamond Dogs
Bowie had gotten himself into the white stuff in 1974, around the time he recorded Diamond Dogs—and it was obsession at first sight. It drove him into insomnia and paranoia, and at one point he hoarded jars of his own urine in the fridge, hoping to hide them from the wizards he suspected wanted them.
Rik Walton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keith Moon
While Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was responsible for the “trashing the hotel room” stereotype, the Who’s drummer Keith Moon was responsible for another unforgettable rock star caricature—the Muppet Show’s thrashing drummer Animal.
However, that’s as far as the similarities went, as most of Moon’s behavior wasn’t quite suitable for prime time.
Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Keith Moon (cont’d)
“Moon the Loon” was, unsurprisingly, close friends with Bonham, and seemed to share a lot of the same behaviors—including a penchant for teeing off hotel maids. After getting booed off stage in Canada, he took out his frustrations by chopping up at the furniture in his hotel room with an axe.
Though it seems like a spur of the moment decision, there is, of course, the fact that he’d brought the axe with him in the first place.
Destructive Behavior
Furniture wasn’t the only thing Moon liked the destroy. He was also known for trashing his own drum set during performances, and even using small explosives to get the job done. Sometimes, he’d use explosives to “prank” his friends—but it’s no wonder many of them were on edge around the wild drummer.
Klaus Hiltscher, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Penchant For Pranks
If you were on tour with the Who, you might have to keep an eye out for spontaneously exploding toilets or a hotel bed full of plastic spiders—these were just a few of the pranks that Moon was known for. But when he went on tour with Peter Frampton, Frampton got it the worst of all.
Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
By The Legs
At one hotel, fans had gathered on the street below. Moon and the Who’s bassist John Entwistle told Frampton to come see the crowd, and as he leaned out the window, he quickly realized he’d made a huge mistake. Moon and Entwistle grabbed him by the ankles and danged him above the crowd below.
And Moon’s eccentricities went far beyond pranking friends.
Jean-Luc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pamela Des Barres
Like a few other entries on this list, Moon had a steamy affair with notorious groupie Pamela Des Barres. In her memoirs, she revealed that he had some wild proclivities: Moon wanted Des Barres to engage in a role play where she was a rich older lady looking for a steward.
Prince
Prince wasn’t just hyper-talented—he was also hyper competitive. He had to do everything at the top level, and he always wanted to outshone fellow artists, as evidenced by one unforgettable performance from 1983 where he took the stage with James Brown and Michael Jackson. He blatantly attempted to upstage the icons, especially Jackson, who was frequently a target of his competitive side.
But Prince’s perfectionism also drove him to some strange places.
Allen Beaulieu, Wikimedia Commons
Prince (cont’d)
One frequently cited anecdote about Prince’s eccentricity is the time in 1993 when he changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol and was then known as “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince”. The media made it seem like he was cracking up—but he had good reason for the change.
Warner Bros., Wikimedia Commons
The Artist Formerly Known As Prince
The name change to the love symbol, as fans call, it, was all a part of a contractual dispute with his one-time label, Warner Records. Once it was settled and he’d moved on to Arista, he changed it back.
But there’s one aspect of Prince’s life that may come as a shock to fans.
penner, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
His Image Wasn’t All It Was Cracked Up To Be
Thanks to the risqué nature of his songs, many thought Prince was a classic hyper-libidinous rock god—but in reality, in 2001, he became a Jehovah’s Witness, and a devout one at that. Prince even used to canvas door-to-door for the church when he lived in Los Angeles. Imagine opening the door and seeing Prince standing there?
Michael Jackson
As for Michael Jackson’s feelings towards Prince? Well, he did say Prince was one of the rudest people he’d ever met. But a music feud was truly the least of Michael Jackson’s worries, who was so eccentric that he was often smeared with the nickname “Wacko Jacko”. Let’s go back in time and revisit some of those moments
Larry Davis, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Jackson (cont’d)
One early moment that made people go “Hmm, not what I expected” was the speculation that he’d started bleaching his skin in the 1980s, as his complexion went from lighter to darker. His dermatologist later said that it came from vitiligo, and that Jackson used foundation to cover up blotches on his skin.
Unfortunately, this was the first of many attention-grabbing stunts in the 1980s.
DrewFromNY, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Oxygen Chamber
Jackson clearly went to great lengths to take care of himself—and as a result, rumors proliferated in the 1980s that he slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at night for his health. This was a time in the world where people thought muffins were health food, so all of Jackson’s gestures toward health seemed especially bizarre.
But his concern for his own health wasn’t the only weird part.
Zoran Veselinovic, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Bubbles
In the early 80s, Jackson came into possession of Bubbles, a chimpanzee who had been rescued from an animal testing facility. Bubbles lived like a member of the family, sleeping in a crib in Jackson’s room, eating at the dining table, wearing a diaper, and using the bathroom. Additionally, he went everywhere with Jackson—and I mean everything.
Bubbles’ Adventures
Bubbles not only was in studio for the making of Bad, he accompanied Jackson to Tokyo on tour. He was also there when Jackson attempted to record a duet with Freddie Mercury, who reportedly couldn’t stand watching Jackson ask Bubbles what he thought of each take.
Ultimately, Bubbles’ behavior became erratic and he was moved to an animal sanctuary.
