Many important figures in world history were actually huge drunkards. Musicians, writers, artists but also politicians and warlords.
Whenever hearing the name Martin Luther King Jr. four other words will immediately pop into one’s head: “I have a dream”. Possibly the most famous phrase from any speech ever held. The Christian minister King (1929-1968) is a worldwide icon in the fight for equal rights for coloured people. Shot dead at the age of…
While drinking among musicians in the 20th century is usually linked to rock and roll and other music streams that were popular among the youngsters, there was one classical composer that would probably outrock most metalheads. Jean Sibelius (1865-1957), a national icon in his country Finland, was a true party animal. Taking under consideration that…
Many drunkards have left a mark on human history. Through art, science, music or military and political achievements. Some of them already got their own story on Lords of the Drinks and can be found in our section of famous drunks in history. Now it’s time to rank them. We came up with 6 subcategories;…
Without a doubt Jim Morrison (1943-1971) was one of the biggest icons in modern music. As frontman of the legendary band The Doors his songs are still played on a daily basis by radio stations all over the world. And whenever a list of greatest rock songs in history is made, be sure The Doors…
In our serie of stories on historical drunkards we usually report about the drunken escapades. Not this time though, Robert Glenn Johnson Junior, better known as Junior Johnson, rather supplied people with tasty handcrafted booze. He kept a fine family tradition going as he was making and moving moonshine from a young age. As a…
The composer and musician Goran Bregovic (1950) is a living legend for everyone around the world who enjoys music from the Balkans. At his concerts 3 things are basically impossible to do: Not to smile, not to dance and not to drink. Of course the born Yugoslavian musician gives the right example, as he gets completely…
In many countries the name Pat Eddery might not ring too many bells, but in the United Kingdom and his homeland Ireland he was quite famous. The jockey was a horse racing legend. And since everything that has four legs and can be trained is pretty much adored in Britain, this silent man from Newbridge became a star.…
In the early 1960’s Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968) was the man in the Soviet Union. After being the first human ever in Space, the young cosmonaut became nothing less than a rock star. As he was dragged all over the world for Soviet propaganda, his whole life simply turned around drinking and giving toasts. When the…
With the start of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the new inventions followed each other rapidly. Golden times for the brilliant minds. And when it came to brilliance, few in the last two centuries could compete with Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). As an engineer he invented and developed a large scale of electric devices.…
Few others deserve the description bohemian more than Václav Havel (1936-2011). Not only was this former dissident from Czechoslovakia born in Prague, traditional capital of the region Bohemia, he also knew how to live life. Labeled by political opponents as an uncontrolable drunkard, cherished by friends who say Havel just loved drinking and women. This bohemian lifestyle did…
Lords of the Drinks 