We constantly see these strong, enigmatic and often stoic figures gracing our stage. Night after night pumping out the hits and giving us a show that’s worth remembering. With all these on stage antics, and dance routines that we often admire and gossip about for days after, do any of us really know what’s going on inside the performers heads?

More often than not, the person we’re watching has gone through a mental illness, general dysfunction, and even body disorders that we had no clue about. These things, while yes can be shocking and horrifying to the person themselves, can often make the music – or just not even phase the performer themselves.

Recently, Prince announced that he suffered from epilepsy. The disorder causes seizures and convulsions which are generally able to be controlled through medication and some form of therapy. It’s amazing that through all these years, he has suffered with the disorder and yet managed to become one of the greatest performers of our time.

Craig Nicholls from the Australian rock group The Vines has a form of autism called Aspergers. The mental illness means he’s generally socially inept, and has extreme difficulty dealing with social situations, crowds, and becomes awkward around situations he cannot control himself. For such an enigmatic frontman, it’s amazing that his condition has been kept under wraps for the majority of his career.

Unfortunately, during his most recent tour with the band to support their latest album Melodia, Nicholls had to cancel the rest of the show due to his deteriorating state. Craig Nicholls is also known for his excessive smoking of marijuana, which one can only imagine is reversing the effects of any progress made through therapy with his condition.

No word has been heard of Nicholls since, and rock fans across the globe are eager to hear more and see the band again.

Of course, we’ve all heard of the tortured musician. They are in thousands, and belong to a small portion of the world’s population of people who suffer with depression or anxiety disorders. Mariah Carey openly talks about her breakdown in between recording albums early in the 2000’s, but made a successful comback after overcoming her issues and has doubled her popularity since her hay-day in the nineties.

Britney Spears had the breakdown of the century throughout 2008, and unfortunately the whole world was looking on. While it’s uncertain exactly why or how she was carted off to hospital during what gossip blogger site Oh No They Didn’t dubbed Hostage Brituation. Britney was carted off to hospital following an ‘episode’, possibly drug related. She was also accused of holding her children hostage when her ex-husband Kevin Federline came to pick up their children.

Following the breakdown of the century, Britney has made the comeback of the century, and is currently embarking on one of the most expensive tours of this century.

Regardless of their disorders or health problems in life, these musicians have all made it through their pain, and continuing on their successful lives. While some may choose to ignore or hide in the shadows with their illness, others have proudly stated their situation and become a beacon of light for those in need of help.

So, it just goes to show that rockstars are in no way immune to the trials and tribulations of life!