Singers who are famous tend to die about four years earlier than ones who are less well known, a study has suggested.
The level of risk associated with achieving fame is comparable to that of casual smoking, the study’s authors said in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Their study looked at the lives and deaths of 628 singers born between 1910 and 1975.
Most, 83.5 per cent, were men; 61 per cent were from the United States; and 77 per cent were white. The rest came from Europe with 19 per cent of the group black and 4 per cent of other or mixed ethnicity.
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Half of the group had achieved considerable success whether in bands, as solo artists or a mixture of the two. These were matched for year of birth, gender, ethnicity, music genre and band status with lesser known peers.
The authors – from the Witten Herdecke University faculty of health in Germany – found that on average the more popular singers lived until they were 75 while the less famous ones died aged 79.
Previously published research, the authors said, had found that famous singers tended to die earlier than members of the public, but it had not been clear whether fame was a factor or if the demands and lifestyle associated with working as a musician had been the key issues involved.
Their findings, they said, indicated that fame did play a part despite the argument that ordinarily it would bring financial security, which is generally associated with healthy ageing and a lower risk of premature death.
But, they said, a possible explanation for the findings might lie in “the unique psychosocial stress that accompanies fame such as intense public scrutiny, performance pressure and loss of privacy”.
“These stressors may fuel psychological distress and harmful coping behaviours, making fame a chronic burden that amplifies existing occupational risk,” they said.
“Being famous appears so detrimental that it overrides any potential benefits associated with high socioeconomic status.
“Again, this highlights the increased vulnerability of famous individuals, suggesting a need for targeted protection and support for this population.”
The study found singers who were in bands were 26 per cent less likely to die early than solo performers were, but famous singers were 33 per cent more likely to suffer an early death than those who did not become well known. For occasional smokers, other research has suggested, the rate was 34 per cent.
As an observational study, it was acknowledged that “no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect. And the researchers acknowledge that their study sample wasn’t global and was confined to singers, meaning that their observations might not apply to other regions of the world or to other domains of fame such as acting or sport”.
Their paper suggested, however, there was the basis for additional research.
