Famous musicians had higher mortality rates than the general population. North American and European musicians are dying at rates 2 to 3 times higher than expected, and have increased suicide rates. Occupational stressors like irregular schedules and mental health challenges contribute to these risks. It is not clear if fame adds an independent mortality risk. Fame may increase vulnerabilities due to public scrutiny and performance pressure. Individuals with adverse childhood experiences may be more attracted to fame, which has a complicated impact on the mortality of musicians.
The aim of this study was to assess whether famous singers have a higher mortality risk than less famous singers who have the same demographic and professional characteristics. They aimed to isolate the effects of fame by reducing the confounding factors and determining whether increased mortality occurs specifically after the onset of fame.
The study used a retrospective matched case-control design, preregistered in advance with all materials accessible by the Open Science Framework. The final sample included 648 singers (324 famous, 324 less famous) with an average birth year of 1949 and an average age of 67.6 years after power analysis. Most participants were male (83.5%), White (77%), and from North America (61%). Singers primarily represented mainstream genres, specifically rock (65%). Famous singers were selected from the top 2000 artists of all time, restricted to artists active between 1950 and 1990. Each famous singer was matched with a less famous counterpart on the basis of birth year (±2 years), nationality, gender, musical genre, ethnicity, and band or solo status. The matching procedure ensured strong group equivalence, except that solo status differed significantly between groups and was statistically controlled in subsequent analysis. Publicly available biographical sources were used to verify the birth and death dates and other relevant variables.
The researchers conducted survival analyses by using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models. The Kaplan Meier results showed a clear divergence in survival between groups starting about 20 years after birth. Famous singers had a mean survival time of 75.19 years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 72.98 to 77.40). Less-famous singers lived 79.75 years on average (95% CI: 77.51 to 81.99). The earliest death occurred sooner in famous singers as well. The Cox regression confirmed that famous singers faced a higher mortality risk. Fame was linked with a 33% increase in mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.75, p = 0.045) even after adjusting for solo or band status. Solo artists showed higher mortality than band members (HR: 0.74 for band membership, 95% CI: 0.55 to 1.00, p = 0.048), which was consistent with research highlighting the protective effects of social support.
This study included an exploratory time-varying Cox model by using the year of first chart entry as the onset of fame to assess whether increased risk emerged specifically after gaining fame. Fame remained a significant predictor of increased mortality (HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.73, p: 0.046). Only two singers achieved fame posthumously, making reverse causality highly unlikely. The time-varying model suggests that mortality risk increases after the attainment of fame instead of reflecting pre-existing differences.
This study reveals that fame significantly increases the mortality risk even in those already susceptible because of occupational stress. The increase in risk is comparable to that of occasional smoking, which indicates that fame poses serious health threats. Factors like heightened expectations, public scrutiny, deep pressures, reduced privacy, and reliance on unhealthy coping mechanisms can increase these vulnerabilities for singers. Social support has a moderate effect, as indicated by decreased death rates in band members compared to solo members. The researchers determined that there is a correlation between fame and shorter lifespan. The results highlight the necessity for preventive action and increased psychological support for famous singers.
Reference: Hepp J, Heine C, Schliebener M, et al. The price of fame? Mortality risk among famous singers. J Epidemiol Community Health. Published online November 25, 2025. doi:10.1136/jech-2025-224589
