3 Older Hall of Fame Artists Known for Their Substance Use

While most doctors will surely tell you that sobriety is ultimately what most people should strive for in their lives, often people will turn to drugs and alcohol for things like blowing off steam, helping the creative process, and just having a good time. And when it comes to the world of music, that is, for better or worse, especially true. Here below, we wanted to dive into the story of three artists in particular, a trio of Hall of Fame songwriters and performers who are known just as much for their outstanding work as they are for their dabbling in the world of mind-altering substances. But more specifically, these folks are no spring chickens anymore. Indeed, these are three older Hall of Fame artists known for their substance use.

Videos by American Songwriter

Willie Nelson

Country star Willie Nelson is known for songs like “Funny How Time Slips Away” and “Crazy”. But ask anyone who has followed the career of the 91-year-old artist and they’ll tell you that they know he is an avid cannabis user, too.

Uncle Willie, with his faithful guitar Trigger and his beloved joints, has become something of a meme these days. But it seems to be working for the man, who was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

Ozzy Osbourne

There is a story that Black Sabbath frontman and reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne once sniffed a line of ants. Ants! If he’s willing to do that, who knows what exactly he’s done throughout his rockstar life.

“I’ve always been self-medicating because I’ve never liked the way I felt,” Ozzy told Variety a few years ago. The 76 year old Ozzy got clean in 2013, thankfully, but he was abusing alcohol well into his 60s prior to that.

“Most of the people that I drank with are dead,” he said. Thankfully, he’s still here!

Snoop Dogg

The 53-year-old rapper from Southern California is known for his effortlessly smooth rhymes and his love of cannabis. Oh, and some gin and juice tossed in wouldn’t be so bad either.

Snoop Dogg is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is also one of the biggest rappers of all time. And he’s still one of the most relevant pitchmen today. Turn on your television and you’re likely to hear his voice. He’s beloved in popular culture today, with THC as much a part of his brand as anything else.

Photo by Scott Newton/Courtesy of Austin City Limits