Blackie Onassis' Issue Before Death: Drummer Affected Urge Overkill’s Future With This?

Blackie Onassis' past struggles that reportedly affected Urge Overkill's future reemerged following his death.

Urge Overkill's official Facebook and Twitter pages responded to a report revealing Onassis' death, with the band's spokesperson also delivering the news through Los Angeles Times.

The statements did not disclose his cause of death, but his past struggles caught fans' attention again.

Blackie Onassis' Cause of Death Unknown: Urge Overkill Drummer Suffered in the Past?

A 1996 news article in Chicago Reader titled "The Mistake" by Bill Wyman found its way to the spotlight in the light of Onassis' passing. The report started with the words from the drummer's "The Mistake," which was part of Urge Overkill's album, "Exit the Dragon."

The line "Beware the overdose" seemingly resonated with his December 1995 arrest due to drug possession after the drummer developed a heroin addiction following the album release.

The report revealed that the charges were dropped a few months after his arrest; however, it caused fans to think about how the drug abuse would affect the band's future. Among the rumors that surfaced at that time include Urge Overkill's reported disbandment and Onassis' removal from the group.

However, the group soon dismissed the claims, saying that the drummer remained part of the band and that they were already working on a new album.

The same news article quoted Onassis' admission to having a problem with heroin, in which he also explained how it became a lifestyle for him.

"I've taken care of that, but there's everything-pot, lines of coke, drinking," he said. "It was the whole lifestyle. I'd kick one thing and then do something else, which was my problem. I have a problem with addiction. It's part of my personality."

Urge Overkill Faced Several Problems After Blackie Onassis' Drug-Related Issue

Although Urge Overkill confirmed the ongoing creation of the album, it never released the record and even failed to start its supposed accompanying tour.

According to Onassis, Geffen Records - which signed the band in the 1990s - made him consult with a counselor to help him with his addiction. The drummer expressed how he never saw his heroin use as a huge problem not until he got caught.

During the same year, Onassis decided to leave Urge Overkill. Two years later, the band broke up for good, but some of the members reformed and continued the band's legacy.