Media and (Im)mortality : The Influence of Death on Popularity and Success

Abstract: Musicians who die young often become more famous after their death and moreover, this popularity sometimes continues to exist years or even decades afterwards which consequently has a chance to turn these musicians into legends. Research has shown that the development of media and the growing celebrity culture have impacted the ways individuals perceive famous people. The fans may often view celebrities as a part of their personal lives which may be a reason for them to strive for maintaining the presence of deceased artists by, for instance, listening to their music or posting content connected to them on social media. This study aims to determine the ways in which individuals mourn and grieve over their idols, the role of media in this process and as a result, how the presence of deceased musicians is maintained in a long-term by the forces of fans, media or other heritage left after the artists. With this in mind, the research questions of this study cover such aspects as the extent to which fans’ lives are affected by their idol, common practices of mourning and grieving over deceased musicians, the role of media in this process, and the role of the audience in the growing popularity of deceased musicians. After exploring previous research and preparing the theoretical framework for the study, an online survey was distributed to the fans of the chosen deceased musicians. Respondents were asked questions about celebrities and their deaths, the ways in which the participants were coping with loss, the role of media in this process, and the reasons for them to continue getting back to the art created by those musicians. Analysis of the responses demonstrated that the development of media has made it easier for the fans to share their feelings, discuss difficult topics, and open up about their struggles online. Additionally, it turned out that despite a strong emotional connection with the late musicians, when listening to their music, the fans, in fact, were reconnecting not with the musicians, but with their own past that the music reminded them of. Given these points, it may be concluded that media performs an important function for individuals who have experienced loss through granting them a chance to speak openly about their feelings or struggles, connect with other adherents, and even more so, connect with their true selves.