Perils of pop stardom

Rock and pop stars are more than twice as likely as the rest of the population to die an early death,often within a few years of becoming famous, a new study has shown.The study, the results of which may not necessarily be seen as surprising, confirm that many of the deaths are linked to alcohol and drugs.The authors suggest that, in view of these findings, caution should be exercised in using pop stars and other celebrities to promote health messages to young people.

The researchers investigated the lives and deaths of more than 1,050 North American and European musicians and singers who shot to fame between 1956 and 1999. All the musicians featured in the All Time Top 1,000 albums, selected in 2000, and covering rock, punk, rap, R&B, electronica and new age genres.

In all, 100 stars died between 1956 and 2005. The average age of death was 42 for North American stars and 35 for European stars. At between two and twenty-five years of fame, both North American and European pop stars experienced two to three times the risk of death experienced in the general population of the same age and sex. At a minimum estimate, around a third of the deaths appeared to be directly alcohol- or drug-related.

The authors comment that consideration needs to be given to preventing pop stars and other celebrities from promoting health damaging, self-destructive behaviour among their fans and emulators. This consideration is of some significance given that in the UK one in ten children aged 7 to 16 aspire to be a pop star when they grow up, and TV programmes such as The X Factor, which offer performing opportunities to would be pop stars, receive tens of thousands of applications and are watched by millions.

Theoretically pop stars could be used to promote health messages, and in some countries this has happened. However, the authors question whether pop stars,whose appeal to young people may well be linked to their risky behaviour, can credibly serve as positive role models.

* Mark Bellis et al: Elvis to Eminem: quantifying the price of fame through early mortality of European and North American rock and pop stars. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2007 61 896-901

Ringo Star
Ringo Star was affected by alcohol and other lifestyle problems but successfully underwent rehabilitation and is now a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Jimi Hendrix
By age 27 Jimi Hendrix’s drug and alcohol intake was enormous, but his death was accidental.Hendrix was an insomniac as well as a borderline addict. He swallowed some of a friend’s sleeping tablets without realizing they were an extra strong prescription brand. He vomited and choked to death in his sleep.

Janis Joplin
Addicted to drugs and alcohol, Janis Joplin died in 1970 from a heroin overdose. She had been hailed a one of the greatest white female singers to take on the blues, and was only four years into her promising career.

Amy Winehouse
Current star Amy Whitehouse is reported to be having a not obviously successful struggle against drugs and alcohol. The NME pop music newspaper contained a report that Janis Winehouse,Amy’s mother, had spoken of her fears for her daughter, following revelations that she took heroin and other class A drugs. Speaking to a magazine, Janis Winehouse talked about how she believed her daughter had changed hugely since becoming famous and feared she would never stop taking drugs. “She’s lost herself,” she said about her daughter. “She's not someone I recognise. She’s become her own stage creation.” Janis Winehouse went on to explain that she was not aware of the extent of her daughter’s drug problems until she was hospitalised after an overdose. “She won’t stop until she sees the point in stopping,” she explained. “Talking to her about it won't make any difference.”

George Michael
George Michael has had a number of well-publicised incidents involving drugs. In February 2006, Michael was arrested and cautioned for possession of Class C drugs. In May 2006 the singer was found slumped over the wheel of his Range Rover, apparently asleep while at traffic lights. He drove off erratically and hit a traffic bollard. In October 2006 Michael was again found semi-conscious at the wheel of his car. He was later cautioned by police for possession of cannabis and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while unfit through drugs.

Elton John
Elton John reportedly battled alcohol and drug problems for much of his career. He finally entered a rehabilitation clinic in 1990.

Britney Spears
Britney Spears has had a series of well-publicised incidents involving alcohol and drugs. She has been reported as being “out every night until she’s wasted”. She has entered and left drug rehabilitation clinics anad questions have been raised about whether she was drunk when she performed her comeback appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards, which most seemed to agree was an embarrassing disaster.

Michael Hutchence
The 37-year-old singer’s naked body was discovered hanging from the door handle of a room in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Sydney, just after noon on 22 November, 1997. A police spokesperson said there were no suspicious circumstances. Post mortem examinations showed that Hutchence died from suffocation caused by hanging. Blood analysis indicated the presence of alcohol, cocaine, Prozac and other prescription drugs. There was no suicide note.

Pete Townsend
As well as his problems with alcohol, he also became hooked on the prescription drug Ativan, and was lucky to survive the experience. The songs, ‘However Much I Booze’, ‘Dreaming From The Waist’ and ‘Blue Red and Grey’ reflected Townsend’s personal battles at the time.

Keith Moon
After years of taking illicit drugs, there was some irony in the fact that it was the prescription drug Heminevrin, prescribed to wean him off alcohol,was the drug that killed him.A post mortem confirmed there were 32 tablets in his system at the time, 26 of which were undissolved.

Brian Jones
Former member of the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones,was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool. The Coroner’s verdict was ‘death by misadventure’ and he noted that Jones’ liver and heart were heavily enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse.

Pete Doherty
Pete Doherty appears to be more famous for his drug and alcohol problems than for his performing ability. He has had repeated encounters with police, courts and rehabilitation clinics. It is reported that Doherty is not allowed to see his son anymore, because of his erratic behaviour linked to drug and alcohol abuse