Rock stars are not known for their quiet and demure personalities. In fact, the ability to trash one’s hotel room appears to be a core part of the rock star’s job description.
But some stars take acting out to a whole new level, and their deeds—or rather, misdeeds—cross the thin blue line that separates the legendary and the illegal, and brings them straight into the police station. Sure, charges related to sex and drugs may not be entirely unexpected for rock-n-rollers, but larceny, aggravated assault, and even murder are also in the mix below.
1. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix was arrested at Toronto International Airport airport in May 1969 after customs inspectors found heroin and hashish in his luggage. Hendrix, who claimed the drugs were slipped into his bag by a fan without his knowledge, was later acquitted of the charges.
2. David Bowie
3. Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison posed for this mug shot following his 1970 conviction in Florida on misdemeanor indecent exposure and profanity charges. The singer was busted after he exposed himself during a March 1969 concert in Miami. As seen here, Morrison, who was photographed by Dade County’s Public Safety Department, testified on his own behalf at trial.
4. Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra was arrested by the Bergen County, New Jersey sheriff in 1938 and charged with carrying on with a married woman (yes, you could get popped for that back then). The charge was later changed to adultery, and eventually dismissed.
5. Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash was arrested in October 1965 when U.S. Customs agents found hundreds of pep pills and tranquilizers in his luggage. The Man in Black–who was returning by plane from a trip to Juarez, Mexico–spent a night in the El Paso jail, and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count. Cash paid a $1000 fine and received a 30-day suspended sentence.
6. Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was arrested by Aberdeen, Washington police in May 1986 and charged with trespassing while intoxicated. The misdemeanor bust was not the Nirvana founder’s first brush with the law. The musician had been arrested in Aberdeen a year earlier on a vandalism count.
