Liverpool doctor: Pop stars twice as likely to die young

Sep 4 2007

ROCK and pop stars are more than twice as likely to suffer a premature death as other people, according to researchers at Liverpool John Moores University.

A study of more than 1,000 stars who shot to fame between 1956 and 1999 found they were much more likely to die early, especially within a few years of becoming famous.

While the deaths of stars such as Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain have been recorded as involving drugs or mental health problems, little has been reported on their overall likelihood of dying, the authors said.

More studies were also needed to examine the effect of rock stars’ lifestyles on their fans, they added.

The research, published ahead of print in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, studied celebrities from North America and Europe from the All-Time Top 1,000 albums from the genres rock, punk, rap, R&B, electronica and New Age.

The earliest date of fame was 1956 for Elvis Presley and the latest was 1999 for Eminem.

The study found that, between two and 25 years after fame, the risk of death was two to three times higher for North American and European pop stars when matched against US and UK populations.

The authors, led by Mark Bellis, from the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University, and including Professor John Ashton, ex-director of public health for the North West, concluded: “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.”

One in 10 children in the UK aspired to become a pop star, the authors said. confirmed by the numbers applying to take part in shows like X Factor.

They added: “Increasingly, communication of health-promoting messages to young people is being undertaken by pop stars and other celebrity figures.

“However, more needs to be learnt about how such interventions actually affect young people’s behaviour and whether they work to promote positive health messages or, conversely, risk-taking lifestyles.”

Overall, the study found 100 pop stars died between 1996 and 2005, 7.3% of women and 9.6% of men.

The death rate among European artists was around half that for North American artists.

Among the Europeans, the average age of death was 35, and 42 among the Americans.

In both North American and European samples, a chronic drug or alcohol-related problem or overdose was identified as associated with more than a quarter of deaths.

After 25 years of fame, the death rate among European pop stars began to return to normal, but not for North Americans who continued to experience higher death rates.