At 17, all I wanted was to be a  famous junky.  Like all my heroes.

I never actually thought I’d make it. (Look at me, I’m blushing like Miss America!) But, damn it, I’m not going to lie, I turned 56 last Monday. That’s right, my birthday is on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and I’m now older than your Dad. Go ahead and make carnival at my angst. Mortality aside,  I am busting my buttons at having made the roster of big name dope fiends compiled by the brains at NNDB, a list of giants who lent the whole damn business such heinous allure in the first place. I mean, Johnny Thunders, Iceberg Slim, Jimi Hendrix, Lenny Bruce, Fats Navarro… Corey Feldman. Okay, maybe not Corey Feldman. But you get my drift.

I  may be staring down the barrel of Deep Fifties.  I may never have gotten a Guggenheim, never written a book that ended up in a supermarket. And my liver may get its mail at a dog track in Granada. But — there I said it! —  the struggle wasn’t all in vain. Thanks to a frenzied career track that included “dope fiend” (after “failed novelist” “pornographer” and “TV Writer,” but before “McDonalds Fry Jockey” on the resume ), I have carved out my own hard-earned, embarrassingly thrilling niche in the annals of Celebrity Addict.

Do I sound like I’m bragging?

Forgive me. I do have humility, and I’m not knocking the kids in my third grade class who never got to be astronauts, firemen, or Moe Howard. We can’t all hitch our wagon to a star. But thanks to a long-gone yen for God’s Medicine, your humble author has taken a seat in Narco-Posterity.  Sure, there may have been a marriage that  tanked, a friend or five who still wonder what happened to their VCRs, some inappropriate public napping and a couple of novels that sold worse than Iranian pocket Torahs. I’m not saying I’m Albert Schweitzer.  Not at all. It’s just, at the end of the proverbial day, what, really, do we have but our reputation? That’s why I included the fridge door-ready compilation below.

After I pick up my Golden Syringe at the Hard Rock, Las Vegas ceremony, I’m going to put it in on my mantel beside the… well, actually, it’s going to be up there by itself. Like an Irving Thalberg Lifetime Achievement award for IV Professionals. Not to suggest that I ever did anything particularly impressive with my life. But, call me sentimental, to celebrate the peculiar, squirm-inducing miracle of Not Being Dead. I didn’t have a plan B — but I didn’t have a Plan A, either, so what the hell…

Never let go of your dreams.

This is a beta version of NNDB Search: All NamesLiving peopleDead peopleBand NamesBook TitlesMovie TitlesFull Text for

