WEDNESDAY, Dec. 19, 2012 — Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Amy Winehouse all have something in common: They were all famous solo rock stars, and they all died before hitting old age.
Successful solo rock and pop stars are twice as likely to die early as those in equally famous bands with multiple members, according to researchers writing in the online journal BMJ Open.
The research team at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom looked at 1,489 North American and European rock and pop stars over a 50-year period, between 1956 and 2006.
During the study period, the average age of death was 45 for North American rock stars and 39 for European stars. Those who performed alone were about twice as likely to die young as rockers in multi-member bands in both Europe and North America.
The gap in life expectancy between rock and pop stars and the general population continued until 25 years after the stars achieved fame. By that point, European rock star death rates had begun to approach those of the general population, but American stars did not fare as well.
Ethnicity also influenced life expectancy — rockers from non-white backgrounds were more likely to die early; chances of survival increased among those achieving fame after 1980. Gender and the age of peak fame had no effect on life expectancy.
The Unhappy Childhood Factor
The researchers also looked to rock stars' childhoods to see if there might have been a connection between unfavorable early life events and life expectancy.
Around half of those who died as a result of drugs, alcohol, or violence had at least one adverse childhood experience — among them physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; living with a chronically depressed, suicidal, mentally or physically ill person; living with a substance abuser; having a close relative in prison; or coming from a broken home or one where there was domestic violence.
Four out of five rock stars who died young and had more than one unfavorable childhood factor died from substance abuse or violence.
Successful rock or pop star careers come with the resources to feed predispositions toward unhealthy behaviors, and fame gives rise to opportunities to indulge in risky behaviors like substance abuse. Those escaping unhappy childhoods are especially vulnerable to these temptations, the researchers said.
Role Models: Everybody Wants to Be a Rock Star
“Pop/rock stars are among the most common role models for children, and surveys suggest that growing numbers aspire to pop stardom,” they write. “A proliferation of TV talent shows and new opportunities created by the internet can make this dream appear more achievable than ever.”
But, they caution, “It is important they [children] recognise that substance use and risk taking may be rooted in childhood adversity rather than seeing them as symbols of success.”
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