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27 Club

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The 27 Club is a term used to refer to popular musicians who have died at the age of 27,[1] often as a result of drug and alcohol abuse.[2] Robert Johnson, Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse all died at the age of 27, giving rise to the idea that premature deaths at this age are unusually common.

The "club" has been repeatedly cited in music magazines, journals and the daily press. Several exhibitions have devoted to the Club of 27; distributed merchandising products, novels, films and stage plays captured this topic. There have been many different theories and speculations about the causes of such early deaths and their possible connections. Cobain and Hendrix biographer Charles R. Cross writes "The number of musicians who died at 27 is truly remarkable by any standard. [Although] humans die regularly at all ages, there is a statistical spike for musicians who die at 27."[3]

However, a study published in the British Medical Journal in December 2011 concluded that there was no increase in the risk of death for musicians at the age of 27. Although the sampled musicians faced an increased risk of death in their 20s and 30s, this was not limited to the age of 27.[4]

Origins

Nirvana bandleader Kurt Cobain (right).

Brian Jones, Alan Wilson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison died between 1969 and 1971, although a possible connection between their same death-age was not reported in the public press. Although some relations were occasionally noticed,[5][6] those rather remained a side note. It was not until the death of Kurt Cobain, about two and a half decades after the last occurred, that the first idea of a "27 Club" was spread in the public perception.[3]

According to Hendrix and Cobain biographer Charles R. Cross, the growing importance of the media — internet, television and magazines — and the response to an interview of Cobain's mother were jointly responsible for such theories. An excerpt from a statement that Cobain's mother, Wendy Fradenburg Cobain O'Connor, made in the Aberdeen, Washington newspaper The Daily World — "Now he's gone and joined that stupid club. I told him not to join that stupid club." — referred to Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison dying at the same age, according to Cross.[7] Other authors share his view.[8] On the other hand, Josh Hunter and Eric Segalstad, writer of The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll, assumed that Cobain's mother referred to the death of his two uncles and his great uncle, who all committed suicide.[9] According to Cross, the events have led a "set of conspiracy theorists [to suggest] the absurd notion that Kurt Cobain intentionally timed his death so he could join the 27 Club".[3]

In 2011, seventeen years after Cobain's death, Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27, and there was a large amount of media attention devoted to the club once again. Three years earlier, she had expressed a fear of dying at that age.[10]

