Being a famous singer raises risk of early death, researchers say

"For those who hanker for the limelight, be careful what you wish for: shooting to stardom as a lead singer really does raise the risk of an early death, researchers say. Their analysis of singers from Europe and the US found that those who rose to fame died on average nearly five years sooner than less well-known singers, suggesting fame itself, rather than the lifestyle and demands of the job, was a major driver."

"To investigate whether fame had a bearing on the risk of early death, Dufner and his colleagues identified 324 famous soloists or lead singers and matched them with less famous musicians of the same age, gender, nationality, ethnicity and musical genre. To ensure a reasonable number of deaths, they focused on artists who were active between 1950 and 1990."

Famous lead singers experience shorter lifespans, with an average reduction of roughly 4.6 years compared with less well-known singers. Solo singers who achieve fame fare worse than lead singers in prominent bands, likely because of greater exposure, increased pressure, and less emotional support. High-profile premature deaths attract intense media attention and include well-known examples such as Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Prince, George Michael and Keith Flint. A matched comparison of 324 famous soloists or lead singers with less-famous musicians controlled for age, gender, nationality, ethnicity and musical genre, focusing on artists active between 1950 and 1990. The sample was predominantly white male US rockers; 19% were black and 16.5% were female.

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