Ex-Guns N' Roses Drummer Busted for Drugs

Steven Adler arrested in Hollywood home early Friday on suspicion of drug possession

By Josh Grossberg Jul 18, 2008 7:55 PMTags
Steven AdlerZumaPress.com

Paging Dr. Drew. Somebody's been dancing with Mr. Brownstone again.

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler was arrested early this morning at a home in Hollywood on suspicion of drug possession, E! News has learned.

According to LAPD spokeswoman April Harding, police received a call at approximately 4 a.m. about a man creating a disturbance. Upon arrival, officers determined the 43-year-old musician was to blame and took him into custody.

There was no immediate word on what kind of drug was involved, but Adler was also booked for being under the influence and for an outstanding warrant.

The warrant was issued after the musician skipped a 2006 court date for an arrest the previous year on charges of being under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

Adler was taken to county jail and bail was set at $45,000.

This isn't the first drug charge for the erstwhile beat master. Aside from the 2005 arrest, Adler's rap sheet includes a heroin bust in 1995 in which he was found slumped over in his car in a suburban L..A. neighborhood after an apparent overdose.

A founding member of Guns N' Roses, Adler was briefly booted from the rock band in 1989, after his appetite for heroin began taking a toll on his ability to play.

He was reinstated after signing a contract promising to kick the habit or face fines. But when the rocker's substance abuse persisted and a bunch of recording sessions were derailed when he showed up high, Axl Rose & Co. fired Adler for good in 1990.

Adler filed a lawsuit a year later seeking back earnings. He and Guns N' Roses eventually reached a settlement that included a $2.2 million payment and 15 percent of all royalties on the recordings he made during his tenure.

The drummer's drug problems became so bad that he suffered a series of strokes in 1996 that left him with a speech impediment.

Earlier this year, Adler checked himself into the Pasadena Recovery Center as part of the second season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.

There's always season three.