Rockers die younger than most people

William Atkins
Friday, 14 March 2008 20:32

Science - Health

A new British study has found that rock and pop stars should be aware of the fate of Elvis, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, and many others. They found that music stars suffer almost double the mortality of the general populations of the United States and the United Kingdom.             

The authors’ reason for performing the study was to determine if rock-and-roll and pop stars really do die younger on average than other people due to their “high-risk behaviors.”

The researchers studied 1,064 performers of rock, punk, rap, rhythm & blues, electronica, and new age music from North America and Europe whose music appeared in the book “Virgin All-Time Top 1,000 Albums,” a survey made in 2000 by over 200,000 fans, music enthusiasts, journalists, and critics.

The top ten spots on the countdown are: (1) The Beatles’ “Revolver,” (2) Radiohead’s “The Bends,” (3) The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” (4) Radiohead’s “OK Computer,” (5) “The Beatles’ “The White Album,” (6) REM’s “Automatic For The People,” (7) Bob Dylan’s “Blood On The Tracks,” (8) The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” (9) Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon,” and (10) The Smiths’ “The Queen Is Dead."

The British researchers found that three to twenty-five years after they first gained popularity with their music, these musical artists experienced much higher death rates when compared to the general population in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In fact, the researchers found that these musicians had a 1.7 times higher mortality rate than other people.

After twenty-five years of fame, the mortality of musical artists and the general population is equal. In other words, if these rock and rollers can live 25 years after they first became famous, then they are more likely to continue to survive.

However, their biggest risk of death is from 3 to 25 years after fame comes upon them.

Within their paper, the researchers conclude: “Pop stars can suffer high levels of stress in environments where alcohol and drugs are widely available, leading to health-damaging risk behaviour. However, their behaviour can also influence would-be stars and devoted fans. Collaborations between health and music industries should focus on improving both pop star health and their image as role models to wider populations.”

Why is this research study important? Please read on for that answer, according to the British researchers.