Formed in 1989, Hole was Courtney Love’s path to stardom. While her performances, as well as the lyrics she both wrote and sang, turned her into a highly-discussed figure, it was her relationship with fellow musician Kurt Cobain that really made her part of the rumor mill.
The relationship drew plenty of public attention, and it only got worse after the end of Cobain’s life. In 1994 it seemed like Love was starting to spiral out of control. At one show, she even halted her singing and started to cry about her lost relationship with Cobain.
Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe
When you think about crazy rock musicians, you’re thinking about Motley Crue – whether you know it or not. The band’s drummer, Tommy Lee, made a name for himself both as a member as well as for his outrageous lifestyle off the stage. Motley Crue has sold more than a million records worldwide, thanks in part to their hit singles “Dr. Feelgood” and “Girls, Girls, Girls.”
Success is attractive, which may be the most likely explanation for how Tommy Lee married world-famous model and actress Pamela Anderson after an on-and-off relationship. They had a pair of children before later divorcing.
Tommy Lee Today
Tommy Lee was ready to try other things. He starred in a reality TV series called “Tommy Lee Goes to College” in 2005 that revealed his wild and “unscripted” behavior to the world, but this time it was in a university instead of on stage. He published a memoir, “Tommyland,” in 2004 that detailed his life up to that point.
In 2014 Motley Crue decided to make their last big push, reuniting for a final tour with all four members. The members all had to sign a contract agreeing they wouldn’t appear for any future performances under the name, and the tour ran until the end of 2015.
Courtney Love Today
After a tiring series of legal and abuse issues, Love was court-ordered to attend rehab in 2005. She was able to clean up her act and get the help she needed and made a return to music, having written a number of songs while she was in rehab. Between the years 2012 and 2014, she performed again, even completing a solo tour of the US in mid-2013.
Love has spread herself out a little bit, taking up several different ventures. She's developed her own fashion line and even picked up some acting roles. Neither of those activities is very out-of-left-field for someone who was in music; she is a performer, after all. After Love cleaned herself up, she was able to reunite with her estranged daughter, Frances Bean.
Eric Clapton
Take a look at that “Greatest Of All Time Guitarists” list again, and you're going to see Eric Clapton. He's also going to be near the top A LOT. He's also going to be found on lists of best musicians overall, too. This English master of rock and blues jumped between a number of different bands before landing with the Yardbirds in 1963, though he left just a few years later.
He then joined John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. After Mayall, Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker, and bassist Jack Bruce formed what is widely regarded as the first supergroup, Cream.