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New Study Says Solo Artists Are Twice As Likely To Die At A Young Age Than Those In Bands Or Groups
Thursday, 20 December 2012 Written by Elliott Batte
New Study Says Solo Artists Are Twice As Likely To Die At A Young Age Than Those In Bands Or Groups

A new study has claimed that successful solo artists are twice as likely to die at an earlier age than those who work in groups or bands.

BMJ Open studied the careers of 1,4000 Euopean and North American rock and pop stars from 1956 to 2006, and found that the chances of those European solo artists dying early were 1 in 10. They also found that North American solo artists were twice as likely to die at a young age than their European counterparts - meaning that if you’re a lonely singer in the USA, its probably best you quit those cigarettes!

After the study’s cut-off point on February 20th earlier this year, there had been 137 deaths of famous performers - including Elvis, 2Pac, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Jimi Hendrix. The number of those in bands were considerably lower, but still included many famous names - like Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, the Manic Street Preachers’ Richey Edwards, Stereophonics’ Stuart Cable, and Sid Vicious of Sex Pistols.

Celebrity psychologist specialist Honey Langcaster-James says of the study: “Solo artists in general approach life in a solitary manner - deliberately choosing to go it alone. They can find themselves in a situation where everyone around them are paid employees - the PR guru, their manager - all interested in them from a financial point of view and not in their personal needs - it's hard for the artist to know who to trust.

“They travel a lot, are away from friends and family for long periods of time and only seen for their public image, not their real self - which can make them feel inferior, isolated and invalidated. Even for the general population, psychology research has found that people with support have increased lifespan - and those in a band may benefit even more from this - they are all in the same boat.”

She added: “It is easier to know who to trust - other members can stop an individual spiralling into self-destruction and pull them back into the group - both because of concern for the band mate, but also because they are all in it together.”

What do you think the study - do the results come as a surprise to you? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.
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