Why is it that so many important figures in the history of rock died at 27?
Have you ever heard of the 27 club?
Some of the finest performers have met their untimely demise before reaching their 28th
birthdays.
Maybe there is some of curse on that age, maybe we're seeing a connection that isn't
truly there.
We'll let you ponder the mystery, but first, let us introduce some of the ten finest members
of the 27 club.
Our next member was an old school rock and roll bad boy.
Fathering his first child at the age of 17, and many more after that, Brian Jones of the
Rolling Stones lived the way he wanted.
He followed his whims whether it was being nasty, indulging in drugs, or playing the
blues on a guitar.
He spent his life as a drifter, never truly finding a home.
Mick Jagger remarked on the sensitivity of Brian's playing, that is... when he would
show up to the studio.
Sadly, he was found drowned in his pool one month after being kicked out of the band.
Alan 'Blind Owl' Wilson was an expert in the blues.
John Lee Hooker called him the “greatest harmonica player ever” owing to his deep
knowledge and love of the music.
In his early 20s, he had already played with some of the biggest names in the blues, and
would go on to sing two hit songs.
He suffered from deep depression and attempted suicide months before he was found dead from
an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol.
Whether or not his death was a suicide is unknown.
Robert Johnson was a bluesman considered to have an important influence on the evolution
of rock music.
Not only was he a talented guitarist, singer and songwriter, his life had a legendary quality
making it difficult to separate fact from fiction.
It is said that he sold his soul to the devil in exchange for success.
It may be true because instead of finding success, he lost his life by unknown means,
further shrouding his legend and legacy in mystique.
Our next 27 club member sets the stage for the common way in which most of these musicians
passed.
Janis Joplin lead an emotionally unstable and substance-fuelled life, which, along with
her raw singing ability, kept audiences spellbound.
Few could match the fireworks on display when she howled her gritty song.
Despite her musical talents, she could not keep up with her drug use and was found lifeless
in her apartment having overdosed on heroin.
This young songwriting genius was unable to cope with fame.
Kurt Cobain was the spokesperson for a generation that rebelled against radio pop and glam rock,
creating a new breed of music- dubbed grunge.
The movement was casual and apathetic, and Cobain's lyrics captured the mood with a bleak
sense of humour and melodic hooks.
Sadly, he was found with a shotgun wound to the head from a suicide while high on heroin,
although one detective claims it was a murder.
Either way, his great talent was taken away at an early age.
The poet of rock.
The Lizard King.
Jim Morrison was a sex icon and rock god of the highest order.
From his controversial refusal to censor the word “higher” on live television, to his
wild drug and alcohol-fuelled antics and escapades, he embodied the hedonistic artist tapping
into excess and creativity.
His fame lead to a raucous life which eventually took its toll.
Morrison's death was also shrouded by mystery, although it is most likely he died in his
Paris hotel bathroom from mixing the wrong drugs.
The seminal guitar player extraordinaire, who is inspiring to this day, was a complicated
man.
He felt deep insecurity about his playing and style of dress, despite being considered
by many at the time to have been the best rock guitarist.
His sound defined the coming generation of hard rock, and he was rapidly evolving as
a songwriter, but even his love of music couldn't keep the demons at bay.
He was found overdosing on sleeping pills and alcohol, and soon after passed away.
Amy Winehouse's famous declaration “I don't wanna go to rehab” was dark foreshadowing
of what was to come.
Her skillful singing took her to many genres of music, exploring jazz, neosoul, R&B and
rock, with her expressive performances placing her among the top performers of her generation.
She was also a tormented soul whose depression and substance abuse lead to her recent death
in 2011 from alcohol poisoning.
For the final member of the list... perhaps one of the greatest hoaxes of all time...
everyone knows the Beatles, one of the most iconic and influential rock groups of the
20th century.
They were so popular nobody could hear their concerts because their fans would scream too
loud.
This lead them to a secluded musical life of making hit records in the studio.
They were a money making behemoth and nobody wanted the gravy train to stop … it's speculated
that Paul McCartney died in a car accident, and was replaced by a look-alike … Faul
McCartney, who has been playing the role ever since...
what a hoax...
there have been numerous clues such as the Abbey Road album cover where each of the Beatles
represents a figure of the funeral procession with Paul as the dead man, walking barefoot...
we're not sure what the truth is, but you can read about the evidence online and decide
for yourself.
Maybe there is some significance to being a rockstar at the age of 27, some curse that
started with Robert Johnson when he made a deal with the devil.
Maybe the music business attracts wild personalities who live their life on the edge, and succumb
to the pressures of the industry by turning to drugs and partying.
The geniuses we told you about may have died, but they left a lasting legacy, and wherever
these 27 Club is hanging out right now must be one hell of a party.
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