Just watched a documentary about Ginger Baker called "Beware of Mr. Baker". I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The title comes from a sign posted beside his driveway.
 
The film features interviews with all the people Mr. Baker has alienated over his lifetime. His ex-wives and ex-girlfriends, his kids, Clapton, Winwood and of course Ginger's nemesis Jack Bruce. None of whom seem to hate him, though.
 
Such a self-destructive and tragic figure. Must mental illness always go hand-in-hand with genius?

bitflipper
Such a self-destructive and tragic figure. Must mental illness always go hand-in-hand with genius?

"Yup" ~Bapu

Beware of Mr. Bapu too? 

craigb
Beware of Mr. Bapu too? 

"Ya" ~Mooch

Why do you consider Ginger a genius?? Just wondering as I know nothing about him save his drumming.

bitflipper
Must mental illness always go hand-in-hand with genius?

No. 
 

Word.

bitflipper
Must mental illness always go hand-in-hand with genius?

YES!
 
 
At least in my case, anyway. But I'm no genius when it comes to mental illness. I simply have it. You gess wich juan.
 
However, it does seem that anyone with a high IQ/genius status has some sort of mental dysfunction going on with it. Their brain is so focused on one thing that most everything else goes by the way side. Their home is a mess. Their hair is a mess. Their life is a mess. But their mind is beautiful.... ?
 
Characterizations like that of Sheldon Cooper are nonsensically unrealistic. The show creators are using his character to stereotype all things genius, nerdy, obsessive compulsive, and whatever else they can throw in there. Basically giving one person every sort of mental dysfunction known to man. In reality it is highly unlikely that any one person in existence could possible exhibit all those characteristics simultaneously. Though it does make for good comedy.

I watched some of it, couldn't take much of him to be honest. I'm sure he is/was a brilliant drummer (although it's not a style that appeals to me), but that doesn't give him a pass to be a complete prick.

Zappa: excellent counter-argument, sharke.
 
I can think of several examples of well-adjusted but brilliant musical minds: Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, uh, mmm, help me out here...well, there's Zappa, of course. And Michael Jackson, nothing weird about him.
 
OK, I guess the list of those with personality disorders and substance dependencies really is longer. Starting with Ludwig van Beethoven. I've visited Vienna and it seems like every other building there has a plaque saying "Beethoven lived here" - it's because he kept getting evicted for un-neighborly behavior.