It’s typical for rock stars and musicians to have a reputation for being bad boys and bad girls who live crazy lifestyles and are constantly getting into trouble. While that’s certainly not the case for all, it is for many. Countless artists have toed the legal line and got themselves in hot water for a variety of crimes and had to pay the price. That’s who we’re looking at today. These are the musicians who are in prison or have served time in jail.
The musicians listed here have been behind bars for many different reasons. As you may guess, many times the arrests involve drugs, as is the case for Ike Turner, Paul McCartney, and others. In other cases, it’s guns and weapons that get musicians in trouble, as it did for Lil’ Wayne, David Crosby, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. There are also artists who have served time for a variety of other crimes. For Lauren Hill, it was tax evasion. The artist Snow was in jail for attempted murder. Ozzy Osbourne stole clothes. You name it, and a musician probably got into trouble for doing it.
To determine the 31 musicians who are in prison or have served time, 24/7 Tempo scoured the web to find the best biographical and music-related websites, including Loudwire, Rolling Stone, and People. We verified the information by comparing it to other online sources. We hope you enjoy the list. For more fun music-related content, check out this list of the 50 very popular songs that actually never got to be number one.
Lauren Hill
Our first of the musicians who are in prison or have served time is Lauren Hill. She is a rapper, record producer, singer, and songwriter. She’s so good that she’s considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. She made great hits on her own and as a member of the Fugees. However, in 2013, Hill was sentenced to three months of home confinement and three months in prison for failing to report more than $2 million dollars on her taxes. She told a judge that she planned to pay her taxes but wasn’t sure when.
Tupac Shakur
Tupac had a relatively short life, but during that time, he was considered to be one of the brightest talents in the rap world. Before his life was tragically cut short, he was charged with sexual assault in 1995. During the trial, Tupac was shot five times but survived, and he arrived in court to hear the verdict in a wheelchair. He served 11 months in jail before being released after Suge Knight posted his bail. During his time in jail, Tupac put out an album that reached number one and he also got married.
Lil’ Wayne
23A__24
Another of the musicians who are in prison or have served time is Lil’ Wayne, who had several run-ins with the law over his life. The one that stuck was a weapons charge that earned him eight months in jail as part of a 12-month sentence. That’s relatively good, considering that he could have received up to 10 years. He was famously sent to New York’s Rikers Island prison to spend his time. Lil’ Wayne continues to be a major force in the music industry to this day, and hopefully, he has cleaned up his act.
Snow
Older folks may remember Snow. He was a rapper during the late 80s and early 90s, and he was one of the first white rappers to get a lot of recognition. His hit was called “The Informer.” In 1989, he was charged with two counts of attempted murder that were eventually reduced to aggravated assault. However, before that time, he was detained in Canada for 12 months. He was eventually acquitted and freed. His song “The Informer” was about that arrest.
Ike Turner
While Ike Turner was often more well known for being in the news for all the wrong reasons, he was actually a talented musician. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was a bandleader in several successful groups, including the Kings of Rhythm and the group named Ike & Tina Turner. In 1987, he was arrested for selling cocaine to an undercover police officer. He pleaded both guilty and not guilty to various counts and he spent four years in prison for the crime. The charges included conspiracy to sell the drug and possessing cocaine for sale, among others.
James Brown
Speaking of musicians who are in prison, we have James Brown, who was in jail several times during his life for radically different crimes. Back in 1949, the Godfather of Soul was arrested for theft when he was stealing clothes from parked cars. Later on, in 1988, he was hit with several charges, including resisting arrest, possession of illegal drugs, assaulting a police officer, and traffic violations. In both cases, he was sentenced to and spent three years in prison. With that and his musical accolades, he led a very interesting life.
David Crosby
David Crosby had a long and illustrious career as he had many hits as a solo musician and as a member of bands Stills, Crosby, Nash & Young, and more. He was famous for his unique music, which was considered to be both folk and psychedelic. In 1982, Crosby was sentenced to nine months in jail stemming from various weapons and drug charges relating to the possession of cocaine and heroin. Still, even with the arrests, Crosby continued to be a celebrated musician, and he left a lasting legacy.
Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown is a well-known dancer, singer, and songwriter who has been very influential in the music business. He even helped to create a new musical genre, new jack swing, which is a fusion of R&B and hip hop. During his long career, he has been arrested several times, and he was jailed in 2013. He was arrested for drinking and driving, and he pleaded no contest. He was charged and given a 55-day jail sentence. However, he only served about nine hours in jail before being released, likely due to overcrowding.
Rick James
Musician Rick James is considered to be a punk-funk icon who had many hit songs during his life and career, including Super Freak and Give It to Me Baby. However, he was also very troubled, and he was in trouble with the law several times. At one point in his career, he was charged and found guilty of allegedly assaulting a female music executive at his club. While he was awaiting sentencing, he was arrested for holding a different woman hostage for a week while he assaulted and raped her. He spent two years in prison for his numerous crimes.
Lil’ Kim
You can’t talk about musicians who are in prison or were in prison without talking about Lil’ Kim. She is an American rapper and singer who has had a lot of success as a solo act and as a member of other groups. During a beef with fellow rapper Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim was sentenced to a year in jail because of a shooting that occurred outside a recording studio. Though the details were hazy, Lil’ Kim was charged with counts of conspiracy and a count of perjury related to her testimony. She served 10 months of that year-long sentence.
Paul McCartney
Yes, even many musicians who seem squeaky clean have had some legal trouble, including the legendary Paul McCartney. As a member of The Beatles, he and his bandmates took the world by storm. However, he had a little hiccup in 1980 when he went to Tokyo, and the police there found 7.7 ounces of marijuana hidden in his luggage. McCartney served 10 days in jail there and then was deported out of the country. He was very lucky because he was facing a potential seven-year prison sentence.
Ozzy Osbourne
Most people know who Ozzy Osbourne is, even if they don’t listen to his type of music. He’s generally known as a crazy rock star who had rumors that he had once eaten the head off of a bat. Unfortunately, his antics have led to a couple of stints in jail. It was back when he was 17 years old. He was caught and arrested for stealing clothes from a store. He served two weeks for his crime. In 1989, he was thrown in jail again for attempting to kill his wife, Sharon.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard
As his name may imply, this artist has a bad reputation. He is a well known artist who has had his share of hits over the years. However, he’s had many brushes with the law. A big one was in 2000 when he escaped from a court-mandated drug treatment program and was on the run as a fugitive for a month. He was found in Philadelphia, where he spent some time in jail before being extradited to New York City. The court sentenced him to two to four years in prison. Ultimately, he spent two years of that behind bars.
Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Easily one of the biggest rock musicians of all time, Mick Jagger is still going strong today. He’s had a long career and that means he’s got himself into plenty of tough spots. One of them was back in 1967 when he was busted with Keith Richards with a stash of amphetamines at his house. He was arrested and sentenced to three months in jail at Brixton Prison. However, he only served a few days and was released. Keith Richards was sentenced to three years and served two months.
Vince Neil
Rocker Vince Neil made a name for himself as the frontman of rock band Motley Crue. He’s been the lead singer on and off since 1981 and has had quite a career. However, he had a major setback in 1984. He was charged with a DUI after he drove intoxicated and hit an oncoming vehicle, and the resulting crash killed the drummer of another band. Neil pleaded guilty and served 20 days in jail. He had another incident in 2011, when he was sentenced to jail time again, plus house arrest after another DUI.
Tommy Lee
Another Motley Crue band member, drummer Tommy Lee, has also seen his share of legal and personal issues. Back in 1998, he was arrested and put in jail for six months for assaulting his wife, Pamala Anderson from “Baywatch.” While he was behind bars, Anderson filed for divorce. After Tommy was released, the couple came together again but ended up eventually splitting for good.
Nikki Sixx
We have one more Motley Crue band member who makes the list of musicians who are in prison or have served time. Many years ago, Nikki Sixx and the band were traveling by train, and he threw a bottle at his bandmate. Instead, the bottle hit a random passenger. Sixx was in jail for several hours but was released after he wrote an apology note to the victim. Sixx has also been in many other legal skirmishes over time, including some involving stalking and misdemeanor assault.
Axl Rose
Long before he became the acclaimed lead vocalist for the band Guns N’ Roses, Axl Rose was a kid who got into a lot of trouble. Before he was 20 years old, he was arrested close to 20 times for various issues, including battery and public intoxication. Because of those crimes, he spent several months in jail. When he moved to California and joined Guns N’ Roses, he was charged several more times, usually for assault, but those charges did not result in time behind bars.