The Elephant Man
In the 1980s, there were also rumors that Jackson was attempting to buy the bones of Joseph Merrick, AKA the Elephant Man. As the story went, Jackson’s representatives had contacted the medical college who had possession of the skeleton and offered them $1 million, only to be told the bones weren’t for sale. Years later, Jackson denied the rumors.
Blanket
Jackson’s personal problems persisted—and multiplied—in the 1990s, and multiple allegations of abuse were leveled against him. However, the late 90s also brought the birth of his first two children. After his divorce from their mother, he had a third child with a surrogate, Prince Michael Jackson II, nicknamed Blanket.
JJ Merelo, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Balcony Incident
On November 20, 2002, Jackson dangled Blanket out of the window of a Berlin hotel while photographers were gathered below. People were shocked that he’d endanger his baby’s life like that, and he later apologized for the incident.
Jim Morrison
You don’t get the nickname “the Lizard King” for being a fine, upstanding young man. Though Jim Morrison’s occasionally pretentious rock star antics have made him the subject of parody, there were some seriously bizarre moments in his short life—all beginning when he was just a kid.
Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons
Jim Morrison (cont’d)
When he was just four years old, Morrison witnessed a horrific highway accident that left multiple victims—and said he felt their spirits enter into him. He kept up this sort of spooky spirituality well into adulthood, when he married a Wiccan and they drank each other’s blood at the ceremony.
Ozzy Osbourne
In 1984, Ozzy Osbourne went on a tour with Mötley Crüe that has been described as one of the “craziest tours in the history of rock and roll.” Trying to outdo each other’s extreme antics, Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe set himself on fire, then Osbourne snorted ants off the sidewalk. I'm not sure who won that contest, but it sounds like both of them lost.
Tony Barnard, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Dennis Wilson
On the surface, the Beach Boys were all sunshine and rainbows and songs about surfin’ with your best girl—but behind the scenes, several of their members headed in their own eccentric directions. Brian Wilson, of course, was deeply mentally ill and would later be mistreated by an unscrupulous therapist. Mike Love got really into lawsuits and hanging at Mar-A-Lago.
And then there was Dennis Wilson.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Dennis Wilson (cont’d)
During the Beach Boys’ run, Wilson got into psychedelics, and, in the wake of his first divorce, brought home a couple of groupies who told them about their spiritual guru. When he was due at a recording session, he left them alone at his house. But when he returned home, he was greeted by a disturbing sight.
Capitol records, Wikimedia Commons
The Schoolbus
There was a schoolbus in his driveway, and a strange man waiting beside it. The man was none other than Charles Manson—the so-called “guru” the women had mentioned. Then things got even weirder.
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Picryl
Idol Worship
Manson dropped to his knees and began kissing Wilson’s feet. When they went inside, Wilson saw that the girls had invited a dozen other people over. At first, he didn’t mind the houseguests—but they quickly wore out their welcome.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Nothing Is Free
Wilson all of a sudden had all these women in his house, who began acting as live-in concubines/maids at Manson’s behest. But because they were all broke, Wilson ended up having to spend his own money to support them all.
Expensive Guests
While they lived with Wilson, Manson and his followers bought clothes, cars, food, and antibiotics to treat all the STIs they picked up. When all was said and done, Wilson had spent $100,000 on Manson and his followers—nearly $900,000 in today’s money. Then Manson began needling him for introductions to managers, record execs, and the other Beach Boys.
The Easy Way Out
By the time that Wilson realized Manson and his friends were pretty creepy, they were already living full-time at his home. To get away from them, he simply abandoned it and moved in with a friend. Eventually, Manson tried to go after one of those record execs, but he’d moved out of his house—and Sharon Tate had moved in.
Spiritlevel Cinema, Manson: Music from an Unsound Mind (2019)
The Epilogue
Manson showed up at Wilson’s house after the events at Cielo Drive and asked for money. Wilson gave it to him, only to later hear about the connection between Manson and the horrific massacre on Cielo Drive. For years afterward, Wilson would get calls from Manson’s followers, who would threaten him with two terrifying words: “You’re next”.
Many believe that Wilson’s problems with addiction stemmed from his guilt and terror over the association.
Ronnie Van Zant
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Ronnie Van Zant basically seemed born to brawl—and soon gained a reputation as one of rock’s unruliest frontmen. But he was also a dedicated musician, and actually turned down an early record deal for the band so that they could refine their sound…something they spent three whole years doing.
Of course, after they were established, his weird side came out again.
Distributed by MCA Records, Wikimedia Commons
Ronnie Van Zant (cont’d)
Van Zant was decidedly not a hippie—but he did have a habit of performing barefoot. He also took part in another tried-and-true rock star activity: throwing furniture out of hotel windows. On top of that, Van Zant had a penchant for punching his own band members when they stepped out of line.
And bandmembers weren’t the only ones that Van Zant was intent on teeing off.
Jimmy Barnes Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
When Legends Meet
When Lynyrd Skynyrd opened for the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger told the band that the ONE thing they couldn't do was go out on the iconic Rolling Stones tongue. There was just one problem. Ronnie Van Zant was NOT the kind of guy you bossed around.
Fairchild Archive, Getty Images
Never Again
In the middle of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s set, Van Zant ushered his bandmates out onto the tongue for "Free Bird". They ended up going long, too. Needless to say, they never performed with Jagger or the Stones ever again.
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