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Solo performers are more at risk than band members
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
The risk of premature death among famous and popular solo performers is twice as high as among their colleagues who play in bands. Experts attribute this to the support provided by their bandmates, while solo performers are practically deprived of it.
Experts have carefully analyzed and studied the lives of 1,400 pop and rock performers from Europe and North America who were popular between 1965 and 2006.
According to scientists, solo performers attract more attention than, for example, a drummer or keyboard player in a band. Famous singers and singers can find themselves in a situation where everyone around them will worry about only one thing - their personal financial well-being, and for a creative person this can be a big blow, from which it is difficult to recover and begin to trust people again.
Solo performers have to travel a lot, spend long periods away from their loved ones and friends, and maintain a created and advertised image. These factors can make a celebrity feel lonely and fake. And mutual support from band members can play an important role in a person’s life and stop them one step away from self-destruction and self-destruction, says celebrity behavior expert Honey Lancaster-James.
Researchers say that support from people around you and the opportunity to share your experiences and problems with someone have a beneficial effect on a person's life expectancy. That's why it's easier for group members in this regard, because they are essentially in the same boat.
Recently, the public has been shocked by several high-profile cases of premature death among successful music performers. Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson – these musicians not so long ago delighted fans with their work, and now they are no longer alive. Also among the tragically deceased stars are such famous names as Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley.
After a detailed study of the biographies of 1,489 rock and pop stars, 137 of whom died before February 2012, experts found that the average age at which these celebrities died was 39 for European performers, and about six years longer for North American performers, at about 45.
At the same time, among American performers, premature death occurred on average in one in five musicians, and among European performers - in one in ten. According to experts, this can be explained by the longer tours of American artists, as well as their addiction to drugs. In addition, black performers are subject to higher risks of early death. Scientists say that this may be due to problems in childhood and ethnicity. Often, those who died from drug overdoses or excessive alcohol abuse had a difficult childhood and experienced violence.
Many children try to imitate their favorite singers, believing that a career as a musician brings fabulous wealth and success, but in addition, the lifestyle that some stars lead can also lead to premature death.