Overview
- The peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health analyzed 648 singers in a matched retrospective design, using acclaimedmusic.net to classify fame and limiting careers to 1950–1990 for follow-up through 2023.
- On average, famous singers lived to about 75 versus 79 for matched less-famous peers, indicating roughly a four-year lifespan gap.
- The increased mortality risk emerged only after fame was achieved and remained associated during the period of fame, reducing concerns about reverse causation.
- Band membership was linked to a lower mortality risk than performing solo (about a 26% reduction), yet it did not negate the overall higher risk associated with fame.
- Authors stress the findings are observational and geographically limited to North America and Europe/UK, and they compare the effect size to the risk from occasional smoking to contextualize the magnitude.