Newsflash: Rockstars Are More Likely to Die Early
I didn’t just make this up (or guess it, which you probably already did)! These are the results of a recent study conducted by the Center for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University in England. They studied more than 1000 ‘rock stars’ lives, and in the period between 1956 and 2005 more than 100 of those rock stars died. It may not sound like much, but this is 2 to 3 times the average for everyone else!
At first I wanted to mock this study for being yet another one of those obvious studies like “people not happy when they are too cold” or “people like their jobs more the more they are paid”; but these researchers actually found some more interesting facts like:
- Musicians were most at risk in the first five years of achieving fame (think about it, you’re newly famous and maybe rich - this is when you might overdo it partying!)
- For some reason British rock stars have a more normal life expectancy 25 years after getting famous. They’re chances of dying go back to normal but for some reason in the US this doesnt happen.
Their theory for the differences is that in the US we looove reunion tours (or bullshit not really reunion tours.. van halen, Im looking at you.). These reunion tours keep our musicians living the rock and roll lifestyle for way longer. That would make it riskier for longer.
The other theory? They get famous, live crazy and not too healthy and lose all their money. After that the “oops no health insurance” thing comes into play.
I think they left something out all together. What makes people take drugs (something they found are the main cause of death for musicians)? It’s not always about having fun, people drink heavily and drug it up when they are depressed or frustrated too. In fact, these are the types of people that might also right music to feel better. A percentage of these people will be really good and become rock stars but might not ‘get better’ since money and success does not automatically make you happy.
What to take from this study? If you get to the level of being a super famous and rich rock star, hire a personal trainer, buy good quality drugs or none at all, watch the drinking and BUY HEALTH INSURANCE WITH ALL YOUR NEW FOUND MONEY.
September 5th, 2007 at 6:33pm
well im a lead singer of a rock & roll band and I can already see the habbits in my fellow band mates, I dont drink because of a stint in binge drinking, I just smoke massive amounts of pot and I chain smoke. I think that rockstars are looking for a certian rush like they have befor and it comes from several things getting messed up, being rebelious to the point of reclious endangerment, and wanting to live in the past so bad that your willing to do anything. alsow once these rockstars get famous they are excpected to make one master piece after another and they are all to be exponentialy greater. wich in visual art, never is happens because art is an interperitive form and music is moreover a buiness and mathtimatical and musicians like myself see it as art (wich i belive it is. all I know is I hope that I die at a prime of 36 to 40 and am happy with knowing that i followed a great tradition of excess and enlightenment
love,
lunchbox of Pa FeedafungiS