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The Best Episodes of Behind the Music Season 1

Every episode of Behind the Music Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Behind the Music Season 1!

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An intimate look into the personal lives of pop music's greatest and most influential artists.

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 1 - Milli Vanilli
    8.5/10(41 votes)

    #1 - Milli Vanilli

    S1:E1

    Girl, you know it's true…but unfortunately it wasn't, for the 80's dance duo whose Grammy-winning triumph turned sour when their producer revealed that his hunky proteges were shaking their booty to someone else's song. The ensuing humiliation led to the suicide of Rob Pilatus, whose anguish is palpable in these final interviews. Milli Vanilli, Rob Pilatus and Fabrizio Morvan won the hearts of millions, but when their deception was revealed after their win of a Best New Artist Grammy, the public’s shock and disappointment gave way to contempt. The two lip-synching hunks became the butt of jokes and were ostracized by the music industry.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 2 - MC Hammer
    7.6/10(20 votes)

    #2 - MC Hammer

    S1:E2

    The dawn of the 1990's was unquestionably Hammer time. A scrappy striver from Oakland CA. named Stanley Burrell took hip-hop to P.T. Barnum scales: baggy trousers over rubbery legs, sizable samples of past hits, commercial endorsements galore. But the MC Hammer show was also "fun for the family," which, as Hammer pal Arsenio Hall notes, hardcore hip-hop heads despised. By the middle of the decade, Hammer's commercial viability - not to mention his huge fortune - had somehow vanished. Still "too legit to quit," MC Hammer then downsized, pledging to bring his positively charged hip-hop back to the top. BTM brings you the particulars of each Hammer epoch.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 3 - Boy George
    7.8/10(15 votes)

    #3 - Boy George

    S1:E3

    In 1984, George O'Dowd accepted a Grammy Award for Culture Club by quipping that America "knows a good drag queen" when it sees one. And Boy George was not just a good drag queen, but a drag queen with a tremendously soulful voice, fronting one of the '80s' best pop bands. And yet, there was trouble from the start. If George's affair with Culture Club drummer Jon Moss lent emotional authenticity to the band's hits, it also jeopardized the band's ability to work together, as each Clubber attests to Behind the Music. Once Moss rejected George once and for all, the singer rapidly descended into an abyss of heroin addiction. At a 1986 anti-apartheid benefit, George was so out of it that fellow pop stars recoiled from him. After his brother publically spoke of George's problems, the singer finally took the steps to recover. Healthy and happy these days, George only regrets now that Moss has yet to acknowledge the extent of their relationship.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 4 - Fleetwood Mac
    7.5/10(38 votes)

    #4 - Fleetwood Mac

    S1:E4

    A successful British blues band in the '60s, Fleetwood Mac became the legends we know today when they hooked up with a young singer-songwriter couple who were almost ready to give up the biz. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham brought passion, looks and incredible vocal harmonies to the moody intensity of Fleetwood Mac. Their relationship wouldn't survive past the first album, nor would that of longtime members Christine and John McVie, but all that heartbreak fueled the fire of Rumours - a modern pop masterpiece which would become one of the best-selling albums of all time. As they embarked on their 30-year Reunion Tour in 1997, all the members of this "dysfunctional family" checked in with Behind the Music to muse on the drugs, the dough, and how it feels to attract a whole new generation of listeners after all these years...

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 5 - Nowhere to Hide
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #5 - Nowhere to Hide

    S1:E5

    This cautionary episode of Behind the Music documents the growing menace of stalkers. Considered by some the "prototype" for fans who take their celebrity obsessions to dangerous and often criminal extremes, John Lennon's murderer, Mark David Chapman, is the focus of this investigative piece. With a detailed account of the events of the day he shot the former Beatle; to interviews with Chapman conducted during his prison sentence; comments from his psychiatrist and the photographer who caught Lennon and his killer on film; BTM paints a frightening picture of a deranged individual who is up for parole this year. Security consultant Gavin de Becker outlines warning signs. Lilith founder Sarah McLachlan comes forward about her own terrifying experience and the song ("Possession") that came out of it. Two real-life stalkers explain their motivations. Bjork's victimizer records himself on video just moments before his suicide.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 6 - Imagemakers
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #6 - Imagemakers

