First comes love, then comes marriage. Then comes sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. Sometimes a romance between band members can come crashing in a dreary haze of booze and broken hearts. This is the story of bands that stick it out because the bonds of music are stronger than any love affair -- though the royalty checks can't hurt, either.
They sang 'Go Your Own Way,' and that's exactly what Fleetwood Mac did before releasing their landmark album, 'Rumours.'Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham called it quits while bassist John McVie and pianistChristine McVie got divorced. Even Mick Fleetwood divorced his wife Jenny (not in the band) and the ex-lovers rocked out bitter songs like 'The Chain': "If you don't love me now / You will never love me again."
The White Stripes
They pretended to be brother and sister, butJack and Meg White were a married couple until their divorce in 2000. Jack even took Meg's last name and the White Stripes became prolific and successful blues rockers. Meg is now married to Jackson Smith, son ofPatti Smith.
"Sometimes lovers rearrange." John Phillipswrote this line about his wife and bandmate, Michelle, whom he caught cheating withDenny Doherty, whom "Mama Cass" Elliot was obsessed over. John kicked Michelle out of the group in 1966 -- but shortly welcomed her back into the quartet but not back into his heart. Things get really twisted with Mackenzie Phillips' shocking claim about an incestuous affair with "Papa John": She joined her dad in the re-formed group in 1982, three years after she says their demented romance began.
The Swell SeasonAudiences fell in love with Oscar-winning real-life musical pair Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová through their performance in the 2007 film 'Once.' The film depicts the couple slowly falling in love through the power of their music. off camera, the couple began a romance that extended beyond the silver screen. Although their season of love may have passed, the duo is releasing its second album, 'Strict Joy,' in October.
Back when she was 'Just a Girl,' Gwen Stefaniwas also bassist Tony Kanal's girl. Fame became a strain on their relationship, and the couple split before No Doubt's breakthrough album, 'Tragic Kingdom.' Even with a solo career and a marriage to Gavin Rossdale, Stefani was still writing songs about Tony years after their falling out.
Want somebody to love? How about Grace Slick. The model turned Jefferson Airplane singer slept with every member of the group but somehow missed vocalist Marty Balin. That includes guitarists Paul Kantner andJorma Kaukonen, bassist Jack Casady and drummer Spencer Dryden. Slick didn't always keep it intramural, as she even had an affair with The Doors' Jim Morrison that involved a bedful of smashed strawberries -- giving a new definition to the phrase "jam session"!
The First Couple of Country Music was plagued by George Jones' epic booze-a-thons and famous no-shows at concerts. Tammy tried to stand by her man until she couldn't stand him anymore. They performed for five years after their 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E' and even made a reunion record just before Tammy's death in 1998. George, now on his fourth wife, is still cracking country hits.
X
John Doe and Exene Cervenka created the bond of marriage and the iconic LA punk band X. The marriage didn't last long; John got remarried went into acting, appearing in almost 50 movies, and Exene went solo, did some spoken word and married Viggo Mortenson (for a while). The band reunited to play Coachella and South by Southwest, and although Exene recently revealed she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the duo is reportedly working on new material.
When they sang 'I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,' the grrrl rockers of Sleater-Kinney really meant it -– for each other. Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker parted romantically in 1996 but still were able to rock out for a few more albums before taking a hiatus so Tucker could raise her son with her new husband, filmmaker Lance Bangs.
They seem like the perfect indie rock couple:Sam Coomes jammed with Built to Spill andElliot Smith; Janet Weiss has toured withBright Eyes and survived the breakup of her other band, Sleater-Kinney. The two musicians married, formed the band in 1993 and then got divorced two years later. This hasn't slowed them down at all: Quasi have released eight albums after the divorce.
Blond bombshell Deborah Harry was shacking up with guitarist Chris Steinthroughout their New Wave fame in the '70s and '80s. The couple never married, but some time after their romance fizzled, Stein was struck by a rare illness, Harry took time off to nurse him back to health just in time for the group's late-'90s reunion. Never mind 'Heart of Glass' -- sounds like Debbie has a heart of gold.
Jenny Lewis was once an adorable child actor appearing in sitcoms like 'Roseanne' and 'The Golden Girls.' Her beau and musical counterpart Blake Sennett played Joey the Rat on the TV show 'Boy Meets World.' Although their passion for their group remains strong after 10 years, the couple themselves didn't quite have that sitcom happy ending, calling it quits in 2002.
Does he really want to make him cry? Boy George released a memoir in 1995 that detailed a stormy and secret relationship with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss. The drummer denied the affair in the '80s but eventually came clean. Moss even referred to the androgynous singer as a "nightmare ex-wife." Later taking an actual heterosexual wife and having kids, Moss insists there's no animosity between him and George.
I got you babe -- well, at least until their divorce in 1975. Sonny and Cher were the epitome of the superstar song duo, co-hosting a hit variety show. Sonny ran a tight ship, even writing the jokes for their onstage banter, but Cher wanted to 'Turn Back Time' and break out on her own. Although their marriage went sour, their bond was unbreakable. They continued their slapstick routine for an awkward while, though when Sonny died in a skiing accident, Cher delivered a moving eulogy at his funeral.
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