The "27 Club" - Truth or Myth
Featuring rock stars and singers who died at 27. The 27 Club includes some of the greatest artist of all time which made a huge impact in the music industry and shaped their individual genres to top the music charts.
Graffiti in Tel-Aviv depicting several members of the 27 Club
The deaths of several twenty-seven-year-old musicians between 1969 and 1971 led to believe that deaths was common around this age for celebrities, but it was until the death of Nirvana front-man Kurt Cobain in 1994 that the 27 Club was formed which was joined by Amy Winehouse in 2011.
Biographer Charles R Cross wrote four years before the BMJ study was published that; "the number of musicians who died at age 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". The Club 27 is known as the "Greatest Myth of Rock n' Roll".
Aside from popular rock stars like Brian James, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse; there was a lot of musicians who was added to the 27 Club. Added members included Kristen Pfaff, Richey Edwards, Stretch, Kami, Freaky Tah and Brian Ottoson just to name a few.
Today the question still remains whether there is any truth behing the the 27 Club or is it just coincidence and another myth?
Brian James
Full Names: Lewis Brian Hopkin James
Born: 28 February 1942
Died: 3 July 1969
Occupation: Musician-Songwriter, Composer, Singer. (Founding member of The Rolling Stones)
Cause of death: "Death by misadventure - Drug and alcohol abuse
Jimi Hendrix
Full Names: James Marshall Hendrix
Born: 27 November 1942
Died: 18 September 1970
Occupation: Musician, Songwriter,Producer
Cause of death: Asphyxia (Aspirated his own vomit) - Possible overdose on Vesparax(Sleeping Tablets)
Janis Joplin
Full Names: Janis Lyn Joplin
Born: 19 January 1943
Died: 4 October 1970
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter (Kozmic Blue Band)
Cause of death: Heroin overdose
Jim Morrison
Full Names: James Douglas Morrison
Born: 8 December 1967
Died: 3 July 1971
Occupation: Singer-Songwriter, Poet, Filmmaker, Director (The Doors)
Cause of death: Heart Failure
Kurt Cobain
Full Names: Kurt Donald Cobain
Born: 20 February 1967
Died: 5 April 1994
Occupation: Singer-Songwriter, Musician, Visual Artist (Founding member and front man for Nirvana)
Cause of death: Suicide
Amy Winehouse
Full Names: Amy Jade Winehouse
Born: 14 September 1983
Died: 23 July 2011
Occupation: Singer-Songwriter
Cause of death: Misadventure (Alcohol intoxication)
Credits: Google
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I believe it is a myth. These are people with heavy drug issues as well.
From Wiki: 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.[3] A 2015 article in The Independent also provided statistical evidence that popular musicians are not more likely to die at the age of 27
Thank for the comment. Honestly speaking; I agree on it being a myth. Besides for the age 27 being common, another thing all these artist have in common is excessive drug and alcohol abuse. This subject always intrigued me very much as a rock music enthusiast and reading the different points of view regarding the 27 Club. I also read that Kurt Cobain's suicide was also referred to as a cold case due to new evidence that might proof his death to be a homicide; any views on this?
There has been rumours about that for a long time. I think we will never know if something else happened. Need some hard proof to ocour then.