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Today (4 February) in 1983, music lost one of its brightest stars, as Karen Carpenter lost her battle with anorexia nervosa after a long, private battle with the illness. The singer died after her condition, plus 'chemical imbalances' caused her to suffer heart failure at the age of 32.
The star left behind her a legacy of music, but her death also brought anorexia into the mainstream, offering some light to this previously undiscussed disease. Among the stars to confess to their own eating disorders in the wake of Carpenter's death were Diana Princess of Wales, while hosiptals and medical centres reported an increase in patients suffering from similar illnesses. Carpenter's death was tragic, and entirely unavoidable.
This week also marks the tragic loss of Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 aged just 22. To mark these two tragic anniversaries, look back at the most tragic, premature losses in music history...
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