Lifestyles of the hip and ailing

In the Telegraph: "When hip gives way to hip replacement."

The debilitating effects of leading a rock and roll lifestyle are well documented, but it seems that performing live can be particularly hazardous. At the tender age of 47, Prince has been told by doctors that he needs a hip replacement - the fallout from years of dancing onstage in high-heeled boots.

"Following in the faltering footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Motley Crue's Mick Mars, the 5ft 3in singer, who wears heels to enhance his height, has been prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs for the discomfort in his joints until he undergoes surgery."

Performance-related injuries among rock stars are described. The list includes torn ligaments, hearing loss, and falls onstage. Other hazards: projectiles flung at stars by their fans. "David Bowie was temporarily blinded when a lollipop hit him in the eye during a concert in Oslo. The stick became wedged between his left eyelid and eyeball - which he damaged as a child in a fight at school - and had to be removed by a roadie."

"Accident-prone artists should take a leaf out the Rolling Stones' lyric book - they aren't taking any chances on their current tour of America. Every night, the band's road crew sets up a defibrillator backstage, in case Mick, 62, Ronnie, 58, Keith, 61, or Charlie, 64, suffers a heart attack."