Music

'Insurance medical at fault' for death of The Who bassist John Entwistle, biography says


Detailed medical examination would have revealed heart condition before bassist’s cocaine-assisted death in Las Vegas

Monday, 2nd March 2020, 12:00 am

Updated Monday, 2nd March 2020, 12:13 am
Bassist John Entwistle of The Who – could his death have been avoided? (Getty)

The Who bassist John Entwistle, who died after a drug-fuelled night of sex with a Las Vegas stripper, would have lived if the band’s insurers had required him to undergo a detailed medical examination, a new biography of the star claims.

The revelation will prompt closer scrutiny of the insurance market for rock legends, which has become increasingly lucrative with so many elderly and infirm stars treading the boards.

One of rock’s most influential musicians, Entwistle, 57, was found dead in his room at the Hard Rock Hotel on the eve of a 2002 world tour.

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‘Rock n’ roll death’

However Entwistle’s death was avoidable according to The Ox – The Last of the Great Rock Stars, a new authorised biography by Paul Rees. “For insurance purposes, Entwistle had to undergo a medical before the tour commenced,” he writes. 

The Who, during their 1966 German/Swiss tour, from left to right; drummer Keith Moon (1947 – 1978), Roger Daltrey (vocals), John Entwistle (1944 – 2002, bass guitar) and Pete Townshend (guitar) (Photo: Keystone/Getty Images)

“His high levels of blood pressure and cholesterol were noted at this procedure, but since there didn’t appear to be any other significant issues, the upshot was that he was given an otherwise clean bill of health. 

“However, the band’s insurers had not required him to have a detailed physical examination. Were he to have had just a routine electro-cardiogram scan, it would have picked up that three of the arteries to his heart were severely blocked – one fully and another by three-quarters.”

‘On cocaine half the time’

Entwistle’s son Christoper, who accompanied him to the medical, said: “In reality, he required a triple bypass, but we had no idea about the extent of his heart problem and nor did he.”

“He was very rarely ill. Yes, he did look tired. But that was because half the time he was on cocaine, which never makes you look good.”

Entwistle was fatigued and had to sit down at rehearsals for the tour, which still went ahead.

Entwistle was a regular cocaine user (Getty Images)

The traces of cocaine that were confirmed in Entwistle’s autopsy report made it likely that The Who’s tour insurance would have been voided.

Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey decided to go ahead with the US tour with a substitute bassist and have continued to perform as The Who.

Entwistle and first wife Alison Wise in 1967 (Getty)

Townshend, 74, said the band were “lucky to be alive and still touring”, despite having to cancel 2015 shows after singer Daltrey battled viral meningitis.

No business like insurance business

Underwriting music legends’ tours is highly profitable for insurance companies. Every tour requires cancellation insurance to cover disaster, illness or unforeseen circumstances.

Older artists are being charged premiums of 10 per cent compared to 2 per cent for new stars. 

An insurer underwriting Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour in 2019 that grossed £150m could have charged a premium of 70 per cent of the total gross (the maximum an insurance company will cover), raking in more than £10.5m, Billboard magazine said. Ed Sheeran’s tour made £3m for its underwriters.

Osbourne tour axed

Insuring infirm stars is a risky business. Last month Ozzy Osbourne cancelled 27 US dates after suffering a series of injuries and disclosing that he is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Ozzy Osbourne has revealed that he has Parkinsons (Photo: Getty)

The Rolling Stones activated an £8 million insurance policy covering the death of family members after a series of concerts were cancelled following the death of Mick Jagger’s girlfriend L’Wren Scott. 

The Stones postponed a US tour last year to allow Jagger to recover from a heart operation – the band had chosen insurance provider Alliance for Lifetime Income as its tour sponsor.



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