The ‘27 Club’. Heard of it? It is a list of famous musicians, artists and actors who have passed away at the age of 27. While it is a cultural belief than an actual club, many icons have become members over the years.
1. Robert Johnson, 1938
Robert Johnson was an American blues singer, songwriter and musician. Not only was he known for being the first member of the ‘27 Club’, he was also known for the rumour of selling his soul to the Devil. He was poisoned to death in 1938.
2. Brian Jones, 1969
Three decades later, the world was rocked with the loss of Brian Jones, guitarist and founder of the band The Rolling Stones. More than just your T-shirt design, The Rolling Stones was an English rock icon in the 60s. He was found dead in his swimming pool by his girlfriend.
3. Jimi Hendrix, 1970
A guitar legend, Jimi Hendrix also passed away at the age of 27. It all ended when he consumed his German girlfriend’s sleeping pills. Unable to read the instructions as it was in German, he took 9 pills that night, chugging them down with alcohol. The cause of death was asphyxiation from vomiting in his sleep.
4. Janis Joplin, 1970
In the same year, we lost two souls to the ‘27 Club’. Janis Joplin was your Nita Strauss back in the day. She was known for her powerful blues vocals and electrifying personality. She died of an accidental overdose of heroin.
5. Jim Morrison, 1971
The frontman of The Doors, he was also a poet who loved to improvise poetry while playing live. One of the world’s most influential rock stars, Jim Morrison’s death is a mysterious one. An autopsy was never done and therefore, his cause of death remains unknown. Though throughout his career, he was known for his alcohol dependency.
6. Kurt Cobain, 1994
Jumping through two decades, the next iconic member of the ‘27 Club’ is Kurt Cobain, frontman of the band Nirvana. You may have seen the band’s logo on T-shirts over the years, but his death brought back the rumours of the ‘27 Club’. His cause of death was suicide by gunshot.
7. Amy Winehouse, 2011
The Back to Black singer was a lost hard to swallow. With her fame being showcased worldwide, no one gave Amy Winehouse a break. Not even her own father. She passed away at her home in London due to alcohol poisoning.
8. Kim Jong-hyun, 2017
The death of K-pop group SHINee’s member had rocked the world in 2017. Before his death, there was never a light shone on the bad fame has brought to K-pop stars. His death was also an important message about mental health worldwide. Kim Jong-hyun passed away at the age of 27 due to suicide.
If you want to know more about the ‘27 Club’, watch the documentary ’27 Gone Too Soon’ available on Netflix!