Fame & Fortune: Rocker Eddie Money Drugs and windmills in past, he's a happy 'working slob'
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Eddie Money: No, not really. I had a lot of bills to pay. The money came, but it didn't come automatically. I was doing a lot of shows, but I was doing them really cheap for the exposure. People made pretty good money on me, but I didn't see any money until later on in my career.

Bankrate: Did you know how to handle money at all?

Eddie Money: As soon as I got my record deal, they turned me onto a CPA, and all the money went in the bank. Slowly, I got enough money to buy a house, but then I started making a lot of money, and when you start making a lot of money you're very stupid. I didn't know much about cocaine in those days. They said it wasn't an addictive drug. Next thing you know, people ask, "How did you OD?" I say, "Are you kidding? It was free!" But I got to the point where I was making really good money, $1,000 a minute for a 75-minute show, and in those days that was a lot of cake.

Bankrate: As your success continued over the next few albums, did you start saving and investing well at any point, or did you keep living the typical crazy rock star life?

Eddie Money: I had a lot of money in the bank, but when I had the drug overdose, the insurance company considers it like a suicide. So I had a couple of mil in the bank, but it all went into keeping me alive. I wasn't exactly insured by Lloyds of London. It was all the money I had made. Next thing I knew I was in therapy, getting my legs zapped, trying to get my nerves happening, walking up and down a bunch of stairs. That's when (legendary producer) Tom Dowd thought I had a lot of courage and stamina and wanted me to come back from this horrible accident. So he took me under his wing and we made a great album together.

Bankrate: So you had saved a couple of million dollars, but it all had to go to your recovery?

Eddie Money: Because the insurance company would not cover a drug overdose, just like they wouldn't cover a suicide. There were a lot of loopholes in the contract, and I wound up getting ripped off. You pay for your mistakes. You learn the hard way. I've made a lot of money, I've lost a lot of money. Now I'm semi-comfortable, but the government's always on my ass for more money.

Bankrate: Once you recovered, do you think you did a good job of learning some of the lessons of that time?

Eddie Money: I would think I did, but then I started making too much money again, and I got all out there again. Eventually I got into a spiritual program, married my second wife, had kids, and woke up and smelled the coffee.

Bankrate: By the time "Take Me Home Tonight" hit in the mid-80s, were you handling the business end of your life a bit differently?

Eddie Money: People were watching me a lot closer, because they had a lot of money invested in me. I was like the bad boy of rock 'n' roll. It was all so much fun to me. Then again, I would never get loaded before I went to work.