Here's a question then: are certain musicians more appealing to autistic people than others? David Bowie appears to have plenty of votes on here (and I would concur with those voting for him) and Pink Floyd are up there (no surprise given that they devoted entire albums to mental health conditions). I would also suggest that hyperfocus and an autistic worldview might be very useful tools for creative musicians. As with professional sports people, there is probably a higher percentage of neurodiverse people within popular music than within the general population. I'd be astonished if the members of some of my own favourite bands were to fail to register anything on an autism diagnostic assessment were they to take one.
Welcome to the forum.
That's a good question.
I noticed that in the link I posted from the Rolling Stone magazine, that Bowie is relatively low down.
Here's a question then: are certain musicians more appealing to autistic people than others? David Bowie appears to have plenty of votes on here (and I would concur with those voting for him) and Pink Floyd are up there (no surprise given that they devoted entire albums to mental health conditions). I would also suggest that hyperfocus and an autistic worldview might be very useful tools for creative musicians. As with professional sports people, there is probably a higher percentage of neurodiverse people within popular music than within the general population. I'd be astonished if the members of some of my own favourite bands were to fail to register anything on an autism diagnostic assessment were they to take one.
Welcome to the forum.
That's a good question.
I noticed that in the link I posted from the Rolling Stone magazine, that Bowie is relatively low down.
Dark Side of the Moon definitely but also Wish You Were Here (about the former singer Syd Barrett who was kicked out of the band for unspecified mental health issues) and The Wall, which was kind of an autobiographical thing from the bass player about his social isolation and problems growing up without a father. Fascinating band, really
I've often wondered if David Bowie was autistic, and two of my other favourites, David Byrne & Gary Numan, definitely are. Does anyone know of any others apart from Susan Boyle?