    S1:E6

    Rock 'n' roll wouldn't exist without its image, and it's been the job of rock photographers to capture that divine union of talent, passion and style that makes a singer a star. Ever since Elvis Presley melted the camera lens with his wiggling hips and pouty lips, fans have hungered for that uncensored intimacy with their idols. BTM gets inside the visionary minds who created the iconography of rock 'n' roll: from the German photographer who gave the Beatles their mop top haircuts, to Andy Warhol and his classic album art, to the young upstarts whose work appeared in the influential rock magazine Rolling Stone and eventually defined a culture. Annie Liebowitz talks about how Yoko Ono's sudden camera shyness turned into one of her greatest photographs, and fashion imagemakers like Herb Ritts talk about how they made the shift from print to video when MTV opened the doors for a whole new mode of expression.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 BEST Episodes of Behind the Music

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  7. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 7 - Lynyrd Skynyrd
    7.9/10(45 votes)

    #7 - Lynyrd Skynyrd

    S1:E7

    This episode marked the 20th anniversary of the infamous plane crash (10/20/77) with a special episode on the bad boys from Jacksonville, Florida who put Southern Rock and Roll on the map with classic songs like Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama. During the seventies, they released a string of million-selling records and performed to sold out audiences in the U.S. and Europe. Fronted by their charismatic leader, Ronnie Van Zant, Lynyrd Skynyrd had it all until the pressures of stardom led them down a road of violence and alcohol abuse that resulted in countless fights, arrests, and car wrecks. Interviews with the surviving members of the band and the families.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 8 - Teddy Pendergrass
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #8 - Teddy Pendergrass

    S1:E8

    Teddy's early experiences in life and music: "I wasn't raised with baby-sitters, my mother couldn't afford to have someone watch me. It just didn't work like that in the ghetto so because of that I had the unique opportunity to see the artists come in and out that would play the supper club (where his mother worked). It was exposure for me.On Melvin and the Blue Notes: "What I learned was priceless; I learned how to entertain. I learned how to be the best at what I could be."On the accident of March 18, 1982: "It was the most horrible experience I could have ever had in my life."His feelings after the accident: "You want to know what's going to happen to you, the hell with whether or not I'm going to sing...you go back to the basics. 'What does this mean for me?'"On Live-Aid, his first performance after the accident: "I felt relieved like a big load had been lifted from my back... I felt 'OK' so we can do this. It was one more hurdle that I had crossed."On his song Truly Blessed: "The song was natural for me to do. I wanted the world to know how I was feeling. And if there was anyone that was wondering 'Am I getting along, or what my thought's were." I was saying, 'I'm fine, this is where I am.'"On walking again: "Anything can happen tomorrow. If the technology is there tomorrow, I'll be right there in line, but, until then, it is more important to try to achieve things while I am here."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 9 - Billy Joel
    8.3/10(23 votes)

    #9 - Billy Joel

    S1:E9

    He has penned enough hits to fill three Greatest Hits compilations. Yet, Billy Joel's rise to fame has been anything but smooth sailing. Behind the Music chronicles the ups and downs of the pop star's career and life... from his earlier days as a solo performer when he signed away many of the rights to his songs... to his incredible rise to fame and fortune... to the betrayal of his manager that nearly left Billy Joel broke.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 10 - Lilith Fair
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #10 - Lilith Fair

    S1:E10

    In the summer of 1997, Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan launched an event that would surpass Lollapalooza as the most successful concert tour of the year. Against all odds, the women-only Lilith Fair lineup sold out arenas across the country. When the dust settled, Lilith had shown the world a different side of rock, challenging the short-sighted old-school attitude that girls don't sell records. BTM's honest look at the first Lilith tour is the ultimate backstage pass: superstars like Sheryl Crow and Jewel, and of course McLachlan and the Indigo Girls, talk about their personal struggles and triumphs as well as how it feels to be part of the cultural moment that was occurring in '97. Rock godmothers Pat Benatar and Emmylou Harris discuss their involvement in what Benatar says she'd "waited 20 years for." Other featured artists include Shawn Colvin, Meredith Brooks and Lisa Loeb. Episode highlights? A dressing room jam session between Crow and the Indigo Girls, and concert footage of the song that closed every show, Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 11 - Andy Gibb
    7.3/10(18 votes)

