So many entertainers have passed away just three years' shy of 30 that there's even a
name for it: the 27 Club.
While studies have shown that there's no increased statistical likelihood for celebrities to
depart at a particular age, the morbid idea of the 27 Club persists.
With high-profile examples like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, and Anton Yelchin,
it's not hard to understand why.
Here are some other notable entertainers who left us at the age of 27.
Fredo Santana
Derrick "Fredo Santana" Coleman was a rising star in Chicago hip-hop, thanks to his successful
2013 debut album Trappin' Ain't Dead, several acclaimed mixtapes, and his hit single "Pass
Me My Double Cup."
Unfortunately, his success and life were short-lived, as he passed away on January 19th, 2018.
Santana performed a kind of hip-hop called "drill," a gritty reboot of trap music.
But away from the studio and stage, he was battling an all-too-familiar demon: drugs.
Specifically, he was addicted to lean, also known as "purple drank," also known as cough
syrup chugged at dangerously high levels, which led to major health issues.
In October 2017, he checked into the hospital for kidney and liver failure.
Three months later, he had passed on.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
One of the founding members of the Grateful Dead, the guy everyone called "Pigpen" sang
and also played organ and harmonica for the iconic group.
He worked hard to establish the band as a pioneer in jug- and blues-based rock, even
before they were officially known as The Dead.
Unfortunately for him, the other members didn't share that vision for very long.
The group got heavily into LSD and began recording more psychedelic music.
This left "Pigpen," a hard-drinking blues man who didn't care for trippy drugs, out
in the cold.
By 1970, McKernan's drinking had begun to hurt him so much, he had to quit touring.
He couldn't stay away for long, though, as he returned the next year.
But by June 1972, he was completely done with both touring and the band.
On March 8th, 1973, he suffered a fatal internal hemorrhage.
Though he didn't last long with the Grateful Dead, the band never would've taken off without
him.
Linda Jones
Had Linda Jones lived longer, she might have become one of the most famous soul singers
of all time.
In 1967, she hit the big time with the song "Hypnotized."
She was on her way to becoming a star along the lines of Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick,
only fiercer.
Jones, a diabetic, was at her mom's house on March 14th, 1972, following an afternoon
performance at the Apollo Theater.
She asked her mom to wake her up from a nap in time for her evening show.
But instead, she found her daughter the victim of a diabetic coma.
It wasn't the most soulful way to go, but a sadly realistic one.
Mia Zapata
Seattle grunge-punk band The Gits were really coming into their own during the Age of Nirvana.
But then, catastrophe struck.
On July 7th, 1993, lead singer Mia Zapata was attacked by a man named Jesus Mezquia,
who beat her, violated her, and then strangled her.
He evaded capture for over a decade until DNA on her body linked him to the crime.
Creepily enough, a song that Zapata wrote for the Gits' second album, released after
her passing, all but foretold what would happen.
Titled "Sign of the Crab," it included lines about cutting up a human body and leaving
parts of it across a town, and a killer escaping justice.
Powerful songwriting, but not at all the kind of thing anyone wanted to come true.
Joseph Merrick "The Elephant Man"
Joseph Merrick wasn't exactly an entertainer by choice.
As creatively depicted in the film The Elephant Man, he suffered from extreme physical deformities
and was unable to find steady work until he realized that his curse was the only way he
could make a legitimate income.
And yes, his name was Joseph, even though in the movie they changed his name to John
for some reason.
He joined the freak show circuit as "The Elephant Man," charging people to gawk at his enlarged
head, trunk-like forehead growth, and overgrown right arm.
But eventually England outlawed his act, and his manager stole his money.
At that point, Merrick had little choice but to remain in a hospital for the rest of his
days.
On April 11th, 1890, Merrick passed away in his sleep.
Due to the extreme weight of his head, he was unable to sleep lying down, so he instead
did so while sitting up.
That night, however, he attempted to sleep like other people, crushing his own windpipe
as a result.
Robert Johnson
If you're into the blues, classic rock, or just music in general, you owe a debt to Robert
Johnson.
The man defined Chicago and delta blues, despite only recording a handful of tunes.
But when those tunes include "Sweet Home Chicago," "Crossroads," and "Love In Vain," you've already
written more than enough to ensure your artistic immortality.
Johnson's passing at the age of 27, like Johnson himself, is shrouded in mystery and rumor.
We know he passed away on August 16th, 1938, but we don't know how.
Some say he succumbed to syphilis.
Some say he had a tissue disorder called Marfan syndrome.
Others insist he was poisoned by a lover's jealous boyfriend, and still others say his
own girlfriend poisoned him.
Pete Ham
Badfinger's Pete Ham is a tragic example of how the music industry can destroy lives.
The band itself was poised to be the next Beatles, even getting signed to the Lads from
Liverpool's label, Apple Records.
Ham was the smiling face of Badfinger, a fine guitarist with limitless potential.
But then, the very business that was poised to make him huge completely betrayed him.
Badfinger found financial representation in New York businessman Stan Polley, who netted
them a six-figure contract with Warner Records in 1974.
But he would only give them a thousand dollars per month allowance, claiming the rest was
being saved and invested.
In reality, Polley was stealing from them.
This destroyed the band, especially Ham.
Financially and emotionally broken, and with a child on the way, he was desperate.
On the morning of April 24th, 1975, after drinking ten scotches the night before, he
hanged himself in his garage.
Jonghyun
South Korean music superstar Kim Jong-hyun simply known as Jonghyun to his fans was a
singer for the pop band SHINee before branching off into a solo career.
His 2016 debut album She Is had topped the charts, and he had another album in the works.
That all changed on December 18th, 2017, when he was found unconscious in his Seoul apartment.
By all accounts, Jonghyun had taken his own life, the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning
from heated charcoal.
He had often publicly discussed his depression and the effect fame had on him.
As he detailed in the note he left behind,
"The life of fame was not for me.
[…] Why did I choose this life?
[…] It's a miracle that I lasted this long."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call or chat online with
the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).