Hi I'm new to this board.

I was reading a post below about Marvin Gaye and it occurred to me that a lot of musicians who are creative genuises seem to have very troubled or tormented lives. I read an interview of Outkast and Andre said that his best songs come from him being distressed, and that if he were happy he couldn't come up with songs that were as interesting. Even though many of these folks have ends ($$$) many seem to be like this. Can anyone venture an opinion as to which performers are happy and still make really interesting records that you would want to listen to again and again?

I highly doubt Nirvana would've made the mark they did if Kurt Cobain had been a genuinely happy person

I think it's probably easier for artists to write songs and that when they are upset. It gives them more to write about.

I'm not sure I totally agree with this, because Bruce Springsteen is a great songwriter, and someone who seems to be a happy person. When John Lennon wrote some of his later music, he was in a very possitive state of mind.

1. Layne Staley
2. Glen Benton from Deicide
3. Johnny Cash
4. Trent Reznor
5. Dead- Singer for Mayhem, who killed himself.
6. GG Allin
7. Kurt Cobain- I think his new found fame tormented him and he couldn't deal with it. He also had a bad drug addiction and he wasn't in the best of health. I don't know, if he was really tormented, but I get that impression that he was in some way.