Risk Factor: HeroinLISTS Name Occupation Birth Death Known for Ryan Adams Singer/Songwriter 5-Nov-1974 Heartbreaker Steven Adler Drummer 22-Jan-1965 Former Guns N’ Roses drummer David Allen Author 28-Dec-1945 Getting Things Done Rick Allen Drummer 1-Nov-1963 Def Leppard’s one-armed drummer G. G. Allin Musician 29-Aug-1956 28-Jun-1993 Hated Gregg Allman Musician 8-Dec-1947 An Allman Brother Trey Anastasio Musician 30-Sep-1964 Lead singer and guitarist for Phish Brett Anderson Singer/Songwriter 29-Sep-1967 Former Suede vocalist Phil Anselmo Musician 30-Jun-1968 Former vocalist for Pantera Antonin Artaud Playwright 4-Sep-1896 4-Mar-1948 Theater of Cruelty Rick Aviles Comic 14-Oct-1952 17-Mar-1995 Ghost Chet Baker Jazz Musician 23-Dec-1929 13-May-1988 Jazz trumpeter, The Chet Baker Quartet Nicky Barnes Criminal 1933 Heroin kingpin, Mr. Untouchable Jean-Michel Basquiat Painter 22-Dec-1960 12-Aug-1988 NYC graffiti artist Matthew “Stymie” Beard Actor 1-Jan-1925 8-Jan-1981 Stymie in Our Gang John Belushi Actor 24-Jan-1949 5-Mar-1982 Animal House Steven Jesse Bernstein Poet 4-Dec-1950 22-Oct-1991 Grunge poet and punk rocker Jack Black Musician 28-Aug-1969 Half of Tenacious D Robert Blake Actor 18-Sep-1933 Baretta, acquitted of murdering wife Mike Bloomfield Guitarist 28-Jul-1943 15-Feb-1981 Guitarist, Paul Butterfield Blues Band Don Bolles Musician 30-Jul-1956 The Germs John Bonham Drummer 31-May-1948 24-Sep-1980 Drummer for Led Zeppelin, 1968-80 Anthony Bourdain Chef 25-Jun-1956 Kitchen Confidential David Bowie Musician 8-Jan-1947 Ziggy Stardust Lillo Brancato Actor 30-Aug-1976 A Bronx Tale, acquitted of murder Russell Brand Actor 4-Jun-1975 Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know Lenny Bruce Comic 13-Oct-1925 3-Aug-1966 Multiply obscene comic William S. Burroughs Author 5-Feb-1914 2-Aug-1997 Naked Lunch Charlotte Caffey Guitarist 21-Oct-1953 Lead guitarist for The Go-Go’s John Cale Cellist 9-Mar-1942 Velvet cellist and influential producer Gia Carangi Model 29-Jan-1960 18-Nov-1986 Troubled supermodel, died from AIDS Judy Carne Actor 27-Apr-1939 Sock-it-to-me girl on Laugh-In Jim Carroll Author 1-Aug-1950 The Basketball Diaries David Cassidy Singer 12-Apr-1950 The Partridge Family Nick Cave Singer 22-Sep-1957 Bad Seed 50 Cent Rapper 6-Jul-1975 Wanksta, P.I.M.P. Jimmy Chamberlin Drummer 10-Jun-1964 Ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Lauren Chapin Actor 23-May-1945 Father Knows Best Mark David Chapman Assassin 10-May-1955 Assassin of Beatle John Lennon Ray Charles Musician 23-Sep-1930 10-Jun-2004 Georgia On My Mind Eric Clapton Guitarist 30-Mar-1945 Slowhand Kurt Cobain Musician 20-Feb-1967 5-Apr-1994 Lead singer of Nirvana Natalie Cole Singer 6-Feb-1950 Singer-daughter of Nat King Cole John Coltrane Jazz Musician 23-Sep-1926 17-Jul-1967 Jazz tenor saxophonist Peter Coyote Actor 10-Oct-1942 Dennis Ryland on The 4400 Darby Crash Singer 26-Sep-1958 7-Dec-1980 The Germs David Crosby Musician 14-Aug-1941 Crosby, Stills, and Nash Aleister Crowley Religion 12-Oct-1875 1-Dec-1947 Wickedest man in the world Adrianne Curry Model 6-Aug-1982 America’s Next Top Model Joe Dallesandro Actor 31-Dec-1948 Took a walk on the wild side Evan Dando Musician 4-Mar-1967 Lemonheads frontman Miles Davis Jazz Musician 26-May-1926 28-Sep-1991 Jazz trumpeter, Kind of Blue Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda Religion 22-Apr-1942 International Ministry Growing in Grace, Inc. Kelley Deal Guitarist 10-Jun-1961 Sometime guitarist for The Breeders Janice Dickinson Model 15-Feb-1955 1970s supermodel Dion Musician 18-Jul-1939 Runaround Sue Pete Doherty Musician 12-Mar-1979 Ex-frontman for The Libertines Robert Downey, Jr. Actor 4-Apr-1965 The Gingerbread Man Bobby Driscoll Actor 3-Mar-1937 30-Mar-1968 Child actor, succumbed to drugs Sanjay Dutt Actor 29-Jul-1959 Mission Kashmir Bill Evans Jazz Musician 16-Aug-1929 