The infamous 27 Club is a list consisting of all the iconic rock stars and celebrities that passed away at age 27. How did this become a cultural phenomenon? People began to first notice this morbid trend after several artists passed away between 1969 and 1971. Then when musician Kurt Cobain passed away in 1995, the “club” really took off.
Since then, the 27 Club has been the subject matter of books, films and many songs. Is there statistical truth to artists being more likely to pass away at 27? Or is it all just a coincidence? Either way, we have compiled a list of some of the iconic rock stars that have become members of the 27 Club.
Robert Johnson
The first death on our list is also the oldest. American blues artist Robert Johnson, is often recognized as a master of blues. And even though his recordings only span about 7 months, he has influenced generations of other artists. Artists that have cited Johnson as an inspiration include Robert Plant, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has even described him as “the first ever rock star.”
The cause of Johnson’s death is up for debate, as his death certificate had no official cause of death listed. Several different accounts have described the events that led to his death, and most believe he was poisoned. Many believe by a jealous husband of a woman he was flirting with.
What isn’t up for debate is the fact that Johnson had so much more to offer. Just think of the discography he would have had if he lived past 27 years old.
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain was the leading voice of the 90s grunge movement. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona, Cobain became a spokesman of Generation X. His band Nirvana forever changed rock music when they released the 1991 album Nevermind.
During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction and chronic health problems such as depression. Cobain attempted suicide in Rome in 1994. He finally took his own life on April 8, 1994 after fleeing rehab. He died of a gunshot to his head and was found to have a high concentration of heroin and traces of diazepam in his body.
Cobain is remembered as one of the most influential rock musicians in the history of alternative music. To hear some of Kurt Cobain’s top songs, check out our article here.
Amy Winehouse
Winehouse’s voice was deep and expressive, spanning the musical genres of soul, R&B and jazz. Her sophomore album, Back to Black, was an international success winning many awards. At the 50th Grammy Awards, she won five awards, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night. She was also the first British woman to win five Grammys.
After years of struggling with addiction, Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. At the time of her death, her blood alcohol content was five times the legal driving limit. Since her death, her parents set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation to prevent harm from drug misuse among young people.
After her death, Back to Black briefly became the UK’s best-selling album of the 21st century. With only three albums under her belt, she was an amazing talent that was taken too early.
Brian Jones
Brian Jones was the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of The Rolling Stones. He was even responsible for giving the band its name, which is taken from a Muddy Waters song. However, as the band became more popular and hired a new manager, Jones became estranged from the group. He increased his use of drugs and alcohol leading to his performances becoming increasingly unreliable
In June 1969, the Rolling Stones dismissed Jones from the band. Less than a month later, Jones died by drowning in the swimming pool at his home. The Rolling Stones performed at a free concert in Hyde Park on 5 July 1969, two days after Jones’ death. It was dedicated to his honor.
Since his death, he has been referenced in many songs and Jim Morrison even wrote a poem about him. He will forever be remembered as one of the iconic rock stars of his generation.
Jim Morrison
As the lead singer of The Doors, Morrison built a reputation for his distinctive voice and erratic stage presence. He led The Doors through six album releases, all of which sold well and received critical acclaim. Top songs included “Light My Fire”, “Love Me Two Times”, “Love Her Madly” and “Touch Me.” However, as the band’s popularity grew, Morrison’s dependency on alcohol skyrocketed.
On July 3, 1971, Morrison was found dead in the bathtub of a Paris apartment by his girlfriend Pamela Courson. His official cause of death was heart failure, although an autopsy was never performed. Shockingly, Courson herself would pass away three years later of a heroin overdose (also at age 27).
Since his death, Morrison has been regarded by critics and fans as one of the most influential frontmen in rock history. He is forever remembered as one of rock’s most rebellious icons, representing youth counterculture.
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan
As the founding member of the Grateful Dead, McKeran played with the group 1965-1972. His passion was rooted in blues music, teaching himself to play piano and harmonica at a young age. He often struggled with the band’s increasing focus on psychedelic rock and began to see his music contributions diminished.
Unlike the other members of the Grateful Dead, McKernan avoided psychedelic drugs, preferring to drink alcohol. By 1971, his health had been affected by alcoholism and liver damage and doctors advised him to stop touring. He was subsequently forced to leave the band. In March of 1973, McKernan was found dead of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
Garcia spoke at McKernan’s funeral, saying “After Pigpen’s death we all knew this was the end of the original Grateful Dead.” McKernan was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin is one of the most iconic rock stars of her generation. She began her recording career as the lead singer for Big Brother and the Holding Company before going solo. During her life, she recorded three albums (two with the band and one solo). Her sophomore album, Pearl, was released just three months after her death. She is remembered for many songs including her cover versions of “Piece of My Heart”, “Summertime”, and her original song “Mercedes Benz”, her final recording.
Joplin’s career was plagued by her addictions to alcohol and heroin. She would often perform completely inebriated. In the end, she was found dead in her hotel room on October 4, 1970 from a heroin overdose, possibly compounded by alcohol.
She was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Rolling Stone ranked Joplin number 46 on its 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix passed away just sixteen days before Janis Joplin. He is regarded as one of the best guitarists of all time, which is wild considering his mainstream career only spanned four years. He was also one of the first guitarists to make extensive use of tone-altering effects units in mainstream rock, such as fuzz distortion, Octavia, wah-wah, and Uni-Vibe. In 1968 his third and final studio album, Electric Ladyland, reached number one in the US.
In September 1970 Hendrix aspirated his own vomit and died of asphyxia while intoxicated with barbiturates. More than 200 people attended the funeral, including Miles Davis, John Hammond, and Johnny Winter.
It’s hard to find a guitarist today that would say they weren’t influenced by Hendrix. So many artists including Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Kirk Hammett cite Hendrix as an inspiration. His tenure in music was short-lived but he will continue to touch generations to come.
Dave Alexander
Alexander is best known as the original bassist for punk band The Stooges. He actually self-taught himself to play the bass guitar while recording the band’s first album. He went on to contribute to all of the songs on the band’s first two albums The Stooges and Fun House. Unfortunately he was kicked out of the band in 1970 for being too drunk to perform at a show.
Alexander died just five years later of pulmonary edema. The Stooges lead singer, Iggy Pop, references Alexander in the spoken intro to “Dum Dum Boys” on his 1977 album The Idiot:
Pete Hamm
Hamm was best known as the lead vocalist of and composer for the 1970s rock band Badfinger. Ham is also often credited as being one of the earliest purveyors of the power pop genre. His most popular song is the ballad “Without You”, which he wrote with bandmate Tom Evans. The song was a hit worldwide and has been covered by many artists over the years. Paul McCartney once described the song as “the killer song of all time.”
Hamm committed suicide in 1975 after becoming increasingly depressed from financial issues due to the band’s manager, Stan Polley, stealing their money. The emotional scar his death left on Badfinger eventually led to the suicide of bandmate Tom Evans in 1983.
In Conclusion:
There are many more iconic rock stars and artists that are part of the “27 Club.” So many in fact that there are entire books and even films dedicated to the topic. Regardless of why so many artists pass away at this age, we can agree that it is unfortunate.