David Bowie
David Bowie was one of the most innovative musicians of his time. He transformed how music sounded back in the 1970s and he really never stopped innovating until his death. There’s a lot of accomplishments to celebrate during his life, except one event in 1976. He was busted with fellow musician Iggy Pop in a hotel room with half a pound of marijuana. As a result, he spent the night in jail. He was released on $2,000 bail. Later on, the charges would be dropped.
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain of Nirvana (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Before he was the infamous lead singer of 90s rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain was often in trouble for spray painting graffiti throughout his town. One night as a teen, Kurt was out spray painting with a friend when the cops drove up. His friend escaped but Kurt was arrested and he spent the night in jail.
Scott Weiland
As the lead singer for the band Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland got into a lot of trouble with the law, and most of it was tied to his issues with substance abuse. One of his most infamous arrests was when he was sentenced to a year in jail back in 1999 for a conviction for heroin possession. Later on, in 2008, he was convicted of DIU and spent eight days in jail. Weiland died in 2015 after a drug overdose.
Phil Rudd
Rudd was the drummer for rock band AC/DC for three long stints, and he’s a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Regardless of his accolades, he’s had some legal trouble. In 2014, Rudd was in New Zealand when he was arrested for threatening to kill a man plus possession of cannabis and methamphetamine. He was initially sentenced to eight months of home confinement, but he violated his parole. As a result, he was taken to jail in 2015 before eventually being returned home.
Richie Sambora
Like many other rock stars over the years, Richie Sambora was arrested for driving under the influence. He received his DUI in 2008 when he failed his sobriety test. Sambora cooperated but still had to spend five hours behind bars before he was released. He pleaded guilty but ultimately didn’t have to serve even an hour of a potential six month sentence.
Johnny Rotten
Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten was pretty rotten when he allegedly punched a police officer in Ireland after a bartender there refused to serve him while he was playing shows in the country. He was brought to jail for processing, and allegedly he was “hosed down” before he was released. Eventually, he went to court there, and the charges were dismissed. He vowed never to play a show there again for another 20 years.
Phil Spector
Many people remember the trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector. He was accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003. He swore he had nothing to do with it and that Clarkson had “kissed the gun” when her life ended. There was a trial in 2007 that ended in a hung jury. However, in 2009, there was a retrial, and he was found guilty and sentenced to 19 years in prison. Unlike many other folks on this list, he did not get released because he died in jail in 2021.
Jerry Lee Lewis
Musician Jerry Lee Lewis lived a pretty wild and crazy life and was always involved in some type of controversy. His arrest here took place when he went to Graceland and demanded to see Elvis Presley back in 1976. This was a day after he had already been pulled over for driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. He showed up to Graceland drunk and with a gun, and the police were called to take him away. He spent the night in jail in Memphis.
Eddie Vedder
It was 1993 when Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder was visiting his friends in New Orleans. At some point, their partying got out of hand, and he was involved in a street fight that broke out at 5 AM. Once it was broken up, Vedder was taken to jail to spend the rest of the night behind bars before being released the next day.
Ian Brown
Ian Brown is the lead singer of the band Stone Roses. In 1998, while on a plane, Brown got into a big argument with a flight attendant. He made such a scene that the pilot came out to see what was wrong, and Brown started yelling at him and then banged on the cockpit door. Once the plane reached the destination, Brown was arrested and ended up serving two months in prison due to his fit in the skies.
R. Kelly
Of the musicians who are in prison, few are as famous as R. Kelly. He spent many years on the top 10 lists and had many radio singles. However, since the 1990s, he’s been plagued by accusations of sexual abuse against women, many of whom were underaged. Finally, after facing 33 counts of sexual content involving children, he was found guilty in 2022. The judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison. He is still in prison today and will likely not be getting out for a long time.
50 Cent
50 Cent has been arrested a few times. In 1994, he was arrested for selling four vials of cocaine to an undercover officer. He served six months of a potential three-to-nine year sentence. Later, in 2002, he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon after it was found in his car. Finally, in 2005, he got two years probation for jumping into an audience after someone threw a water bottle at him. Even with all that, he’s one of the most popular rap artists, and he’s also on this incredible list of the celebrities who survived after being shot.