The official cause of death was cited as a heroin overdose which may have been exasperated by the abuse of alcohol. Joplin had fronted the San Francisco band Big Brother and the Holding Company before embarking on a solo career of her own. Her trademark bluesy singing style made her into one of the most iconic singers of the era.
She also is widely considered one of the most influential female vocalists of all time. Like many of the members of the 27 Club, she was a deeply troubled artist who lived a hard life. Joplin struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction, with both worsening as her career began to take off.
Because there has been so little that has been properly documented about the influential blues artist Robert Johnson, he has developed an almost mythic legend around him. His death at the young age of 27 also added to his mythology. He died on August 16th, At the time his death was attributed to strychnine poisoning, but this is also widely disputed. The mystery surrounding his death also contributes to his significant legacy.
While he was initially underappreciated at the time of his death, many famous blues guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Keith Richards discovered his music and were influenced by his playing style. It was said that Johnson went down to the crossroads in rural Mississippi one night and met a large black figure, the devil, exchanging his eternal soul to become a great guitar player.
This myth began because when Johnson had started playing around the deep south and was not known as a good guitar player. One day he suddenly showed up as an expert player, with technical skills that no one else could match. Many people thought that his rapid development was due to some supernatural influence and thus the crossroads myth was born. Brian Jones was a founding member and guitarist for the Rolling Stones. Due to developing a serious drug addiction, he was kicked out of the Rolling Stones in , being replaced by Mick Taylor.
Less than a month later he died on July 3rd, due to a tragic drowning accident which took place at his swimming pool. While Jones had played a prominent role in founding the band, eventually Mick Jagger and Keith Richards became the dominant musical forces in the Rolling Stones, relegating Jones to a lessened position in the group.
Recommended video
Coupled with a bad drug addiction, this made it impossible for Jones to remain in the band. When people refer the 27 Club, Jones is quite often is referred to as the start of that movement. His death was the beginning of a two year period which also marked the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison at the age of On March 3rd, he was found dead of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage which was complicated by alcohol abuse.
Eventually, guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir decided to take the band in an improvisational and psychedelic direction, a style that the group became known for. This caused McKernan to take a back seat at concerts, and his role continued to diminish until he was forced to step down from the Grateful Dead due to his worsening health. McKernan also had a brief relationship with fellow 27 Club member Janis Joplin. On a couple of occasions, the two dueted together on the Dead's live standard "Turn on Your Lovelight.
Chris Bell was the lead guitarist, and along with Alex Chilton, he was the primary songwriter for Big Star. Bell left the band after their influential but commercially overlooked power pop gem 1 Record. Bell died on December 27th, when he lost control of his Triumph TR7 sports car. His funeral took place the next day on December 28th, which sadly coincided with the birthday of former bandmate Alex Chilton. Bell continues to be an influential figure in the development of power pop and indie rock. Boon was the guitarist, lead vocalist and one of the primary songwriters along with Mike Watt for the influential hardcore punk band the Minutemen.
Boon was listed as 89 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest guitarists of all time. His guitar style, which had a heavy funk and blues feel, helped make the Minutemen more diverse than the average band from the '80s hardcore scene. Boon died on December 22nd, due to a Van accident. Because he had a fever, he was laying in the back recuperating when the van crashed, sending him flying through the back of the van. He has also written a number of songs as a direct tribute to D. The rhythm guitarist and main lyricist of UK alternative band Manic Street Preachers is one of the more mysterious additions to the list.
Edwards went missing on February 1st, and he was presumed dead on November 23rd, Because his car was found abandoned on February 17th, in proximity to Severn Bridge, it is widely believed that he committed suicide. Before these events, Edwards was known to be deeply disturbed. One of the more obvious signs was when he took a photo of himself with the words "4 Real" carved into his arm. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his disappearance have helped cement his cult status within the UK.
The ninth album recorded by the Manic Street Preachers, Journal for Plague Lovers was released on May 18th, and feature previously unused lyrics written by Edwards.
Chasing Amy Winehouse: The Cult of the 27 Club and Why It's Good for Music
One of the questions that remain is why have so many musicians died at the age of There is no shortage of theories. There are numerologists that feel that 27 is a significant number, there are theories concerning the number of 27 club members that owned white lighters, and so on. Many dismiss the 27 death phenomenon as just simply an unexplained coincidence. One factor that is widely noted is that many of the members of club 27 have lived lifestyles that have contributed to dying at a young age.
Of course, this doesn't fully explain why not 26 or But part of the mystique of the 27 mythology is the fact that we don't have clear answers. Bradley Nowell was 28 when he died, not I wrote an article about musicians who died at 28, and he is in that article. He was 17 when he died. This is way too young, so obviously he wouldn't be included on a list of musicians who died at Was Mac Miller 27 when he died?
Why isn't Gram Parsons on the list? Sign in or sign up and post using a HubPages Network account. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites. What is wrong about death of a singer and talented musician at the age of 27 I was sad about some Asian singers died at 27 like what happens about death of Jonghyun because of suicide. When I reach the needed level of mind and outthinking that I should I'll pass this mega high wall or maybe brake it I'll be able to get on the next level and join the club.
