When COCAINE Ruled The Airwaves by Bill Knell

When COCAINE Ruled The Airwaves

by Bill Knell

Cocaine* is nothing new in the entertainment industry. Many silent screen actors used it, along with opium and other addictive substances. Musicians and performers used it and many still do. A famous Big Band drummer used it in the 1930s-1940s. He later kicked the habit and admitted it affected his performances and often ruined his timing.

In more recent decades many “A List” film and television actors used Cocaine. Dennis Quad managed to kick a long time habit, but not before it helped ruin his marriage to Meg Ryan. Once clean, he tattled on the industry. He said that many big budget films had money for drugs built into their budgets, often hidden in petty cash.

One of the most infamous uses of cocaine on movie sets allegedly occurred during the filming of the Blues Brothers movie in 1979. According to inside sources and gossip rags, almost everyone involved with the film was using it and a substantial amount was built into the budget to pay for it all.

When the acclaimed record album ‘Rumours’ was being recorded by the group Fleetwood Mac, they would come into the studio around Midnight, party until dawn and begin recording in the morning while still high. The sound engineers were also high most of the time. Cocaine was their drug of choice. Feeling they could not have made the album without it, the band actually considered thanking their dealer in the cover notes. Much of this occurred because they had an open ended budget to make the album.

Band member Steve Nicks was so severely addicted to cocaine that she developed a large hole in her nasal septum from severe and prolonged cocaine use. Her doctor told Stevie that if she didn't quit she would lose her nose and might even die. Plastic surgery was impossible because of the damage already done to the interior of her nose. Rather than quit, Stevie had trusted associates use a plastic straw to blow cocaine into her butt hole! Fortunately, she finally kicked the habit and has been clean for years.

TV and radio weren't immune from the cocaine curse. A well known former employee of WNBC in New York City claimed that when he used the stairs to go from floor to floor, he saw people snorting coke. During a number of TV specials aired in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, hosts and guests often had the ‘sniffles’. Most said they had colds, but were users. Successful songwriter and performer Paul Williams said that, before he kicked the habit, he sometimes showed up for TV performances or hosting duties sniffling.

It was easy to see the effects of the cocaine explosion by just watching TV shows in the 1980s. Overhead boom microphones ended up in the shots because it was too expensive to re-shot scenes. Series like “Moonlighting” were constantly behind in production, causing weeks between new episodes. Even the venerable TV Guide magazine had a cover with a graphic of cocaine use on it trying to bring the issue of drug use in the entertainment industry to everyone's attention.

Despite efforts to try to control and reduce drug use in the entertainment industry, cocaine remains a mainstay and drug of choice for many. According to projectknow.com, here are just a few of the celebrities who were addicted to cocaine; having served prison sentences or even died from using…

John Belushi

Whitney Houston

Ike Turner

Tim Allen

Kate Moss

Angelina Jolie

Robert Downey, Jr

Steven Tyler

Drew Barrymore

Corey Haim

Hunter Thompson

Steven King

Steven King famously said that he was so high while writing his novel Cujo that he didn't remember writing it or what he wrote. Cocaine in the entertainment industry hasn't just caused forgetfulness, missed or substandard performances, shaky cameras and forgotten lines; it has and continues to be a death drug that takes an unacceptable toll on users.

One time I went to Ozzfest with a few of my kids in the early 2000s. They were metal fans, but very disappointed with the performances of some of the top acts. Ozzy, for example, forgot many of his song lyrics, perhaps being too high to remember them.

During the 1970s Governor Jerry Brown of California was having lunch with a music celebrity. She was sniffling a lot. Suddenly, witnesses said her nose looked like it collapsed. After that there was nothing but blood. Think before you snort!

*Cocaine is a highly addictive stimulant derived from the coca plant. While it has some medical uses, it is primarily used recreationally and is illegal in the U.S. It is typically a white powder or rock-like crystals called crack. Cocaine is an intense stimulant that causes euphoria. Users often "binge" on the drug. Serious health risks include irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke, and death. - Google