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Famous Alkies in British pop culture

I've been off the booze since December 16 now and feel great. I don't know if I'm an alky or not, but I've been drinking heavily the last five years at university, got a full feeling in the liver area which I think is fatty liver, and it scared me ********. I'm feeling much better both spiritually and physically, but I was wondering if you guys knew of any famous alkies whose autobiographies I could read for inspiration. I've read Clapton's, Skinner's and Best's, but their boozing seemed a bit more extreme than mine ever was. Clapton was on 2 bottles of spirits a day--a level I probably never reached even on the most excessive of binges--and Skinner used to down a bottle of sherry for breakfast.

But then people like Lily Allen and Kerry Katona, who claim to be alkies, are just like the kids at the Hollywood AA meeting I sometimes go to. They claim they're alkies, but really they're just pop stars with too much free time on their hands. And they still drink, which suggests they're not alkies.

Has Alistair Campbell written extensively yet on his boozing?

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Reply 1

Democracy

Oliver Reed = Total ledge.

Gazza.

Charles Kennedy.

Ain't it weird how alcoholism is the least impressive of drug addictions.

Reply 5

emmers1990

Carol from Loose Women

Reply 6

bret

Mr_Steve_Stifler

Gazza.

Yeah, I've read Gazza's too, but he's a madman who also happens to be an alky, while Best et al. were alkies whose madness was brought on by their boozing.

Reply 7

Salastico7

bret

But then people like Lily Allen and Kerry Katona, who claim to be alkies, are just like the kids at the Hollywood AA meeting I sometimes go to. They claim they're alkies, but really they're just pop stars with too much free time on their hands. And they still drink, which suggests they're not alkies.

Has Alistair Campbell written extensively yet on his boozing?

Name dropping, without the names...

Reply 8

bret

Salastico7

Charles Kennedy.

Not a real alky, IMHO.

Reply 9

Shaun1991

I've heard rumours that The Queen is actually an alcoholic.

Reply 10

reems23

Cocaine Socialist

Ain't it weird how alcoholism is the least impressive of drug addictions.

It's a bit sad really... :s-smilie:

Reply 11

George Agdgdgwngo

Shane McGowan from The Pogues

Reply 12

bret

Shaun1991

I've heard rumours that The Queen is actually an alcoholic.

Well her mom and sister certainly enjoyed a gin or fifteen. I'd say Princess Margaret was up there with the real drinkers like Best.

Reply 13

mancsmithsfan

John Daly - Golfer ... alcoholic and gambler... not sure if he has a bio/autobio

Reply 14

bret

mancsmithsfan

John Daly - Golfer ... alcoholic and gambler... not sure if he has a bio/autobio

Yeah, he was on a fifth of JD a day every day that he was 23. I was on about the same in the months leading up to my Vegas meltdown.

Reply 15

mancsmithsfan

fifth? A bottle a day, you mean

Reply 16

Botticello

Dylan Thomas
Graham Chapman

Reply 17

bret

mancsmithsfan

fifth? A bottle a day, you mean

I don't know what it is in liters, but just over the size of a regular bottle in the UK.

Reply 18

Cocaine Socialist

reems23

It's a bit sad really... :s-smilie:

It is a bit I suppose. Just conjours images of piss-stained tramps puking on themselves in doorways, versus Sherlock Holmes in an opium den or bloody-nosed yuppies in New York. The price of legalisation.