    #11 - Andy Gibb

    S1:E11

    He was the prince of Pop idols and by the tender age of 22, Andy Gibb had three #1 songs under his belt. But over the next 8 years, his career would falter, the love of his life, Victoria Principal, would leave him, and the world would learn that this the teen idol with the honey voice had a devastating drug and alcohol problem. For the first time ever, all three of Andy's brothers, The Bee Gees speak about Andy's lifelong battle against drugs and alcohol and for the first time since their breakup nearly 15 years ago, Victoria Principal talks about the Andy she loved and what finally broke them apart. Interviews also with: Pam Dawber, Marilyn McCoo, Marie Osmond and Andy's producer, Robert Stigwood.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 12 - Jim Croce
    7.1/10(24 votes)

    #12 - Jim Croce

    S1:E12

    Featuring never before seen family photos and performance footage, "Jim Croce: Behind the Music" traces the life and career of the man responsible for such hit songs as "Bad Bad Leroy Brown," "Time in a Bottle" and "Operator." Through exclusive interviews with Croce's wife Ingrid and friends Cheech Marin and Arlo Guthrie, "Jim Croce: Behind The Music" uncovers the musical passion that kept Croce churning out hits he would make virtually no money from. Ingrid Croce recalls how a contract Croce signed early in his career sent the majority of his earnings to his representatives, keeping him and Ingrid in relative poverty even as Croce's career soared. Killed in a plane crash just as he was gaining worldwide recognition, Croce was destined to never see the money his records earned. Ingrid recounts picking up the pieces, including her successful court battle to win back the money that was rightfully Croce's. Additionally, "Jim Croce: Behind The Music" features a Croce recording never before made public called "I'm Just a Country Boy," the first song Croce ever sang to wife Ingrid.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 13 - The Carpenters
    5.9/10(21 votes)

    #13 - The Carpenters

    S1:E13

    In 1970 The Carpenters won the Best New Artist Grammy, and for five years it seemed as though they were indeed on "Top of the World" as song after song continued to ride up the charts. Easy listening lovers of all generations found the clean-cut combo's orchestrated melodies and Karen's warm voice irresistible; even President Richard Nixon was a fan. But behind the smiles and the string of soft pop hits is the tragic tale of a woman whose quest for love and acceptance led to anorexia and finally, death at 32. In 1983 Karen Carpenter suffered a fatal heart attack while seemingly on the road to recovery, leaving Richard alone to mourn the loss of his sister and all the songs that would never happen. Now happily married and back on the road performing Carpenters songs to adoring fans, Richard reminisces about their early jazz trio, and speaks frankly about his past addiction to pain killers. Singers Olivia Newton-John and Dionne Warwick pay tribute to Karen's talent.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 14 - Sonny Bono
    6.3/10(12 votes)

    #14 - Sonny Bono

    S1:E14

    He couldn't sing or read music but he became a songwriter and pop star. And though he never cast a vote in his life, he was elected Mayor of Palm Springs, then Congressman. If there's a lesson to be learned from Sonny Bono's life, which ended tragically in a skiing accident in early 1998, it's that ideas and perseverance will get you far - even if you're a funny -looking guy who didn't go to college. It wasn't until Sonny was 28, when he met then-16-year-old Cher, that his musical path presented itself. Sonny brought the songs, Cher brought the style and the voice, and by 1965 they created a pop sensation, kicking off a string of hits with their #1 signature song "I Got You Babe." By the early '70s, the pair were household names, but their TV bickering became all too real, and after several bits of on-screen teasing, the couple divorced. Sonny never achieved the same level of success in the entertainment industry; in fact, when Cher was starring in films like Silkwood , he was flubbing his lines on Fantasy Island. But at 51 things turned around for him: Sonny remarried and opened a successful restaurant. One day it occurred to him to run for Mayor and he won by the largest margin in Palm Springs history. Like everything he set his mind to, Sonny had accomplished it by sheer determination. BTM follows his remarkable story, talking with friends and associates, and most movingly, his grief-stricken mother.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 15 - The Mamas & the Papas
    6.9/10(13 votes)

