Dying for fame: Singers die 4 YEARS earlier than non-famous people

"Celebrities are known for living life in the fast lane - but being famous really can prove deadly, according to a new study. Researchers have discovered that being in the limelight comes with a higher mortality risk compared to those who never quite 'make it'. It could explain why some singers such as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston and Jimi Hendrix died so young. And it suggests that fame comes with 'unique psychosocial stress' that leads to 'harmful coping behaviours' like substance abuse, they said."

"The researchers, from University Witten Herdecke in Germany, compared the risk of death in 648 singers - half of whom had achieved celebrity status and half of whom hadn't. Each star was matched for birth year, gender, nationality, ethnicity, music genre and band status with a lesser-known peer. Analysis showed the more 'famous' singer died, on average, four years earlier than their non-famous equivalent."

"Until now it's been unclear whether it's the fame itself, the demands of the music industry or the lifestyle associated with being a musician that contribute to this heightened risk. For the study, the researchers included artists who were 'active' between 1950 and 1990 in order to gather sufficient tracking data on the risk of death by the end of December 2023. They discovered that, on average, famous singers survived until they were 75 while less famous equivalents survived until they were 79."

Being a famous singer correlates with higher mortality risk compared with less famous peers. Famous singers died on average at 75 years, while matched lesser-known singers lived to about 79. The difference averaged roughly four years of lost life and was compared to the health risks of smoking. Fame is linked to unique psychosocial stress and harmful coping behaviors, including substance abuse. The sample comprised 648 singers active between 1950 and 1990, matched by birth year, gender, nationality, ethnicity, music genre, and band status. Noted examples include Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, Ian Curtis, Prince, and Liam Payne.

Read at Mail Online