Duff McKagan.Photo:Cindy Ord/Getty ImagesDuff McKaganis opening up about the severity of his drug and alcohol abuse — and what caused it.In an interview withThe Guardianon Tuesday, theGuns ‘N’ Rosesbassist, 59, detailed how “f—ed up” he was while making his 1993 solo debutBelieve in Me.“I was so f—ed up when I made my first solo record,” he told the publication “It’s a great snapshot of where I was at in 1992. I could still play. I played drums and all the s— on there, but I couldn’t sing. I had so much cocaine in my throat, and you can hear it all in my sinuses.“Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses in June 2023 in Israel.Shlomi Pinto/RedfernsNot long after its release, McKagan was hospitalized with alcohol-induced pancreatitis and “was weeks from death.“The “Just Not There” performer recently revealed he’s been struggling with a panic disorder since he was 16 years old, which led to him self-medicating.“You have safe people who can talk you through a panic attack.Slash[of Guns N' Roses] was, and still is [a safe person]. Having a few rips off a vodka bottle would also stop it. I drank so much in my 20s to self-medicate and that’s not the way to do it,” he told the publication.Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N' Roses during 2016’s Coachella.Kevin Winter/Getty Images for CoachellaWhile artists have become more open about their mental health, McKagan says “it just wasn’t talked about” 30 years ago.“I don’t know who I would have told about it. I just thought I was going f—ing crazy. I’m a sensitive human,” he said.He added: “I didn’t really go through any of that macho rock star stuff. I wanted to be a great musician, and musicians are sensitive souls – even the gnarliest, like Mark Lanegan! Getting addicted to drugs and alcohol was never my intention. There’s nothing glamorous about it, and I was lucky to survive.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.McKagan’s third solo albumLighthouse— which features Slash, Jerry Cantrell andIggy Pop— is due Oct. 20 via BFD/Orchard/Sony.Susan Holmes-McKagan and Duff McKagan in New York City in May 2022.Ilya S. Savenok/GettyThe Americana-meets-rock record features 10 songs from 60 that McKagan recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic.The album title is not only a tribute to his wife, Susan Holmes-McKagan — whom he calls his “lighthouse” — but to the idea “we’re all searching. It’s about hope and wondering what’s next.”
Duff McKagan.Photo:Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Duff McKaganis opening up about the severity of his drug and alcohol abuse — and what caused it.In an interview withThe Guardianon Tuesday, theGuns ‘N’ Rosesbassist, 59, detailed how “f—ed up” he was while making his 1993 solo debutBelieve in Me.“I was so f—ed up when I made my first solo record,” he told the publication “It’s a great snapshot of where I was at in 1992. I could still play. I played drums and all the s— on there, but I couldn’t sing. I had so much cocaine in my throat, and you can hear it all in my sinuses.“Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses in June 2023 in Israel.Shlomi Pinto/RedfernsNot long after its release, McKagan was hospitalized with alcohol-induced pancreatitis and “was weeks from death.“The “Just Not There” performer recently revealed he’s been struggling with a panic disorder since he was 16 years old, which led to him self-medicating.“You have safe people who can talk you through a panic attack.Slash[of Guns N' Roses] was, and still is [a safe person]. Having a few rips off a vodka bottle would also stop it. I drank so much in my 20s to self-medicate and that’s not the way to do it,” he told the publication.Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N' Roses during 2016’s Coachella.Kevin Winter/Getty Images for CoachellaWhile artists have become more open about their mental health, McKagan says “it just wasn’t talked about” 30 years ago.“I don’t know who I would have told about it. I just thought I was going f—ing crazy. I’m a sensitive human,” he said.He added: “I didn’t really go through any of that macho rock star stuff. I wanted to be a great musician, and musicians are sensitive souls – even the gnarliest, like Mark Lanegan! Getting addicted to drugs and alcohol was never my intention. There’s nothing glamorous about it, and I was lucky to survive.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.McKagan’s third solo albumLighthouse— which features Slash, Jerry Cantrell andIggy Pop— is due Oct. 20 via BFD/Orchard/Sony.Susan Holmes-McKagan and Duff McKagan in New York City in May 2022.Ilya S. Savenok/GettyThe Americana-meets-rock record features 10 songs from 60 that McKagan recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic.The album title is not only a tribute to his wife, Susan Holmes-McKagan — whom he calls his “lighthouse” — but to the idea “we’re all searching. It’s about hope and wondering what’s next.”
Duff McKaganis opening up about the severity of his drug and alcohol abuse — and what caused it.
In an interview withThe Guardianon Tuesday, theGuns ‘N’ Rosesbassist, 59, detailed how “f—ed up” he was while making his 1993 solo debutBelieve in Me.
“I was so f—ed up when I made my first solo record,” he told the publication “It’s a great snapshot of where I was at in 1992. I could still play. I played drums and all the s— on there, but I couldn’t sing. I had so much cocaine in my throat, and you can hear it all in my sinuses.”
Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses in June 2023 in Israel.Shlomi Pinto/Redferns
Shlomi Pinto/Redferns
Not long after its release, McKagan was hospitalized with alcohol-induced pancreatitis and “was weeks from death.”
The “Just Not There” performer recently revealed he’s been struggling with a panic disorder since he was 16 years old, which led to him self-medicating.
“You have safe people who can talk you through a panic attack.Slash[of Guns N' Roses] was, and still is [a safe person]. Having a few rips off a vodka bottle would also stop it. I drank so much in my 20s to self-medicate and that’s not the way to do it,” he told the publication.
Duff McKagan and Slash of Guns N' Roses during 2016’s Coachella.Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella
While artists have become more open about their mental health, McKagan says “it just wasn’t talked about” 30 years ago.
“I don’t know who I would have told about it. I just thought I was going f—ing crazy. I’m a sensitive human,” he said.
He added: “I didn’t really go through any of that macho rock star stuff. I wanted to be a great musician, and musicians are sensitive souls – even the gnarliest, like Mark Lanegan! Getting addicted to drugs and alcohol was never my intention. There’s nothing glamorous about it, and I was lucky to survive.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
McKagan’s third solo albumLighthouse— which features Slash, Jerry Cantrell andIggy Pop— is due Oct. 20 via BFD/Orchard/Sony.
Susan Holmes-McKagan and Duff McKagan in New York City in May 2022.Ilya S. Savenok/Getty
Ilya S. Savenok/Getty
The Americana-meets-rock record features 10 songs from 60 that McKagan recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The album title is not only a tribute to his wife, Susan Holmes-McKagan — whom he calls his “lighthouse” — but to the idea “we’re all searching. It’s about hope and wondering what’s next.”
source: people.com
