Bradley Nowell lived a fast-paced life marked by drug use and musical ambition. In 1988, he formed the band Sublime with two other members and continued making music until his untimely death. Sublime’s songs like “Santeria” and “What I Got” still receive airplay today. The band released three albums during their eight years together, but their self-titled 1996 release gained the most recognition, reaching 5x platinum and selling over 5 million copies in the U.S. Sadly, Nowell never saw the success, as he passed away from a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996, just two months before the album’s release.
Nowell, who was 28 when he died, left behind an 11-month-old child. Born on February 22, 1968, in Long Beach, California, music was a constant in his life. His father, a construction worker, played guitar, while his mother, a professional musician, taught him piano and flute. According to a 1995 Los Angeles Times article, his parents even gave him his first guitar lesson. “They’ve been supportive. My mom doesn’t like all the F-words [in Sublime’s songs],” Nowell remarked.
At the age of 10, Nowell was introduced to reggae, particularly through Bob Marley, and explored the genre further by listening to Jamaican radio shows. Eric Wilson, future Sublime bandmate, recalled Nowell’s attempts to incorporate reggae into his early bands’ music, which didn’t always succeed. “I was trying to get them to do ‘Cherry Oh Baby’ [by UB40], and it didn’t work. We were horrible,” Wilson remembered.
After high school, Nowell attended UC Santa Cruz for two years before transferring to California State Long Beach to study finance. He was one semester shy of earning his degree when he dropped out to focus on music. Upon returning to Long Beach, he formed Sublime with Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh. The band built their reputation by playing in garages, backyards, and at private parties, often in tough neighborhoods. Wilson recalled one such show where a stabbing occurred.
Sublime and Bradley Nowell fused a variety of genres—reggae, hip hop, punk, ska, and more—to create their signature sound. In 1991, the band released their first recording, a cassette titled Jah Won’t Pay the Bills. Following the release, drummer Bud Gaugh entered a drug rehabilitation center, prompting the band to postpone touring and focus on creating new music.
In 1992, Sublime recorded and released their debut album, 40oz. to Freedom, which became a success in the Orange County and Long Beach rock scenes. Around 60,000 copies of the album were sold directly from Nowell’s car. The band recorded the album in a studio at California State University, often sneaking in after hours. “You weren’t supposed to be there after 9 p.m., but we’d go in at 9:30 and stay until 5 in the morning,” Nowell shared. “We managed to get $30,000 worth of studio time for free.”
Financial struggles followed, leaving the band unable to afford a professional studio for their second album. Instead, they created an experimental home-recorded project, which became their 1994 release, Robbin’ the Hood.
Despite the release of their new album, it was an older track from Sublime’s debut that began gaining commercial attention. The 1992 song “Date Rape” started receiving airplay on college radio and other California stations. This exposure helped boost the band’s popularity in Southern California, although they struggled to meet growing national demand.
“On tour, everybody said, ‘Where can we get your record?’”
Eventually, Sublime secured a national distribution deal, which propelled their music to broader commercial success. Their manager reported that in the first week of the deal, the band’s two albums sold 23,000 copies.
During this period of rising fame, Nowell often wrote songs about alcohol and drugs—topics he knew well from personal experience. Even as the band achieved more success, Nowell’s drug use, especially heroin, continued to escalate. According to a Sublime fan page, Nowell’s addiction became so severe that he was spending about $4,000 a month on heroin while the band recorded their major-label debut. His drug use grew so intense that he was eventually sent home early during recording sessions.
“We just kept being punkers and doing it all by ourselves. Now here we are today. We never thought it would be like this. We just thought we’d always be playing backyard parties. A couple of hundred people in Long Beach can claim we played in their backyards.”
Despite the band’s attempts to address his addiction, they were unable to save him. On May 18, 1996, Nowell married Troy Dendekker, his girlfriend and the mother of his child. Just seven days later, Nowell was found by his bandmate Bud Gaugh, lying on the floor next to his bed. It quickly became clear that Nowell had overdosed. Though paramedics were called, he had been dead for hours and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The self-titled album Sublime had been working on before Bradley Nowell’s death was released about a month later. It achieved widespread commercial success, driven by singles like “What I Got,” “Santeria,” and “Wrong Way.” The album also garnered critical acclaim from music publications.
Rolling Stone Magazine awarded the album four and a half stars.
“The trio’s bright, wired bounce and the shell game shuffle of funk beats, snappy Jamaican rhythms and mosh-pit, shout-it-out choruses in Nowell’s writing — that’s the stuff of a band with great promise and the confidence to make good on it. If only that were still possible,” wrote David Fricke in his review.
The album was also featured on Spin Magazine’s list of the best albums of the 1990s, ranking 48th. “The completed record is a tragic contradiction: a confident, clearheaded work by an artist coming into his own and at the same time losing control,” the magazine noted.
Nowell’s music often reflected his personal struggles with drug addiction. One poignant example is the song “Pool Shark,” where he sings:
“But now I’ve got the needle/And I can shake, but I can’t breathe/I take away, but I want more and more/One day, I’m going to lose the war.”
Another song, “Badfish,” uses metaphors and wordplay to discuss addiction, with the term “badfish” referring to a heroin addict:
“Ain’t got no quarrels with God/Ain’t got no time to get old/Lord knows I’m weak/Won’t somebody get me off of this reef?”
Since Nowell’s death, Sublime’s music has continued to grow in popularity, inspiring millions of listeners and countless musicians.
Although Nowell’s wife, Troy Dendekker, was initially heartbroken and angry over his loss, she soon decided to use his struggles as a way to help others in similar situations.
“I was devastated, but I don’t want to be devastated anymore. I want to be empowered by this and not let it happen again,” she shared in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
“I want to make people aware that this is not what being a musician is about. I want to tell kids that Brad had a gift long before he ever did drugs — but drugs robbed him of that gift.”
In Conclusion
Bradley Nowell was the driving force behind Sublime’s success, but he tragically passed away from a heroin overdose before fully witnessing that success. Despite his death, Nowell’s music continues to inspire new generations of listeners. His friends and family hope that his story serves as a lesson. At Sunrise Recovery in Clarksville Indiana, we are here to support those struggling with substance abuse. Our team has the expertise to help you begin and maintain your journey to sobriety. Contact our admissions team today to learn more about our drug and alcohol rehab programs.
