The Clash's drummer Terry Chimes reveals why he ditched music for medicine

New York Post

5 hours ago

Not everyone wants to live the rock star life.
Terry Chimes, best known for being The Clash's former drummer, revealed why he left the British punk group and music industry behind forty years ago.
Chimes, who was a founding member of the band, addressed his decision to throw away life on the road to open a chiropractic clinic in 1994 during a recent interview on 'The Chris Moyles Show' on Radio X.
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10 Terry Chimes on 'The Chris Moyles Show' on Radio X.
The Chris Moyles Show On Radio X/YouTube
'When I was a kid, I loved health and disease. I wanted to be a vet, actually, and three things put me off,' the ex-rocker explained. 'One, that the patients bite you. Two, you spend all day killing animals. And three, they've got one of the highest suicide rates. So, I thought, 'Well, I'll stay away from that.'
Chimes shared that he 'thought about medicine' and even interviewed at medical schools, but 'it just didn't seem right for me.
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'And then I looked at The Rolling Stones, and thought, 'You know, those guys must be having the most fun it's possible to have,'' he added.
Chimes recalled thinking, 'I'll just do that then.'
So, he joined a punk band that later became known as The Clash.
10 He played drums with the band for three stints from 1976 through 1983.
The Chris Moyles Show On Radio X/YouTube
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10 'It's full of crazy people, the music business — I was the only normal person there!' he shared.
The Chris Moyles Show On Radio X/YouTube
Chimes went on to play in the group for three stints: four months in 1976, three months in 1977, and his third and longest run from May 1982 to February 1983.
Chimes eventually realized he was over the lifestyle while noting he never really fit into it anyway.
'But after 15 years of that, I kind of had enough of being on the road and traveling and all the craziness,' he said on the radio show. 'It's full of crazy people, the music business — I was the only normal person there!'
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10 Chimes was always a 'non-drug taking, non-smoking, non-drinking, vegetarian, health nut.'
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10 The musician was interested in medicine before his days in the punk band.
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10 The Clash (L-R) Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer, Terry Chimes pose for a portrait in 1982.
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The former drummer highlighted that he was already a 'non-drug taking, non-smoking, non-drinking, vegetarian, health nut,' adding that he felt 'chiropractic made much more sense' for him.
The Clash was formed in 1976, with other members including lead vocalist Joe Strummer, guitarist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and its other drummer Nicky 'Topper' Headon.
The group released six studio albums over the span of 10 years before eventually splitting up in 1986.
10 The Clash performing in London in November 1976.
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10 (L to R): Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Terry Chimes wearing a 'Goodbye' T-shirt, signaling his departure from the band.
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Following his stints with the band, Chimes also played in groups like Black Sabbath, Generation X and Hanoi Rocks.
The Clash, along with Chimes, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003 after the death of Strummer. The singer passed away from a heart attack at age 50 on December 22, 2002.
This wasn't the first time that Chimes opened up about his chiropractic career.
10 Terry Chimes, Mick Jones and Paul Simonon after they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
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10 Terry Chimes playing drums at the 2023 Vive Le Rock Awards at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.
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In 2010, he told The Guardian that his ex-bandmates (Jones and Simonon, specifically) refer musicians to him all the time, adding he's treated several Clash fans over the years.
Chimes also described the moment he knew the medicine industry was his calling.
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'Once I was in Sun City with Black Sabbath and we went ten-pin bowling. After three hours, my shoulder locked up. They said they would find a chiropractor. This guy came in, cracked all my joints and I could move my arm again. It made a big impression,' he shared.
'I'd always known I wanted to heal people, so I enrolled on a chiropractic course in Bournemouth and didn't tell anyone who I was. But shortly afterwards they rereleased 'Should I Stay or Should I Go.' It was No. 1 for three weeks, and of course, I'm in the video, so the secret was out.'