A Life on the Edge: The Health Challenges Facing Musicians
American musician Jon Dee Graham faced a life-threatening health crisis in 2019 when he suffered a heart attack that left him “dead” for several minutes. This traumatic event inspired his album, “Only Dead For a Little While.” However, the challenges didn’t end there. Eighteen months later, Graham experienced a stroke, and now, at 66 years old, he is confronting his most significant health challenge yet. Unfortunately, like many musicians, he is underinsured.
Graham recently underwent spinal surgery, which led to an infection that developed into sepsis. His son, William Harries-Graham, explained that his father requires intravenous antibiotic treatments twice daily. However, because the treatment is administered at home, Medicare—the U.S. federal health program for elder adults—does not cover it. The hospital demanded payment upfront in the “thousands of dollars,” a burden that Graham, who is “fighting for his life,” could not afford. As a result, he launched a campaign to sell his drawings, a hobby that has become a means of survival.
Graham’s story is not unique. Many musicians face similar struggles with health insurance, navigating a complex system filled with high out-of-pocket costs. The issue is compounded by the fact that musicians are often gig workers, making it even more challenging to secure stable health coverage. Most working artists do not have substantial wealth, and their income can be unpredictable in an industry where employer-subsidized insurance is rare.
At the 2024 Grammys, pop phenom Chappell Roan brought attention to this issue, calling out record labels for failing to provide health insurance for their artists. Roan shared her own experience of being dropped from her label and going uninsured, describing it as “devastating” and feeling “betrayed by the system and dehumanized.” She urged record labels to treat artists as valuable employees with livable wages and health insurance.
The Growing Crisis in Music Industry Health Care
The situation has been highlighted by several tragic cases. About a month after Roan’s statement, glam punk pioneer David Johansen passed away at 75. His death came just weeks after he had started a GoFundMe to support his cancer treatment. Similarly, in 2024, Matthew Sweet, a 1990s-era alt rocker, suffered a stroke while on tour. Without insurance, his management created an online fundraiser, which has raised over $640,000 to date for his recovery.
While such fundraising efforts can provide temporary relief, they are not a long-term solution. Tatum Hauck-Allsep, founder and CEO of the Nashville-based Music Health Alliance, acknowledged that GoFundMe campaigns can be helpful but often serve only as a “patch.” She emphasized the need for a more sustainable approach to health care access for musicians.
Bruce Iglauer, head of the blues label Alligator Records, echoed this sentiment, noting that artists are self-employed and typically do not receive weekly paychecks. He pointed out that while record labels guarantee recording budgets and royalty rates, they have limited knowledge of the other income sources artists may have.
Smaller labels also face financial constraints. Kenn Goodman, founder and CEO of Chicago-based indie record label Pravda Records, stated that rising manufacturing costs and declining physical sales make providing insurance financially unfeasible. “It’s just not financially feasible,” he said, adding, “I wish it was.”
The Threat to Affordable Care
Many U.S. musicians rely on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for health coverage. However, this system is under threat from the Trump administration, which aims to complicate or potentially eliminate it. Paul Scott, director of the Healthcare Alliance for Austin Musicians, warned that dismantling the ACA would be a “disaster.” While ACA plans can still be expensive, they have significantly improved access to health care for many artists.
Scott noted that without the ACA, many musicians might drop their health insurance due to increased costs, placing additional strain on safety net hospitals and charity care programs. For Graham, selling his sketches has helped fund his initial treatment, but his son remains uncertain about whether this will be enough. He worries about those who lack the visibility or resources to launch similar fundraising efforts.
“I don’t know what someone else would have done,” Harries-Graham said. “They would have been yet another person who goes into severe medical debt.” He described the situation as “terrifying.”
