Here are the music love stories that ended up in divorces – and the ones who beat the odds

For many dreamy singles, marrying a rock star can be considered the dream ticket to a life of glamour, wealth and endless champagne-filled parties.

But a new study has confirmed what perhaps the most sensible among us already suspected: marriages to famous musicians are unlikely to last.

Research by pro-marriage think tank the Marriage Foundation found that music stars are nearly twice as likely to get divorced than the average person.

The study tracked nearly 500 celebrities who were married between 2001 and 2010 in ‘extravagant’ ceremonies featured in celebrity magazines such as ‘Hello’.

In an analysis of these marriages over an 18-year period, and after dividing this group into the categories of musicians, stage and screen stars, and sports/other, it emerged that musical celebrity nuptials were the worst.

Six out of 10 or 60 percent of their marriages ended in failure compared to 32 percent of the general population.

Movie or TV stars fared slightly better with a 53 percent divorce rate.

Meanwhile, sports stars and other celebrities were the most successful when it came to keeping their relationships together, with a 42 percent breakup rate, though they were still more likely to break up than non-celebrity couples.

Ike Turner, pictured at the 49th Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles in 2007, is five times divorced.

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have stood the test of time and have been married for 40 years this year (pictured in Beverly Hills in 2020)

Jay-Z and Beyoncé have been together since 2001 and have three children together. Pictured in Pasadena in 2018

Sinead O’Connor, pictured at the Vogue Theater in 2020 in Vancouver, has been divorced four times.

Among the music stars referenced in the report is pop sensation Britney Spears, who was married for just 55 hours when she said ‘I do’ to childhood friend Jason Alexander at a ceremony in Vegas in 2004.

Her second marriage to dancer Kevin Federline also ended in divorce after three years, but she has since married a third time earlier this year.

Another famous rocker mentioned is Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, who has been divorced twice, and his marriages to actress Patsy Kensit and singer Nicole Appleton lasted three and six years, respectively.

Bono and his wife Ali Hewson were married in 1982. The couple met when they were teenagers and have been in love ever since (pictured in Washington DC on December 4)

A third notable example given is that of Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, who went through four divorces in four heady years.

Other breakups involving high-profile musicians or singers that are mentioned include Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, as well as Billie Piper and Chris Evans.

The study found that, overall, celebrity marriages were at higher risk of failing, with more than half (53 percent) ending in divorce compared to the national average of just over a third of marriages.

This result goes against what would normally be expected of wealthier couples, says the Marriage Foundation, with the rich generally more likely to stay together than the poor.

Harry Benson, director of research for the think tank and author of the study, suggests that the reason celebrities buck this trend, despite being at the top of the income ladder, is fame.

In the article, he writes that “ego and opportunity,” which go hand-in-hand with being a famous name, is the most likely explanation for the group’s higher divorce rates.

This potentially relationship-destroying combination is particularly evident with musicians because of their lifestyle, he says.

“Constantly being told how amazing they are is bound to boost the ego, which undermines the need to put others first, a prerequisite for a successful relationship,” Benson said.

And being surrounded by attractive starlets presents an obvious opportunity.

“But only rock stars experience the special combination of adrenaline-pumping performances in front of huge audiences that follow them with celebratory parties, known for their exuberance and fun.

Self control and commitment can handle that once or twice. But night after night?

However, the study found that not all of the celebrity relationships included in its analysis ended in tears.

TV presenters Gabby Logan, Holly Willoughby and Richard Hammond proved that it was possible to stay in the public eye and maintain a lasting marriage, as did actor Simon Pegg and footballer Gary Neville.

Plus, it’s not all bad news for musicians, as while 60 percent can get divorced within 18 years, 40 percent stay the course.

These include rock stars Ozzy Osbourne and Bono, who have been married to their respective wives, Sharon and Alli Hewson, for an incredible 40 years.

Emma Gill, a leading divorce lawyer with Vardags solicitors, who has represented a number of rich and famous clients, including footballers and their wives, agreed that fame could be fatal to a relationship.

She said: “Celebrities in general are more likely to get divorced simply because they have the added pressure of living their life and in particular their relationship in public.”

“While the vast majority have the luxury of making our mistakes in secret, if a celebrity gets caught in the wrong place with the wrong person, it gets spread all over social media before you can wake up the next morning.

“For musicians, being away from home and having fun on stage for thousands of people, the monotonous normality when you get home must be very difficult to deal with.

‘The only thing that leads to divorce is taking your partner for granted. So while you have a partner who is at home, living perhaps a very normal life, then you have the other person performing on a world stage.

‘It must be tremendously difficult for one partner to understand the other’s challenges and will inevitably lead to one partner taking themselves for granted.

“The opportunity to have additional relationships also plays a role.”

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