Apart from sex and rape, rock
music encourages drug abuse. As far back as 1969, Time magazine (September 26)
commented, "Rock musicians use drugs frequently and openly and their
compositions are riddled with references to drugs." Songs such as Velvet
Underground's "Heroin" helped encourage some young people to
experiment with drugs, not infrequently with tragic consequences (John Cale, Spin,
May 1990 p. 30).
As reported in Life magazine, (October 3, 1969), Jimi Hendrix, whose
basic philosophy was one of unbridled sex and drug use, commented, "You
can hypnotize people with music and when you get them at their weakest point,
you can preach into the subconscious what we want to say."
But many famous rock stars have paid a price for their drug abuse. Among the
dead are Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols,
Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Elvis
Presley, Janice Joplin, Bon Scott of AC/DC, Frankie Lymon, Tim Harden, Phil
Lynott of Thin Lizzie and many others could be mentioned. The day this booklet
was finished the lead singer for the Temptations, David Ruffin, died from a
cocaine overdose. But in spite of this, drugs still play a prominent role in
rock music and this seems to have a harmful effect on many who listen.
For example, one study in Post Graduate Medicine concluded that
"evidence shows that such [rock] music promotes and supports patterns of
drug abuse, promiscuous sexual activity and violence" (King, "Heavy
Metal Music" of Wass et. al., Adolescents Interest, p. 82).
The personal and social tragedy of modern drug abuse is simply unimaginable,
and yet rock music continues to glorify drug use. In fact, it can be argued
that rock music must assume a large share of responsibility for the modern drug
epidemic. As in the area of human sexuality, rock musicians are failing to
uphold their responsibilities, Steven Tyrler of Aerosmith noted in Sober
Times (Oct. 1988, p. 2). Notwithstanding the fact that drug abuse
presents a huge problem in our contemporary society, rock music continues to
encourage this. It is time that society leaders understood that rock music
carries a significant amount of blame for the current narcotic abuse.
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