Long a heavy drinker, Smith was aging visibly, and these live shows hinted at the final decline.

NEWYORKER: Plug and Play

But the figures for the final quarter of last year actually show a decline for the first time in nearly four years for the OECD as a whole - which is nearly all the rich countries and a few of the more developed emerging economies.

BBC: OECD economies in 0.2% quarterly decline

Industrial demand then slumped in the final three months of the year, resulting in a decline for full-year 2011.

FORBES: Silver Survey: Investment Key To Silver-Price Action In 2011; Mine Supply Hits Record High