15-Sep-1980 Jazz pianist Stanley Fafara Actor 20-Sep-1949 20-Sep-2003 Whitey on Leave It to Beaver Marianne Faithfull Singer/Songwriter 29-Dec-1946 Sister Morphine Chris Farley Comic 15-Feb-1964 17-Dec-1997 Saturday Night Live Perry Farrell Musician 29-Mar-1959 Gangly lead singer of Jane’s Addiction Corey Feldman Actor 16-Jul-1971 One of the Coreys Jennifer Finch Bassist 5-Aug-1966 Former L7 bassist Flea Bassist 16-Oct-1962 Bassist for Red Hot Chili Peppers Althea Flynt Relative 6-Nov-1953 27-Jun-1987 Larry Flynt’s dead wife wiL Francis Singer 8-Jan-1982 Lead singer of Aiden Justine Frischmann Guitarist 16-Sep-1969 Guitarist, Elastica John Frusciante Guitarist 5-Mar-1970 Guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers Dave Gahan Musician 9-May-1962 Depeche Mode Jerry Garcia Musician 1-Aug-1942 9-Aug-1995 Grateful Dead Leif Garrett Musician 8-Nov-1961 1970s teen idol Boy George Singer/Songwriter 14-Jun-1961 Karma Chameleon Balthazar Getty Actor 22-Jan-1975 Lord of the Flies J. Paul Getty, Jr. Business 7-Sep-1932 17-Apr-2003 Heir to the Getty Oil fortune Stan Getz Jazz Musician 2-Feb-1927 6-Jun-1991 Jazz tenor saxophonist Dwayne Goettel Musician 1-Feb-1964 23-Aug-1995 Skinny Puppy, fatal heroin OD Whoopi Goldberg Actor 13-Nov-1955 Sister Act Dexter Gordon Jazz Musician 27-Feb-1923 25-Apr-1990 Influential bop saxophonist Peter Greene Actor 8-Oct-1965 Laws of Gravity Tim Hardin Singer/Songwriter 23-Dec-1941 29-Dec-1980 If I Were a Carpenter Debbie Harry Singer 1-Jul-1945 Blondie Domino Harvey Relative 7-Aug-1969 27-Jun-2005 Laurence Harvey’s daughter Mitch Hedberg Comic 24-Feb-1968 30-Mar-2005 Stand-up comedian known for one-liners Richard Hell Musician 2-Oct-1949 Blank Generation Jimi Hendrix Guitarist 27-Nov-1942 18-Sep-1970 Purple Haze Billie Holiday Singer 7-Apr-1915 17-Jul-1959 Lady Sings the Blues Shannon Hoon Musician 26-Sep-1967 21-Oct-1995 Frontman for Blind Melon Etta James Singer 25-Jan-1938 Soul Diva Denis Johnson Novelist 1949 Jesus’ Son Angelina Jolie Actor 4-Jun-1975 Tomb Raider Elvin Jones Drummer 9-Sep-1927 18-May-2004 Different Drummer Steve Jones Guitarist 3-Sep-1955 The Sex Pistols Janis Joplin Singer 19-Jan-1943 4-Oct-1970 Ball and Chain (Piece of My Heart) Al Jourgensen Musician 9-Oct-1958 Lead for industrial band Ministry Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Relative 17-Jan-1954 Son of Robert F. Kennedy Chaka Khan Singer 23-Mar-1953 I Feel For You Anthony Kiedis Musician 1-Nov-1962 Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Jaime King Actor 23-Apr-1979 White Chicks Cris Kirkwood Bassist 22-Oct-1960 Meat Puppets Patrick Kroupa Author 20-Jan-1968 Lord Digital of LOD, Mindvox Artie Lange Comic 11-Oct-1967 MADtv, Howard Stern Christopher Lawford Actor 29-Mar-1955 All My Children Daulton Lee Spy 1952 The Snowman Tommy Lee Drummer 3-Oct-1962 Mötley Crüe drummer John Lennon Musician 9-Oct-1940 8-Dec-1980 Beatle Larry Levan Disc Jockey 20-Jul-1954 8-Nov-1992 Legendary Disco DJ Peggy Lipton Actor 30-Aug-1946 Julie Barnes in The Mod Squad Sonny Liston Boxing 8-May-1932 30-Dec-1970 World Heavyweight Champion 1962-64 Courtney Love Singer 9-Jul-1964 Kurt Cobain’s widow, Hole Frank Lucas Criminal 9-Sep-1930 Harlem heroin kingpin Frankie Lymon Singer/Songwriter 30-Sep-1942 28-Feb-1968 Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers Shane MacGowan Musician 25-Dec-1957 The Pogues Vaughn Meader Comic 20-Mar-1936 29-Oct-2004 Comedian, JFK mimic Russell Means Activist 10-Nov-1939 American Indian Movement Jason Mewes Actor 12-Jun-1974 “Jay” to Kevin Smith’s “Silent Bob” Sharon Mitchell Pornstar 18-Jan-1952 Starship Intercourse Lee Morgan Jazz Musician 10-Jul-1938 19-Feb-1972 The Sidewinder Gerry Mulligan Jazz Musician 6-Apr-1927 20-Jan-1996 Greatest jazz baritonist of all time Dave Mustaine Guitarist 13-Sep-1961 Megadeth Dave Navarro Guitarist 7-Jun-1967 Guitarist for Jane’s