Only the good die young, sang Billy Joel in 1977. Though Joel himself is still going strong and doing live shows even at 68, there are many musicians who die young. When Charles Bennington, the lead singer and front man of Linkin Park committed suicide in his California home, millions all over the world were devastated. The reason for the suicide is not yet clear; though the larger question of why so many famous people; especially musicians die at an early age; some through suicide, some from consistently engaging in risky behavior and some from circumstance.
In an interview earlier, Bennington had told an interviewer about his drug and alcohol abuse problem, his struggles with depression and the harmful pattern that his life seemed to assume. He spoke about a constantly problematic mind space. People are now saying that these interviews of his were a cry for help at the time. Bennington was just 41, and is survived by a wife and four kids.
Bennington killed himself on what would have been his close friend, Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. When Bennington performed a song at a Linkin Park concert to pay tribute to his friend, he was clearly deeply moved and couldn’t finish the song. Chris Cornell also died by hanging just two month prior to Bennington taking his life; his grief seemed evident in this Instagram post.
One study found that popular rock stars die about 25 years earlier than other average people. One researcher said that the music industry was a very dangerous place for musicians because of the rampant drug and alcohol use, promiscuity and also because of the valorization of young death.
Paul McCartney (75), Mick Jagger (73), Ringo Starr (77), Roger Waters (73), David Gilmour (71) are more of an exception than the rule.
Elvis Presley was just 42 when he died; drug and alcohol use is clearly implicated in his death. John Lennon was killed by a maniac; but it was his fame because of which the maniac became obsessed with him in the first place. Freddie Mercury died from AIDS complications when he was just 45; at the time AIDS was considered to be something of a lifestyle disease and seen to be related to promiscuity. Michael Jackson died from overdosing on prescription drugs.
27 is an age when eerily large numbers of musicians have died. Though drug and alcohol abuse are seen to be the cause in a great many cases, suicide, homicide, and road accidents have also claimed a number of rock musicians at age 27. Between 1969 and 1971, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison died; at at the age of 27. Later Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Brian James of Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse and many others also died at this same age.
One study found that the hunger for fame can lead to depression. Those who have this need, tend to set themselves higher, less realistic goals which could contribute this phenomenon. These people have more manic episodes where a person would talk more, experience racing thoughts, be highly distractable and have trouble sleeping. One could argue that these are some of the problems of plenty…these are problems too, after all!
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