    #15 - The Mamas & the Papas

    S1:E15

    A look at the trials & tribulations surrounding one of folk rockÍs most talented groups. Interviews with the remaining band members, Michelle Phillips, John Phillips and Denny Doherty. They speak openly about how the band came together, their drug use and the love triangle that existed between them. For the first time ever, Mama CassÍ sister, Leah Kunkel puts to rest the real cause of Mama CassÍ death.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 16 - Meat Loaf
    7.3/10(24 votes)

    #16 - Meat Loaf

    S1:E16

    The incredible rise, fall and comeback of Meat Loaf. Interviews with Meat Loaf, his wife Leslie Aday, their two daughters, Todd Rundgren (producer, Bat Out of Hell), Karla DeVito (former back-up singer) and Sam Ellis (tour manager). Released in 1977, Bat Out of Hell was one of the top-selling albums of all time, making Meat Loaf a rock & roll superstar. However, superstardom got the best of him -- Meat Loaf suffered a nervous breakdown and soon dropped out of the music scene. In 1993, 16 years after the release of Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf finally came out with a new album, Bat Out of Hell II, which earned him a Grammy for his #1 song, "I Will Do Anything for Love" and made him a rock & roll success, again.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 17 - Gladys Knight
    6.3/10(11 votes)

    #17 - Gladys Knight

    S1:E17

    Her career spans more than 50 years, 37 of which were spent headlining "Gladys Knight and the Pips." She has collected four Grammys, 12 gold records and a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Gladys Knight's life has never been easy. On this episode, the other Queen of Soul reveals the hardships she has battled since her career took off at the age of seven, and why, in spite of them all, she has always come out on top.In "GLADYS KNIGHT: BEHIND THE MUSIC," Knight candidly discusses the ordeals that have turned so many of her successes bittersweet, beginning with her first brush with racism after winning a televised singing competition at the age of seven. Knight goes on to recount more personal as well as professional trials: her near rape at age 15; her unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage at age 16; the pain of three failed marriages; the custody battle that cost her youngest son; her legal battle with Motown; and the ten year gambling addiction that cost her hundreds of thousands of dollars. Interviews with Little Richard, friend Dionne Warwick and Knight's children also shed light on how a woman who suffered through so much can continue to rise to such heights.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 18 - Willie Nelson
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #18 - Willie Nelson

    S1:E18

    With 100 albums behind him and a career that spans 50 years, you might think Willie Nelson has had a smooth ride to fame and fortune.Behind The Music sets the record straight on the life of a country legend who has endured plenty of professional and personal setbacks along with his successes.Over the years, Willie Nelson has written monster hits for the likes of Patsy Cline and Faron Young, amassed three Grammys, created country music's first multi-platinum album, and performed with everyone from Ray Charles to U2. Yet when Nelson first hit it big in 1975 with his smash album Red Headed Stranger, he was over 40, had been performing for 32 years, and had already churned out over 20 albums. Success did not come quickly for Nelson, whose resume also lists stints as a janitor and Bible and vacuum cleaner salesman. In "Willie Nelson: Behind the Music," Nelson candidly discusses the hurtles that have nearly derailed him, from his years growing up without his parents in Abbott, Texas, to his struggles to find the right record label and his monstrous problems with the IRS that began in 1978. By 1988, the IRS had charged that Nelson owed over $10 million in back taxes. Interviews with Nelson's friends and colleagues plus archival footage round out the hour.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 19 - Jerry Lee Lewis
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #19 - Jerry Lee Lewis

    S1:E19

    Four decades have passed since the release of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire," but it's fair to say that no one has matched the sheer rock and roll excitement of the pioneering piano pounder Jerry Lee Lewis. It's also fair to say that no one has matched his misadventures: On a trip to Britain in 1958, it was revealed that Lewis had married his 13-year-old cousin Myra Hindley without divorcing his wife. Immediately afterwards, radio stations refused to play his records, only relenting when he made the move to country music. It wasn't long until Lewis began living even harder than he previously had, hitting the bottle and guzzling pills with abandon. After 13 years of marriage (which included the death of their son) Lewis divorced Hindley, only to lose several more wives and children in tragic circumstances that would shatter lesser men. But Lewis has survived as a family man and a giant in the annals of American music.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 20 - Rick James
    8.3/10(16 votes)

