The life of a rock and roll star has changed significantly over the years. There’s been a real dedication to looking after themselves more recently in order to cope with the stresses and strains of the road, with the days of sex, drugs and rock and roll long gone.
Some rock stars have always been that way, while others have given up the lifestyle to prolong their careers and stay in the charts and on that stage for a few more tours, and a few extra million in the bank.
But who are the best examples of this? Who are the rock stars that prove that going teetotal really does work?
1. Elton John
We may as well start with the best example. Sir Elton John gave up drugs over 20 years ago and has just retired from touring after quite an astonishing headline set at Glastonbury.
Elton John was well known for substance abuse at various points in his career and developed an incredibly problematic drug addiction. He came through that though, got the help he needed and now has an incredibly happy family life and a music career that has most likely spanned a couple of extra decades as a result of going sober.
2. Anthony Kiedis
Few bands have suffered with opioid addiction quite like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They’ve lost a number of band members as a result, and lead singer Anthony Kiedis has noted his struggles in his candid autobiography, Scar Tissue.
Today, the band is clean and during 2022 they released not one but two albums before embarking on their biggest world tour to date, taking in huge stadiums.
3. Lily Allen
Lily Allen could quite easily have gone the same way as Amy Winehouse. Finding fame at a similar time, she has recently spoken out about how unenjoyable having the press invade her privacy was. For Amy, it was all too much.
Lily Allen also turned to drugs, becoming addicted at the height of her career. She was able to enter recovery though going to drug rehabs and mental health services in London to get her life back on track. Today, she’s turned to acting, most recently in Dreamland, which received critical acclaim.
4. Sia
She’s one of the biggest stars on the planet right now, but has been in rehab a number of times, most notably after receiving criticism around her film Music in 2021.
However, she went back into recovery and is continuing to be one of the world’s biggest and best as a sober artist. She’s set to release her new album Reasonable Woman next year, with new single from the album Gimme Love having just been released.
5. Paul McCartney
If no booze is good enough for the great Paul McCartney, then it’s good enough for anyone. The Beatle, now in his 80s, is still releasing music and still putting on huge shows. He recently spoke out about removing alcohol from his life, claiming it was giving him mental health problems and causing sleep issues.
It was give up the booze or carry on in the same manner. Thankfully for fans around the world he chose the former and we’ve still got a few years in the iconic artist to come.