Just was wondering your thoughts on this. I always found this pretty interesting... though it’s probably all just coincidental all these musicians died at 27... it still kinda makes ya wonder.
What's the 27 Club?
The "27 Club" is a popular culture reference to a group of several rock and blues musicians, who experienced a career that ended with their death at age 27.
Musicians usually included in the 27 Club
There is some debate as to the criterion used to include musicians who died at the age of 27 in the "27 Club". The impetus for the Club's creation was the death of an unusual number of 27 year old prominent musicians within a two year period of time. Lists commonly include Hendrix, Morrison, and Joplin; Jones is usually included too. All four of these musicians died between 1969 and 1971. Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison all died within a ten month period. Morrison and Jones died on the same date two years apart. Kurt Cobain, who died in 1994, was later included by some, probably due to his popularity and his death occurring at the pinnacle of his career.
Brian Jones (February 28, 1942 – July 3, 1969) (The Rolling Stones) — Drowned in his swimming pool.
Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) — Asphyxiated on vomit while sleeping after presumably unintentional overdose of sleeping pills.
Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) (Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie) — Heroin overdose after misjudging the purity and shooting up once.
Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) (The Doors) — heart failure
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994) Lead singer and guitarist for Nirvana — Gunshot to the head (thought to be self-inflicted).
The five were rock stars in the prime of their careers and have since been immortalized as legends in the Blues Hall of Fame, and rock 'n' roll. Some have noted an eerie coincidence in the timing of the deaths of Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison, as well as Morrison and Jones dying on the same date, two years apart. Robert Johnson is considered the founding father of the infamous "27 Club", though his actual birthday is a disputed fact
Less-prominent members
Although a majority of media attention is focused on Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison and later Cobain, a number of less-famous musicians also died at 27. Among them:
Bradley James Nowell (February 22),(1968)-(May 25), (1996) — Lead singer of Sublime. Heroin overdose.
Dave Alexander - (June 3, 1947 - February 10,1975) — bass player for The Stooges. Pneumonia following inflammation of the pancreas.
Chris Bell - (January 12, 1951 - December 27, 1978) — Guitarist and principal songwriter on Big Star's first album #1 Record. Car accident.
Pete de Freitas - (August 2, 1961 - June 14, 1989) — Drummer for Echo and the Bunnymen. Motor accident.
D. Boon - (April 1, 1958 - December 22, 1985) — Lead singer and guitarist for 80's punk band Minutemen. Car accident.
Richey James Edwards (December 22, 1967 - ??) — Guitarist and lyricist for rock band Manic Street Preachers. Disappeared on February 1, 1995, presumed dead.
Louis Chauvin - (March 13, 1881 - March 26, 1908) — American ragtime composer. Venereal disease.
Valentín Elizalde - (February 1, 1979 – November 25, 2006) — Mexican banda singer. Murdered.
Peter Ham (April 27, 1947 - April 23, 1975) — Member of Badfinger. Suicide.
Les Harvey (1944? - March 5, 1972) — Member of Stone the Crows. Electrocuted on stage.
Kami (Ukyou KAMIMURA), (February 1, 1972 - June 21, 1999) — Member of Malice Mizer. Subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Helmut Köllen (1950? - March 5, 1977) — Bass player and vocalist for Triumvirat. Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Sean McCabe (November 13, 1972 - August 28, 2000) — Member of Ink & Dagger. Possible drug overdose.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (September 8, 1945 - March 3, 1973) — Founding member of the Grateful Dead. Gastrointestinal hemorrage.
Bryan Ottoson (March 18, 1978 - April 19, 2005) — Lead guitarist of the band American Head Charge. Accidental prescription-drug overdose.
Kristen Pfaff (May 26, 1967 – June 16, 1994) — Bass guitarist for the band Janitor Joe and later the grunge band Hole. Apparent heroin overdose.
Raymond "Freaky Tah" Rogers (1971? - March 28, 1999) — Member of Lost Boyz. Homicide.
Gary Thain (May 15, 1948 - December 8, 1975) — Member of Uriah Heep. Drug overdose.
Jeremy Ward (May 1, 1976 - May 25, 2003) — The Mars Volta and De Facto. Heroin overdose.
Alan Wilson (July 4, 1943 - September 3, 1970) — Guitar, harmonica and vocals for Canned Heat. Drug overdose.
Wallace Yohn (1947? - December 8, 1974) — Member of Chase. Plane crash.
Mia Zapata (August 25, 1965 – July 7, 1993) — Lead singer of the Gits. Murdered.