    #20 - Rick James

    S1:E20

    In the early 80s, Rick James was the king of funk, dominating the charts with hits like "Superfreak," "Mary Jane" and "Give It To Me Baby." James was best known for his outrageous live concerts and flamboyant drug use. Ironically, it was his notorious cocaine habit that cost him his freedom and nearly cost him his life. James went to prison for assaulting an associate while high on cocaine.During this episode James does not hold anything back, speaking frankly about his destructive behavior, how his mother's death devastated him and how prison was the best thing that ever happened to him. Among those interviewed in "Rick James: Behind The Music" include one-time love Linda Blair, his new wife Tanya and former Motown executive Suzanne DePasse.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 21 - David Crosby
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #21 - David Crosby

    S1:E21

    An advanced pop musician by anyone's standards, David Crosby has become a poster boy for a crash and burn hippie culture. From his early days with the Byrds, he had a wild twinkle in his eye, and while recording political and romantic hymns like "Wooden Ships" and "Guinevere" during the '60s and '70s, the superb vocalist was sewing the seeds of the profoundly drugged-out lifestyle to come. Crosby's friend Carl Gottlieb describes him as a fundamentalist hedonist, awash in stimulants and free sex. At first, he was able to make great music with Graham Nash and Stephen Stills, but eventually his addiction overtook his passion for music. By 1985, after his friends attempted to intervene, an Olympian appetite for cocaine had taken him from the comfort of stardom to the cold arms of the Texas prison system. Behind the Music is there as Crosby's subsequent redemption fails to prevent a life-threatening liver transplant, but ends up yielding a son he had abandoned 32 years before.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  22. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 22 - Selena
    7.9/10(33 votes)

    #22 - Selena

    S1:E22

    By the age of 23, Selena Quintanilla Perez had conquered the Tejano music scene and had become embraced by tens of thousands of fans. With her blend of natural talent, boundless energy and magnetic charm she was poised to become popular musicÍs next big superstar. But, just when Selena was about to become a crossover sensation, her ascent was cut short as she lost her life at the hands of someone she believed to be a loyal friend. We hear from SelenaÍs family and the woman who murdered her.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 23 - Jefferson Airplane/Starship
    6.3/10(13 votes)

    #23 - Jefferson Airplane/Starship

    S1:E23

    Includes first-time interviews with all 6 members of the classic Jefferson Airplane line-up as well as an interview with Grace Slick.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 24 - Takin' It to the Streets
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #24 - Takin' It to the Streets

    S1:E24

    A cross-cultural look at people who sing for their supper features five different groups/artists from New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles; features original compositions and stories from street musicians throughout the show; New Orleans segment features a profile of clarinetist Doreen Ketchens and performance footage of her (with trombonist Keith "Wolf" Anderson and others) on the streets of the French Quarter.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  25. Behind the Music Season 1 Episode 25 - Ozzy Osbourne
    8.1/10(21 votes)

    #25 - Ozzy Osbourne

    S1:E25

    A look at this heavy metal legend, from his early days as the lead singer of Black Sabbath, to his controversial concert acts as a solo performer (he bit the head off a live bat onstage as well as a live dove during a Columbia Records publicity meeting!) Osbourne discusses the lawsuits brought on by three different families, all claiming that their sons had been inspired to commit suicide after listening to his songs. He spent some time in the Betty Ford Clinic in the mid-80s to battle his drug addiction and alcoholism. Although Osbourne is currently clean & sober, he has not completely cleaned up his image.

    Director:Unknown
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Season 1 Ratings Summary

"Milli Vanilli" is the best rated episode of "Behind the Music" season 1. It scored 8.5/10 based on 41 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 8/17/1997. This episode is rated 0.9 points higher than the second-best, "MC Hammer".