7 musicians kicked out of the band they helped start
Cocaine is a hell of a drug
The longstanding feud between Stone Temple Pilots lead singer Scott Weiland and, well, the rest of the Stone Temple Pilots came to a head when the band recently announced that Weiland had been fired. No one was more shocked by the news than Weiland, who responded that he plans to fight the firing because he's "not sure how I can be 'terminated' from a band I founded." The move might not make sense to him right now, but if rock and roll's rocky history holds any legal precedent, he may not have as strong a case as he thinks. Here, 7 musicians who were kicked out of the bands they helped found:
1. Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones
This founding member and guitarist for the legendary British rock band had a tumultuous relationship with drugs, drink, dames, and just about every other dangerous vice that has been featured in the hallowed annals of rock. Jones was one of the band's driving forces in the early days, and his playing and demeanor helped define the band's style and image. But over time, his partying became too difficult to control. He became so "unmanageable" that the band kicked him out in 1969; a month later, he was found dead in his swimming pool. His death was ruled an accidental drowning due to the significant amount of alcohol in his system, but conspiracy theories abound that Jones was actually murdered.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
2. Steven Adler from Guns N' Roses
The founding drummer of the popular hard rock band found himself jobless when his bandmates kicked him out in 1990. Lead guitarist Slash blamed Adler's termination on the usual suspects: "With Steven, it was sex, drugs and rock and roll. It was all he lived for. Then it was drugs and rock and roll. Then it was just drugs." Adler tried to sue the group, but his drinking and drugging got so bad that he almost "stroked out" from a cocaine binge. He told Rolling Stone that he didn't get sober until 2008, crediting his successful rehab to an appearance on Dr. Drew Pinsky's "Celebrity Rehab." He called it "the best thing I ever did for myself."
3. Glen Matlock from The Sex Pistols
The infamous British punk band fired its bass player in 1977, allegedly because of his love for another British band: The Beatles. At first, Matlock and the group said the split was amicable, but the group's manager Malcolm McLaren later told a different version of the events. McLaren told reporter Derek Johnson that Matlock was sacked because "he went on too long about Paul McCartney," and "The Beatles was too much." Matlock went on to play with Iggy Pop, Frank Black of Pixies, and even Sid Vicious, the man who replaced him in The Sex Pistols.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
4. Dave Mustaine from Metallica
The heavy metal behemoth's guitarist only lasted a year in the group. Mustaine joined in 1982, and helped establish the band's unique style and sound, but his addictions took a toll on his bandmates. The rest of the band decided to kick him by telling him that they had bought him a Greyhound bus ticket instead of a plane ticket to their next gig. Lars Ulrich joked in the band's biography, "Not only was he out of the band, but he had to sit on a bus for four days and think about it!" Mustaine went on to find success as the founding member of another iconic metal group, Megadeth. He also said in a recent interview that he holds no ill will against Metallica. "I still like [singer James Hetfield]. I don't like Lars, but I still like him."
5, 6 and 7. Brian Wilson, David Marks, and Al Jardine from The Beach Boys
One of pop rock's most memorable and beloved groups has also had one of its rockiest histories. Just as the group was celebrating their 50th anniversary, singer Mike Love announced that longtime bassist and songwriter Brian Wilson and guitarists David Marks and Al Jardine would not be joining him on the rest of their 50th anniversary reunion tour. Wilson was perplexed by the announcement, and said in an interview that it "feels like we're being fired." Love denied the move as a "firing" in a letter published in the Los Angeles Times.
Danny Gallagher is a freelance writer, blogger, and humorist. He can be found on the web at www.dannygallagher.net and on Twitter @thisisdannyg.
-
Will California's EV mandate survive Trump, SCOTUS challenge?
Today's Big Question The Golden State's climate goal faces big obstacles
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Underneath the noise, however, there’s an existential crisis'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
2024: the year of distrust in science
In the Spotlight Science and politics do not seem to mix
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published