Solo rock stars are twice as likely to die prematurely as counterparts who perform in groups, a study published in the journal BMJ Open said Wednesday.British researchers examined the fate of 1,489 rock and pop performers who had risen to fame in a study period that spanned half a century, from Elvis Presley in 1956 to the Arctic Monkeys in 2006.A total of 137, or 9.2 percent, died prematurely, at 45.2 years of age on average for North American stars and 39.6 for those in Europe.Substance abuse

Korean entertainers are posting photos of themselves in front of presidential election polling stations on their Twitter accounts to certify they have cast a vote, while at the same time encouraging fans to participate in one of the most important national events in five years.The voting for South Korea’s next president began on Wednesday at 6 a.m., and the voter turnout was tallied at 52.6 percent after eight hours since the polls opened amid freezing temperatures, the National Election Commiss

72-year-old singer says jazz not special, but not easy either

American hip-hop icon 50 Cent will be performing live in Korea for the first time next month. The artist who is best known for his hit tracks “In Da Club,” “P.I.M.P.” and “Candy Shop” will hold two concerts, one in Seoul and one in Busan, on Jan. 12 and 13, respectively. 50 Cent ― whose real name is Curtis Jackson ― was born in Queens, New York, in 1975. By age 12, he had already begun a life of drug dealing. After high school, 50 Cent decided to stop dealing and pursue a career in music; howeve

Bruno Mars hops genres on sexy 2nd CDBruno Mars``Unorthodox Jukebox‘’(Atlantic Records)Bruno Mars likes to mix it up. Almost every song on his second album dabbles in a different genreThe 27-year-old singer-songwriter-producer shows growing sophistication, musically and lyrically, on ``Unorthodox Jukebox,‘’ a retro-pop collection of 10 tracks with elements of rock, funk, country and reggae. There‘s even a heartbreaking piano ballad.Mars hinted at his versatility on his 2010 debut, ``Doo-Wops & H

NEW YORK (AFP) ― Rock music royalty, including the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Paul McCartney, joined in a stellar line-up Wednesday to raise money for victims of superstorm Sandy.The “12-12-12” concert at Madison Square Garden in New York brought a Who’s Who of rockers under one roof for the event which was broadcast live across 37 U.S. television networks and a multitude of Internet livestream sites, as well as radio. Organizers expected two billion people

A hodgepodge of musical styles within a single song likened to jjambbong

MOSCOW (AFP) ― Russian opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya, the widow of legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich who is known for her iconic interpretations of great opera roles, died Tuesday aged 86.The soprano ― who won fame in Soviet times for her emotionally intense performances of classic and modern works ― had been suffering from heart trouble in recent years.Her extraordinary life saw her survive the siege of Leningrad in World War II, forced into foreign exile with her husband in the 1970s,

‘Godfather of world music’ had large influence on great Western musicians

A special two-part documentary, titled “Onstage Hero Tiger JK.ing,” premiered on Mnet on Monday in honor of the rapper Tiger JK’s 20th anniversary in the industry. It will air a second time on Dec. 17.The documentary was made to commemorate the artist’s many contributions to the nation’s hip-hop scene and revealed the story behind the rapper’s history in the Korean music scene during the 1990s. The documentary featured never-before-seen footage and shared behind-the-scenes stories about the arti

South Korea‘s Psy performed at a charity event attended by U.S. President Barack Obama as scheduled on Sunday, despite a controversy over the anti-American lyrics of his song several years ago.Psy, who has gained popularity worldwide, was among the “artist performers” in the “Christmas in Washington” concert, according to a pool report of the White House correspondents.Obama and his family participated in the evening concert held at the National Building Museum. No South Korean reporter was allo