Courtney Love forced to quit smoking

Everyone, no matter how rich, or how famous, is affected by smoking. The most recent public figure to fall prey to a smoking-related illness is Courtney Love. The singer was recently ordered by her doctor to quit, after he discovered pre-op nodules in her throat.

In a message on her Web site, Loves writes that the doctor "guessed exactly how much I smoke," and that "I need to stop unless ... I want surgery in a year."

Her choices were either quit now, or take time off from touring to undergo the procedure.

Fortunately for Love, nodules are a benign growth on the vocal cords. However, cigarettes are the primary cause of throat cancer, which would almost certainly be the end of her singing career -- if not her life.