Even in at the height of the drugs, sex and rock ’n’ roll era, when the heady 1960s slurred into the excessive 1970s, Burton Cummings had a limit.

Sure, he had a reputation for partying on tour with the Guess Who. But he also knew he couldn’t stay up all night, every night, as some other musicians and hangers-on could. It’s the gospel that singers – if they want their careers to survive – try to abide by: The voice has to have rest, or it will be destroyed.

The vulnerabilities of musicians to substance abuse is a subject on the mind of the Canadian rock ’n’ roller after the sudden death of singer Whitney Houston, 48, on Feb. 11. While there has yet to be an official announcement of the cause of her death, it was widely known that Houston’s career had been largely destroyed by drug use despite her having sought treatment several times in the past decade. And just six months ago, superstar singer Amy Winehouse, only 27, died of alcohol poisoning.

“Of course it’s sad that’s Whitney’s gone, but I don’t think the world was all that surprised and shocked,” Burton said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles this week.

What makes a music star succumb to substance abuse? While every situation is different, experts point to certain commonalities among those facing the problem. A growing sense of entitlement, a non-stop schedule and entourages whose interests often revolve around maintaining a substance-fuelled status quo, all can bear down on artists. Along with those factors,

Article source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/drugs-death-and-rock-n-roll-what-makes-a-music-star-flame-out/article2346752/