Over a decade ago, he was involved in a horrific plane crash that left him with severe injuries – and a fear of flying.
Barker did not get on a plane for more than 10 years, in fact, until he met his now wife Kourtney Kardashian, who he has married in a lavish ceremony in Italy in May 2022.
So, just what happened in the plane crash, when was it and what injuries did Barker suffer?
Here’s what you need to know.
When was the plane crash?
The plane crash happened on 19 September 2008.
What happened in the plane crash?
The plane which crashed was a private Learjet which was headed to Los Angeles.
Barker was on the plane with his friend Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein after the pair had performed together under the name TRV$DJAM at an event.
The plane had set off from Columbia, South Carolina and was due to make its way out west, but never fully took off.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was departing from the airport when air traffic controllers saw sparks emanating from the plane and the people onboard heard a loud bang.
The pilots told the control tower that a tire had blown out and they would be aborting the take-off.
But, the plane smashed through the airport’s fence, across a highway and crashed into an embankment where it then burst into flames.
What injuries did Travis Barker suffer in the crash?
The crash left Barker with burns on 65% of his body and many of his trademark tattoos, which cover his body, were lost as a result.
During the accident he was covered in fuel that ignited.
He managed to slide down the wing to make his escape, and stopped and rolled on the ground in an effort to put out the flames.
He almost lost his foot from the burns he received, and had to learn how to walk again.
He was in hospital for 11 weeks and needed to have numerous surgeries, skin grafts and blood transfusions.
He also suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after the incident.
Did anyone else survive the plane crash?
Barker is now the only survivor of the crash.
Two of his closest friends died in the accident, along with the two pilots, Barker’s security guard Charles Still and also his assistant Chris Baker.
Adam ‘DJ AM’ Goldstein made it out of the jet on the day but was also critically injured and suffered third-degree burns to his arm and parts of his head.
Goldstein died a year later from a drug overdose.
Does Travis Barker travel on planes now?
After the 2008 crash, Barker didn’t get on a plane for 13 years.
He released a memoir titled ‘Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums, in 2015’, where he talked about his lifelong fear of flying and said he refused to get on any planes.
Then, in August 2021, he shared a photo of him and his now wife Kourtney Kardashian, standing in front of a plane on Instagram along with the caption: “With you anything is possible.
Who is Travis Barker?
Travis Barker, 46, is an American musician who is most well known for being the drummer in pop punk rock band Blink 182.
He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Transplants, and founded the rock bands +44 and Box Car Racer.
Due to his fame, Rolling Stone referred to him as punk’s first superstar drummer as well as one of the 100 greatest drummers of all time.
He has two children with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler, 18 year old son Landon Asher and 16 year old daughter Alabama Luella.
His relationship with Kourtney Kardashian was confirmed in January 2021, with the pair becoming engaged in October of the same year.
The couple had an unofficial wedding on 3 April 2022 in Las Vegas after the 64th Annual Grammy Awards and then officially married on 15 May 15 2022 in Santa Barbara, California, with a religious wedding ceremony in Portofino, Italy on 22 May 2022.