People identified as being in the 27 Club

Name Date of death Official cause of death Fame Age References
Alexandre Levy January 17, 1892 Unknown Composer, pianist and conductor 27 years, 98 days [11]
Louis Chauvin March 26, 1908 Neurosyphilitic sclerosis Ragtime musician 27 years, 13 days [11][12]
Robert Johnson August 16, 1938 Unknown, but typically attributed to strychnine poisoning Blues singer and musician who recorded a very famous and influential set of 29 songs. 27 years, 100 days [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
Nat Jaffe August 5, 1945 Complications from high blood pressure Swing jazz pianist 27 years, 216 days [11]
Jesse Belvin February 6, 1960 Car accident R&B singer, pianist and songwriter 27 years, 53 days [11][12][14][15]
Rudy Lewis May 20, 1964 Drug overdose Vocalist of The Drifters 27 years, 271 days [14][16]
Malcolm Hale October 31, 1968 Carbon monoxide poisoning Original member and lead guitarist of Spanky and Our Gang 27 years, 166 days [11][15]
Dickie Pride March 26, 1969 Overdose of sleeping pills Rock and roll singer 27 years, 156 days [14]
Brian Jones July 3, 1969 Drowned[18] (coroner's report states "death by misadventure", disputed)[19] Rolling Stones founder, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist 27 years, 125 days [11][12][14][15][16][17][20]
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson September 3, 1970 Barbiturate overdose, possible suicide Leader, singer and primary composer of Canned Heat 27 years, 61 days [11][12][14][15][16][17]
Jimi Hendrix September 18, 1970 Asphyxiation (disputed)[21] Pioneering electric guitarist, singer and songwriter for The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys 27 years, 295 days [11][12][14][15][16][17][20]
Janis Joplin October 4, 1970 Probable heroin overdose[22] Lead vocalist and songwriter for Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie Band 27 years, 258 days [11][12][14][15][16][17][23]
Arlester "Dyke" Christian March 13, 1971 Murdered Frontman, vocalist and bassist of Dyke & the Blazers 27 years, 273 days [11]
Jim Morrison July 3, 1971 Reported as heart failure (no autopsy performed, disputed).[24][25] Lead singer, lyricist and video director for The Doors, and poet 27 years, 207 days [11][12][14][15][16][17][20]
Linda Jones March 14, 1972 Complications from diabetes Soul singer 27 years, 91 days [14]
Leslie Harvey May 3, 1972 Electrocution Guitarist for Stone the Crows and brother of Alex Harvey 27 years, 233 days [12][15][17]
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan March 8, 1973 Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism Founding member, keyboardist and singer of the Grateful Dead 27 years, 181 days [11][12][14][15][16][17]
Roger Lee Durham July 27, 1973 Fell off a horse and died from the injuries Singer and percussionist of Bloodstone 27 years, 163 days [11][15]
Wallace Yohn August 12, 1974 Plane crash Organ player of Chase 27 years, 212 days [11]
Dave Alexander February 10, 1975 Pulmonary edema Bassist for the Stooges 27 years, 252 days [11][12][14][15][16][17]
Pete Ham April 24, 1975 Suicide by hanging Keyboardist and guitarist, leader of Badfinger 27 years, 362 days [11][12][14][15][16][17]
Gary Thain December 8, 1975 Heroin overdose Former bassist of Uriah Heep and The Keef Hartley Band 27 years, 207 days [11][12][15][16]
Cecilia August 2, 1976 Car accident Singer 27 years, 296 days [26][27]
Helmut Köllen May 3, 1977 Carbon monoxide poisoning Bassist for 1970s prog rock band Triumvirat 27 years, 62 days [11][15]
Chris Bell December 27, 1978 Car accident Singer-songwriter and guitarist of power pop band Big Star and solo 27 years, 349 days [11][12][14][15]
Jacob Miller March 23, 1980 Car accident Reggae artist and lead singer for Inner Circle 27 years, 324 days [12][16]
D. Boon December 22, 1985 Van accident Guitarist, lead singer of punk band the Minutemen 27 years, 266 days [11][12][14][15][17]
Alexander Bashlachev February 17, 1988 Fall from a height, probable suicide Poet, rock musician and songwriter 27 years, 266 days [26]
Jean-Michel Basquiat August 12, 1988 Speedball overdose Painter and graffiti artist; formed the band Gray 27 years, 234 days [14][15][16][17]
Pete de Freitas June 14, 1989 Motorcycle accident Drummer for Echo & the Bunnymen 27 years, 346 days [11][12][14][15][16]
Mia Zapata July 7, 1993 Murdered Lead singer of The Gits 27 years, 316 days [11][12][14]
Kurt Cobain April 5, 1994 c. Suicide by gunshot [28] Founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Nirvana 27 years, 44 days c. [11][12][14][15][16][17][23]
Kristen Pfaff June 16, 1994 Heroin overdose Bass guitarist for Hole and Janitor Joe 27 years, 21 days [11][12][14][15][16][17]
Richey Edwards February 1, 1995 Disappeared; officially presumed dead November 23, 2008 Lyricist and guitarist for Manic Street Preachers 27 years, 41 days [11][14][15][17]
Fat Pat February 3, 1998 Murdered Rapper and member of Screwed Up Click 27 years, 61 days [11][12]
Freaky Tah March 28, 1999 Murdered Rapper and member of the hip hop group Lost Boyz 27 years, 318 days [11]
Rodrigo Bueno June 24, 2000 Car accident Cuarteto singer 27 years, 31 days [26]
Sean Patrick McCabe August 28, 2000 Asphyxiation Lead singer of Ink & Dagger 27 years, 289 days [11][12][14][15]
Maria Serrano Serrano November 24, 2001 Plane crash Background singer for Passion Fruit 27 years, 363 days [11]
Jeremy Michael Ward May 25, 2003 Heroin overdose The Mars Volta and De Facto sound manipulator 27 years, 20 days [11][12][14][15]
Bryan Ottoson April 19, 2005 Prescription drug overdose Guitarist for American Head Charge 27 years, 32 days [11][12][15]
Valentín Elizalde November 26, 2006 Murdered Mexican banda singer 27 years, 297 days [11]
Amy Winehouse July 23, 2011 Alcohol poisoning[29] Singer-songwriter; first British woman to win five Grammy Awards in single ceremony 27 years, 312 days [12][14][15][16][17][20]
Richard Turner August 11, 2011 Cardiac arrest Trumpet player, collaborator with Friendly Fires[30] 27 years, 12 days [12]