Addiction Fats Navarro Jazz Musician 24-Sep-1923 7-Jul-1950 Be-bop jazz trumpeter Chuck Negron Singer 8-Jun-1942 Singer for Three Dog Night Mike Ness Musician 3-Apr-1962 Social Distortion frontman Aaron Neville Musician 24-Jan-1941 Nature Boy Nico Musician 16-Oct-1938 18-Jul-1988 The Velvet Underground and Nico Brad Nowell Musician 22-Feb-1968 25-May-1996 Lead singer of Sublime Anita O’Day Singer/Songwriter 18-Oct-1919 23-Nov-2006 Feminine master of scat Tatum O’Neal Actor 5-Nov-1963 Paper Moon Nivek Ogre Musician 5-Dec-1962 Vocals, Spooky Horn for Skinny Puppy Carré Otis Model 28-Sep-1968 Mickey Rourke’s ex-wife Jimmy Page Guitarist 9-Jan-1944 Led Zeppelin Guitarist Charlie Parker Jazz Musician 29-Aug-1920 12-Mar-1955 Be-bop jazz musician Gram Parsons Musician 5-Nov-1946 19-Sep-1973 Flying Burrito Brothers Robert Pastorelli Actor 21-Jun-1954 8-Mar-2004 Housepainter on Murphy Brown Barbara Payton Actor 16-Nov-1927 8-May-1967 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye Joe Perry Guitarist 10-Sep-1950 Lead guitarist for Aerosmith Kristen Pfaff Bassist 26-May-1967 16-Jun-1994 Bassist for Hole and Janitor Joe John Phillips Musician 30-Aug-1935 18-Mar-2001 The Mamas and the Papas Mackenzie Phillips Actor 10-Nov-1959 Julie on One Day at a Time River Phoenix Actor 23-Aug-1970 31-Oct-1993 My Own Private Idaho Pink Singer 8-Sep-1979 Can’t Take Me Home Iggy Pop Singer/Songwriter 21-Apr-1947 Iggy and the Stooges Glenn Quinn Actor 28-May-1970 3-Dec-2002 Mark Healy on Roseanne Dee Dee Ramone Bassist 18-Sep-1952 5-Jun-2002 Former bassist, The Ramones Lou Reed Musician 2-Mar-1942 The Velvet Underground Brad Renfro Actor 25-Jul-1982 15-Jan-2008 The Client Little Richard Musician 5-Dec-1932 Tutti Frutti Keith Richards Guitarist 18-Dec-1943 The Rolling Stones Nicole Richie TV Personality 21-Sep-1981 The Simple Life Savannah Pornstar 9-Oct-1970 11-Jul-1994 Saturday Night Beaver Maria Schneider Actor 27-Mar-1952 Last Tango in Paris Edie Sedgwick Socialite 20-Apr-1943 16-Nov-1971 Warhol factory girl Hubert Selby Author 23-Jul-1928 26-Apr-2004 Requiem for a Dream Ray Sharkey Actor 14-Nov-1952 11-Jun-1993 Sonny Steelgrave on Wiseguy Eric Show Baseball 19-May-1956 16-Mar-1994 MLB pitcher Nikki Sixx Bassist 11-Dec-1958 Mötley Crüe bassist Slash Guitarist 23-Jul-1965 Former lead guitarist, Guns n’ Roses Christian Slater Actor 18-Aug-1969 Kuffs, True Romance Iceberg Slim Criminal 4-Aug-1918 28-Apr-1992 Pimp-turned-author Hillel Slovak Guitarist 13-Apr-1962 25-Jun-1988 Guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers Penelope Spheeris Film Director 2-Dec-1945 Wayne’s World Nancy Spungen Victim 27-Feb-1958 12-Oct-1978 Sid Vicious’s girlfriend Jerry Stahl Author 1953 Permanent Midnight Layne Staley Musician 22-Aug-1967 14-Apr-2002 Frontman for Alice In Chains Ringo Starr Drummer 7-Jul-1940 Beatle Sonny Stitt Jazz Musician 2-Feb-1924 22-Jul-1982 Jazz saxophonist Izzy Stradlin Guitarist 8-Apr-1962 Former rhythm guitarist, Guns n’ Roses James Taylor Singer/Songwriter 12-Mar-1948 Seen fire, rain Johnny Thunders Guitarist 15-Jul-1952 23-Apr-1991 New York Dolls guitarist Danny Trejo Actor 16-May-1944 Ex-con turned character actor Karla Faye Tucker Criminal 18-Nov-1959 3-Feb-1998 First woman executed in Texas since 1863 Steven Tyler Singer 26-Mar-1948 Frontman for Aerosmith Keni Valenti Fashion Designer 1958 The King of Vintage Stevie Ray Vaughan Guitarist 3-Oct-1954 27-Aug-1990 Blues guitarist Sid Vicious Bassist 10-May-1957 2-Feb-1979 Sex Pistols bassist Charlie Watts Drummer 2-Jun-1941 Drummer for the Rolling Stones Scott Weiland Musician 27-Oct-1967 Frontman, Stone Temple Pilots Dennis Wilson Musician 4-Dec-1944 28-Dec-1983 Founding member of The Beach Boys Amy Winehouse Singer 14-Sep-1983 Rehab Paula Yates TV Personality 24-Apr-1960 17-Sep-2000 Rock Stars in Their Underpants

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