The quintessential ock star (with all the vices -- drugs, cars, and women -- to prove it), English bad boy Pete Doherty practically spent more of his time in the early 21st century in the tabloids than he did on-stage, his numerous arrests and run-ins with the law fodder for the paparazzi, fans, and critics alike. Born to a father in the British Army, Doherty passed much of his youth moving from place to place, both in England and abroad. An intelligent child and a good student, he immersed himself in books, especially Romantic and war poetry, even choosing to study English literature at university. He didn't stay long in the academic world, however, dropping out after a year and moving into a London apartment with guitarist and singer Carl Barat, whom he had recently met. The two, though they didn't always agree on everything, felt a kind of artistic connection, and were soon writing songs together, employing a variety of different characters (including a prostitute and a 70-year-old) to complete their band, which they called the Libertines. They finally settled on a lineup -- Doherty and Barat on vocals and guitars, John Hassall on bass, and Gary Powell on drums -- in the first years of the new millennium and were signed to Rough Trade in December 2001. Their first single, "What a Waste," was released the next year and was followed shortly after by the full-length debut, Up the Bracket.

The Libertines were almost instantly hailed by critics as the best new thing in British music, and their kind of lyrics-first approach would later inspire acts like the Arctic Monkeys and the View. Despite the success of the Libertines, however, Doherty was just getting into his impressive drug habit (he later admitted addiction to both crack and heroin), which caused him to miss many of the group's shows. He made headlines in 2003 when, after Barat had asked the troubled frontman to take a break from the Libertines, he broke into his bandmate's apartment, an act which later sent him to jail for a month. Once released, however, the two made up, immediately playing a show together and planning for the Libertines' future. But all was not well with the singer and, still addicted to drugs, he entered a rehabilitation clinic in rural Thailand, where he stayed three days until escaping for Bangkok and eventually making his way back to England. At this point, he was estranged from his band, though they insisted they would welcome him back once he had cleaned himself up.