If you've ever watched a rockumentary, you already know the dangers of being a rock star. Famous musicians tend to have short life expectancies. If you're a rock star who makes it to the age of 60 and you get to reminisce about all the crazy things you did that didn't end up killing you, there's clearly a rock star guardian angel out there somewhere who's looking after you. And if you make it to 35, you're still doing okay, considering.
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Musicians Who Died Before Their Music Became Popular
If you've ever watched a rockumentary, you already know the dangers of being a rock star. Famous musicians tend to have short life expectancies. If you're a rock star who makes it to the age of 60 and you get to reminisce about all the crazy things you did that didn't end up killing you, there's clearly a rock star guardian angel out there somewhere who's looking after you. And if you make it to 35, you're still doing okay, considering.
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Let's face it: Musicians don't exactly have the most dangerous jobs on the planet. They're certainly not comparable to, say, lumberjacks or soldiers or those people who live on oil rigs for some reason. In fact, usually, the most dangerous day-to-day things a musician might encounter are high stages, late nights, and grouchy sound techs.
Fair or not, when we think of famous musicians, we think of the "rock star" lifestyle. Even if the musician in question isn't a rocker, the phrase "professional musician" conjures up images of backstage orgies and questionable life decisions. It's easy to see why: The music business has so many famous members who died young — the actuarial tables must be a sight to see. While you might imagine that being a professional musician is just sitting around strumming an instrument, the music business is physically punishing in many ways. From marathon concert performances to the unending pressure to produce and record material, it's little wonder that so many musicians pay a physical toll.
The mythology of rock 'n' roll is eternal youth and jubilation. When the music genre burst on the scene in the post-WWII, conservative United States during the 1950s, it immediately became the target for ire and hate from members of the Greatest Generation and the Silent Generation, while becoming an everyday part of life for the Baby Boomers. Elvis Presley's shaking hips, Chuck Berry's duck walk, Little Richard's and Jerry Lee Lewis' showmanship on the piano, and many other performers captured the hearts of teenagers, and rock laid the foundation for popular music over the second half of the 20th century.
Performers Who Died In Front Of Their Audiences Getty Images By /Updated: Nov. 11, 2020 9:25 am UTC It's almost a blessing to do as the old saying goes …
