Study: Solo stars at higher death risk than bands
LONDON (AP) - Rock 'n' roll will never die - but it's a hazardous occupation.
A new study confirms that rock and pop musicians die prematurely more often than the general population, and an early death is twice as likely for solo musicians as for members of bands.
Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University studied 1,489 rock and pop stars who became famous between 1956 and 2009 and found they suffered "higher levels of mortality than demographically matched individuals in the general population."
American stars are more likely to die prematurely than British ones.
Lead researcher Mark Bellis speculates that could be because bands provide peer support at stressful times.
The research was published Thursday in online journal BMJ Open.
A new study confirms that rock and pop musicians die prematurely more often than the general population, and an early death is twice as likely for solo musicians as for members of bands.
Researchers from Liverpool John Moores University studied 1,489 rock and pop stars who became famous between 1956 and 2009 and found they suffered "higher levels of mortality than demographically matched individuals in the general population."
American stars are more likely to die prematurely than British ones.
Lead researcher Mark Bellis speculates that could be because bands provide peer support at stressful times.
The research was published Thursday in online journal BMJ Open.
Solo? Please define 'solo'.
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I'm having a hard time understanding singing without music.
This reminds me of what I once heard George Harrison say in the Beatles Anthology that at one point during the Beatlemania he felt sorry for Elvis because no one, not even his band shared the experience and the pressures that he was dealing with, he was basically on his own, 'cause George knew he shared that experience with the other guys. Really isn't that hard to believe.
Add this study to the "duh" category. Having peer support decreases the risk of drug abuse and suicide. Makes sense to me.