What's the 27 Club?
The "27 Club" is a popular culture reference to a group of several rock and blues musicians, who experienced a career that ended with their death at age 27.
Musicians usually included in the 27 Club
There is some debate as to the criterion used to include musicians who died at the age of 27 in the "27 Club". The impetus for the Club's creation was the death of an unusual number of 27 year old prominent musicians within a two year period of time. Lists commonly include Hendrix, Morrison, and Joplin; Jones is usually included too. All four of these musicians died between 1969 and 1971. Hendrix, Joplin, and Morrison all died within a ten month period. Morrison and Jones died on the same date two years apart. Kurt Cobain, who died in 1994, was later included by some, probably due to his popularity and his death occurring at the pinnacle of his career.
Brian Jones (February 28, 1942 – July 3, 1969) (The Rolling Stones) — Drowned in his swimming pool.
Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) (The Jimi Hendrix Experience) — Asphyxiated on vomit while sleeping after presumably unintentional overdose of sleeping pills.
Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) (Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band, Full Tilt Boogie) — Heroin overdose after misjudging the purity and shooting up once.
Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) (The Doors) — heart failure
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – c. April 5, 1994) Lead singer and guitarist for Nirvana — Gunshot to the head (thought to be self-inflicted).
The five were rock stars in the prime of their careers and have since been immortalized as legends in the Blues Hall of Fame, and rock 'n' roll. Some have noted an eerie coincidence in the timing of the deaths of Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison, as well as Morrison and Jones dying on the same date, two years apart. Robert Johnson is considered the founding father of the infamous "27 Club", though his actual birthday is a disputed fact
Less-prominent members
Although a majority of media attention is focused on Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison and later Cobain, a number of less-famous musicians also died at 27. Among them:
Bradley James Nowell (February 22),(1968)-(May 25), (1996) — Lead singer of Sublime. Heroin overdose.
Dave Alexander - (June 3, 1947 - February 10,1975) — bass player for The Stooges. Pneumonia following inflammation of the pancreas.
Chris Bell - (January 12, 1951 - December 27, 1978) — Guitarist and principal songwriter on Big Star's first album #1 Record. Car accident.
Pete de Freitas - (August 2, 1961 - June 14, 1989) — Drummer for Echo and the Bunnymen. Motor accident.
D. Boon - (April 1, 1958 - December 22, 1985) — Lead singer and guitarist for 80's punk band Minutemen. Car accident.
Richey James Edwards (December 22, 1967 - ??) — Guitarist and lyricist for rock band Manic Street Preachers. Disappeared on February 1, 1995, presumed dead.
Louis Chauvin - (March 13, 1881 - March 26, 1908) — American ragtime composer. Venereal disease.
Valentín Elizalde - (February 1, 1979 – November 25, 2006) — Mexican banda singer. Murdered.
Peter Ham (April 27, 1947 - April 23, 1975) — Member of Badfinger. Suicide.
Les Harvey (1944? - March 5, 1972) — Member of Stone the Crows. Electrocuted on stage.
Kami (Ukyou KAMIMURA), (February 1, 1972 - June 21, 1999) — Member of Malice Mizer. Subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Helmut Köllen (1950? - March 5, 1977) — Bass player and vocalist for Triumvirat. Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Sean McCabe (November 13, 1972 - August 28, 2000) — Member of Ink & Dagger. Possible drug overdose.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (September 8, 1945 - March 3, 1973) — Founding member of the Grateful Dead. Gastrointestinal hemorrage.
Bryan Ottoson (March 18, 1978 - April 19, 2005) — Lead guitarist of the band American Head Charge. Accidental prescription-drug overdose.
Kristen Pfaff (May 26, 1967 – June 16, 1994) — Bass guitarist for the band Janitor Joe and later the grunge band Hole. Apparent heroin overdose.
Raymond "Freaky Tah" Rogers (1971? - March 28, 1999) — Member of Lost Boyz. Homicide.
Gary Thain (May 15, 1948 - December 8, 1975) — Member of Uriah Heep. Drug overdose.
Jeremy Ward (May 1, 1976 - May 25, 2003) — The Mars Volta and De Facto. Heroin overdose.
Alan Wilson (July 4, 1943 - September 3, 1970) — Guitar, harmonica and vocals for Canned Heat. Drug overdose.
Wallace Yohn (1947? - December 8, 1974) — Member of Chase. Plane crash.
Mia Zapata (August 25, 1965 – July 7, 1993) — Lead singer of the Gits. Murdered.