Until then I should freeded my mind and body from this massive system. They lived by the motto live fast, die young. There are also some artists who missed joining the club by a year or so. I will always miss one of my favorite artist kim jonghyun and thank you to all these other artist who left a great impact in the music world. They all would have continued to influence the direction music was going and we are left to imagine what greatness was left uncovered.
Hi Nathaniel, Brad Nowell was 28 when he died, so that is why he wasn't included. Why didn't you put Brad Nowell, he is the single most important 27 Club member, at least to me.
Kim Jonghyun, main vocalist and lyricist of a South Korean kpop boy band SHINee commited suicide and died on 18th of December due to carbon monoxid poisoning. We - his fans - are very heartbroken rn. Another angel has found it's wings. You should put down murder for the cause of death for Cobain. Courtney killed him, and if you dont believe me, watch soaked in bleach. Even though its a sad list, ive been a fan of Nirvana since i was Whilst reading about the band i found out about the 27 club I watched a show tonight and Ball and Chain by Janis Joplin was playing in the credits, my insides were shaking at her voice Basquiat was born on December 22, and died on Aug 12, , so he was still a few months away from his 28th birthday and he was still Jim, you are right, Gram died just short of 2 months before his 27th birthday.
But before is the optimal word. He was still 26 years old when he died, so for obvious reasons he was excluded. Still way too young though. I have a 27 year old son and I am a big fan of most of these artists. Don't think I saw Gram Parsons mentioned in your article. According to wiki, he died just 2 months before his 27th birthday.
Rozie, Shannon Hoon died at 28, so even though he died way too young, there was no reason to mention him in a list of musicians who died at Thanks for the read and comment.
Hi C, since River was 23 and the 27 Club is a list of musicians who died at 27, he obviously wouldn't be included in this list. But thanks for the read and the comment. Wayne Messenger - Sorry to hear about your daughter. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time for you and your family. Our Daughter Heather was familiar with the forever 27 club since she was a teenager. Always said she was going to join them. Well she did this last week. Accidentalty she has joined the group. You forgot to put River Phoenix he died when he was 23, he was a singer and actor, he died on October 31 of because of an overdose of heroine and cocaine.
Brennan, even though she is 27 and it was tragic she died, she was not a musician.
- Hope is the thing with feathers?
- List of Members of the Forever 27 Club | Spinditty.
- The 27 Club.
- Im Lonely.
- The Hard Core: The MoREality Chronicles Part 1 (German Edition)!
The 27 Club is a list of musicians that died at 27, so that is why she was excluded. Thanks for the read and the comment. On September 3, , we lost another beloved celebrity at the age of I feel that my life has most been influenced by this left out member of the Forever 27 Club.
27 Club - RationalWiki
MarleneB, that is an interesting point. Although a death toll of 41 looks like a relatively high number, in context the Wikipedia category "American rock musicians by instrument" lists 3, articles, [6] and similarly "American blues musicians by instrument" has 1, One doesn't have to be much of a statistician to see that that's looking like a pretty safe age to be twanging a 6-string or beltin' out the ballads. Many musicians died before they got old, but fail to qualify for the 27 club, although sometimes the "curse" of 27 is expanded to include those who died under the age of 27 — as if it were an "upper limit" to the career of a popular musician.
The premature deaths of young musicians or artists is nothing particularly new as examples date back to at least the s. Indeed, the premature deaths of young people aren't limited only to the music industry. In reality the spread of musicians' premature and unnatural deaths is quite wide, ranging from the very early 20s Sid Vicious and Eddie Cochran into middle age e. Listed below are some more artists who lived fast and died relatively young. This lot seem to have consumed half the world's drugs and fornicated with a goodly percentage of the world's women or, in some cases, men yet they're still going strong.
Navigation menu
But as almost all the suspects and witnesses have since died, it will likely never be settled to everyone's satisfaction. A Bad Woman Feeling Good: Blues and the Women Who Sing Them. The Mail on Sunday , 27 June Retrieved from " https: Bronze-level articles Folklore Musicians Numbers Woo. Retrieved September 7, Accidental Fentanyl, Cocaine Overdose". Retrieved June 7, Retrieved 4 October Retrieved July 27, Retrieved February 6, Richard Charles Kneller, Dead at 27" , Forever Archived from the original on May 26, Retrieved July 23, Retrieved March 20, Archived from the original on June 4, Retrieved 13 October Retrieved June 13, A Cry Cutting Through Time".
Archived from the original on April 12, Retrieved April 23, Archived from the original on November 20, Retrieved October 1, Archived from the original on June 11, Retrieved June 26, The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Retrieved October 11, Retrieved 25 June Retrieved August 20, The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, Retrieved June 21, Retrieved October 14, Retrieved June 29, Retrieved October 26, Retrieved June 30, Retrieved January 20, Retrieved 20 December Retrieved February 27, Retrieved July 12, Retrieved December 22, Retrieved December 20, Retrieved from " https: Death-related lists Lists of musicians Numerology Cultural aspects of death introductions.
CS1 German-language sources de Webarchive template archiveis links Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages Articles with hCards Use mdy dates from March Views Read View source View history. This page was last edited on 9 December , at By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Complications from high blood pressure.