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Despite hit songs, sold-out tours and millions of sold albums, many famous rock stars have found themselves facing bankruptcy.<\/p>\n
When fans envision a rock star lifestyle, it usually involves sprawling mansions, fast cars and endless nights of partying. What often gets overlooked is the cost of such extravagances. Lavish lifestyles don\u2019t come cheap, the IRS is always looking to get\u00a0its share and the only people who are (arguably) more persistent than Uncle Sam are drug dealers.<\/p>\n
Mick Fleetwood<\/a>, David Crosby<\/a>, John Oates<\/a> and Sly Stone<\/a> are just some of the\u00a0artists whose wild lifestyles have taken them to the poorhouse. Meanwhile,\u00a0Willie Nelson<\/a> and Jerry Lee Lewis<\/a> are among those who\u2019ve been taken to the cleaners by the IRS.<\/p>\n In other situations,\u00a0artists\u00a0seemingly made all the smart financial moves, only to have a trusted ally swindle them out of fortunes. Billy Joel<\/a> reportedly lost\u00a0more than $30 million to his former manager, with Leonard Cohen<\/a> and Harry Nilsson<\/a> facing similar situations.<\/p>\n Courtney Love<\/a> blamed predatory music executives for her financial woes, while George Clinton<\/a> claimed to have been tricked into signing away his publishing rights.<\/p>\n Still, every money problem is distinct. Cyndi Lauper<\/a> faced bankruptcy before she ever became famous, divorce proved disastrous for Marvin Gaye<\/a> and Dee Snider<\/a> was wiped clean by grunge.<\/p>\n