References

  1. ^ "After Nirvana Show airs on Saturday 3rd April 2100 – 2200". BBC. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  2. ^ Weiss, David. "Amy Winehouse & The 27 Club". Life Goes Strong. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Charles R. Cross (February 22, 2007). "P-I's Writer in Residence Charles R. Cross explores the darker side of 'only the good die young'". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  4. ^ "Is 27 really a dangerous age for famous musicians? A retrospective cohort study" (Press release). British Medical Journal. December 2011. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  5. ^ Nesta Roberts (September 10, 1971). Flower bower. UK. p. 13. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ James Riordan; Jerry Prochnicky (1992). Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison. It Books. pp. 416, 467. ISBN 978-0-688-11915-7.
  7. ^ Charles R. Cross (2002). Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain (2nd ed.). Hyperion. p. 357. ISBN 978-0-7868-8402-5.
  8. ^ R. Gary Patterson. Take a Walk on the Dark Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends, and Curses. p. 259.
  9. ^ Josh Hunter; Eric Segalstad (2008). The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll. Berkeley Lake: Samadhi Creations. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-615-18964-2. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2010. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ The Inquisitr: Stating the Obvious, Amy Winehouse, Dec 28 2008
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll". The27s.com. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z "Forever 27 Hall of Fame". Forever27.co.uk. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  13. ^ Sullivan, James (May 27, 2011). "Robert Johnson Founds the '27 Club' With Devil Pact – Twisted Tales". Spinner. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Members of the 27 Club". Ranker. July 31, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z O'Connor, Rob (July 23, 2011). "Twenty-Seven Members of the 27 Club". Yahoo Music. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Blair, Kevin (July 24, 2011). "The Forever 27 Club – Music's Growing List of Stars Who Died at 27 Years Old". StarPulse. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Stopera, Dave. "The 27 Club: 15 Other Musicians Who Died at Age 27". BuzzFeed. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  18. ^ "All about Brian Jones, by Anthony Bruno – "Death by Misadventure" – Crime Library on". Trutv.com. July 10, 1969. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
  19. ^ Wyman 2002, p. 329
  20. ^ a b c d Clements, Paul (July 24, 2011). "Amy Winehouse joins the 'Forever 27' club". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  21. ^ Brown, Tony (1997). "The Doctor's Story", Jimi Hendrix: The Final Days. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  22. ^ Hendrickson, Paul (May 5, 1992). "Janis Joplin: A Cry Cutting Through Time". Washington Post. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  23. ^ a b Schillaci, Sophie A. (July 23, 2011). "Amy Winehouse Joins Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin in '27 Club'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  24. ^ Walt, Vivienne (July 19, 2007). "Postcard: Paris". Time. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Walt, Vivienne. "How Jim Morrison Died". Time. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008. Retrieved August 24, 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ a b c Saunders, Christian (January 2012). "The Forever 27 Club", Fortean Times. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  27. ^ "El coche nos los arrebató". Con Plomo. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  28. ^ van Gelder, Lawrence (March 3, 1998). "Footlights". The New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  29. ^ Davies, Caroline (October 26, 2011). "Amy Winehouse inquest records verdict of misadventure". The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  30. ^ Smith, K. Alexander. "Richard Turner of Friendly Fires: 1984–2011". Retrieved August 29, 2011.

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