Why do the brilliant musicians kill themselves?

Question

I recently read that the brilliant musician Elliott Smith killed himself only 3 years ago. I know that my discovery is quite late, but I find it sad that the good artists kill themselves. I mean, look at Kurt Cobain. They both have similar cases too. People think that someone might have killed them, thought it is most likely that they killed themselves. Music these days is bland, stupid, and senseless. Rap about sex, rape, and getting more money off of a stupid song. Rock about marrige with poor lyrics and only a dash of talent. Folk just sucks ***, but thats not the point. Entertainment today is lowering it's standards to the point where we might as well just be sitting at home, listening to sex noises is random cuss words on our iPods. We need another inspiring artist, but they come as a rarity these days. I wish that they were still alive. I miss the talent that used to be alive in music, now it is pressurized nothings with dead meaningful lyrics.

Answer 1

I guess they're not smart enough to know how to really enjoy life.

Answer 2

Fame can be a stressful thing, with the pressure to keep producing material better than the last in order to maintain it, not to mention the pounding celebrities of all stripes get from the paparazzi and tabloid media. For some reason, musicians seem to succumb to this stress at a greater rate than other entertainment figures. There might be psychological causes for this, but that's a little beyond my expertise; or maybe the nature of the business makes it easier to obtain drugs and alcohol.

I remember several years ago watching a program on the life of the country singer Keith Whitley, how once he got started as a teenager, the people around him basically enabled the emerging bad habits which ultimately killed him, plying him with free booze and other things which he readily imbibed; as he grew older, he tried to break free, but he had become locked into a self-destructive cycle from which he could not escape, with tragic results. The same story could probably be told countless times, substituting the names of other stars--Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, you name it.

Answer 3

*falls to the ground and worships you* Man, I love this question. You are sooooo dead on. I don't need points, I just had to tell you...you are the first person I've heard tell it straight like that! Truly, I do miss the likes of people like Kurt. I was just listening to that old Nirvana album and thinking how GREAT the music was. "I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends...they're in my head".... Friggin' BRILLIANT. Yes, I agree there is way too much trash out there and because it sells, it will continue to flourish and grow, like an unstoppable cancer. I have taken to listening to obscure artists to get some quality writing, great music, and real enjoyment in musical life. Damien Rice is one of my new favorite writers (obscure here, but not so in Ireland). Anyway, I totally agree with you. To answer you question though...I really think that artistic genius and personal torment often go hand in hand. I'm not genius by any means, but I know that, even at my novice level, my best songwriting is done when I am in agony and wishing "it" was all over.

Answer 4

Kind of strange I just figured out that Elliot Smith killed himself 3 years ago (like five minutes ago when i read a iMix on iTunes saying RIP Elliot Smith) , strange coincidence. Well, I understand your point, many musicians that are considered genius, have problems with drugs and alcohol, the case with Kurt Cobain and Elliot Smith. Both of them also sang about drugs and alcohol. But still many musicians today are amazing and many have no talent and record companies know that music with sex, cussing, will appeal to the listeners. So my suggestion would be to listen to underground music, the music that record companies don't want to sign or hasn't become big:

Bright Eyes
Say Anything
The Dresden Dolls
The Shout Out Louds
Houston Calls

and there's alot more out there, i suggest you go to purevolume.com, and if you like rock you'll find the underground slavation you need.

Stay Real

Answer 5

It has been said that the true artist has to eat his own heart to sing. It is a metaphor and what it means is that to achieve brilliance whether in music or any other art one must place ones art above all else. This causes pressures that can become unbearable. Some people assume that these pressures are therefore self inflicted but the true artist must practice his art, he can not do otherwise because it is within him, it is him. It is also true to say that the depression comes first and the art is an atempt to deal with it.

Answer 6

They are just too sensitive for this world.

Elliot Smith was a very sensitive soul. You could feel the vulnerability in his songs, like "Angeles"; "Miss Misery"; in his song "Rose Parade" his lyrics talk about a man watching a parade indifferently and the final lyric was: "and when they clean the street, I'll be the only S**t that's left behind..."

Add to there sensitive personalities the pressure of being famous and mix that with alcohol consumption, drugs, and a broken heart.

The pressure was just too much.

Answer 7

Well, you sound a little down on life right now as they who took their lives probably did. I think brilliant musicians, artists, writers, you name it are on a different plateau and take everyday life issues and pressures too strongly than "normal" people. Then, when they are thrown into "celebrity-hood" it just blows them away because that is something that they hate or don't want or don't understand to begin with. And they deal with it the only way they can - and sometimes turn to addictive behaviors, illegal behaviors and even suicide. It is such a tragic shame.

Answer 8

As far as people killing themselves, there's a very fine line between creative genius and insanity.

The reason for today's music mediocrity is because musicians are using technology to fix their imperfections, so they don't have to be good when they can "clean it up" in the studio. Pantera said about musicians, "There is only perfection in the imperfection." A talented musician won't use technology as a crutch.

Answer 9

It's not only the brilliant musicians . . .

People can be as talented as they develop themselves to be, can have a lifestyle people like you and me envy, can be as surrounded by fans and friends and as blessed as anyone alive, but they can still be alone in a crowded room.

A friend of mine shot himself dead eleven years ago, and I still don't know why. Did the pressures of life after university get to him? Did he feel like he had no friends? Did he feel like no one listened? All the cases of suicide you see or hear about usually aren't dramatic instants, but instead they're "death by degrees". It simply is not worth it to let your life be dictated by culture instead of your own conscience. Once you figure out you're accountable to God alone while rendering unto Caesar, everything about fame, family, and fortune falls into place, and suicide would never please a loving God, would it?

Oh, I agree about the downward spiral of music too. "Pressurized nothings with dead meaningful lyrics." I like that.

Answer 10

Everything has a price and the price for brilliancy is often depression at the unnecessarily sad state of the world. Ignorance truly is bliss. Which is why I do not read the paper or watch the news. If you are not in a constant state of outrage, you are not paying attention. Peace.

Answer 11

Other will come along, and unfortunately others will kill themselves too. It is what it is dude. Makes me sad too. Kurt Cobain was a genius in his own sort of way. I miss him too.