The "27 Club" is a term coined in reference to the uncanny number of celebrities who have
died at the age of 27.
While it might seem like more stars have passed away at this tender age than would be expected,
statistical data shows that celebs aren't actually any more likely to die at 27 – thus
making the so-called '27 Club' a bit of a myth.
In fact, there have been more stars that have died at the age of 28 than 27 – but that
fact doesn't matter much, as the legend has gone on to take on a life of its own.
The public always has and probably always will have a morbid obsession with famous people
whose lives were cut short in their prime.
From Jimi Hendrix to Kurt Cobain to Amy Winehouse, there is something so captivating and heartbreaking
about witnessing such young, promising talents' gifts go wasted due to their untimely deaths.
We're left wondering what could have been while the memory of those who have perished
becomes immortalized in a sense – forever freeze-framed at that ominous age.
Join Facts Verse as we take a look back on some of the earlier members of this club you
probably wouldn't want to be a member of.
In this video, we'll be discussing 1960s Celebrities Who Tragically Joined the 27 Club.
Jesse Belvin
American singer-songwriter and pianist Jesse Lorenzo Belvin was born on December 15, 1932,
in San Antonio, Texas.
At the age of five, he and his family moved to Los Angeles.
In 1949, Belvin was a part of the opening act at the 5th Cavalcade of Jazz playing with
Big Jay McNeely and Lionel Hampton at Wrigley Field.
The following year, he joined the band Three Dots and a Dash featuring saxophonist Big
Jay McNeeley.
In 1952, Belvin signed with Specialty Records, and although his early records weren't commercial
successes, his fourth album entitled 'Dream Girl' reached number 2 on the US R&B Billboard
Chart in 1953.
That same year, Belvin was drafted into the army, but he continued to pen songs while
serving his country.
One of these songs was Earth Angel, which after a legal dispute, was recorded by The
Penguins and became one of the very first R&B tracks to cross over to the pop charts.
Between 1954 and 1955, the song sold over 1 million records.
Ultimately, Belvin was awarded one-third credit for the song, and due to its success, his
career exploded.
While he could have easily made millions off his music, Belvin often would write songs
and sell them to other singers for as little as a hundred bucks.
Because of this, perhaps even hundreds of songs written by Belvin ended up hitting the
airwaves – very few of which he ever received credit for.
After signing with Modern Records in 1956, Belvin cut what would be his most enduringly
popular recording, "Goodnight My Love".
The track reached number seven on the R&B charts that year.
Two years later The Shields would release a version of the song that would reach 15
on the pop charts.
Over the next couple of years, Belvin's career would skyrocket with the help of his wife
Jo Anne, who was a fantastic songwriter in her own right.
She would take over as Belvin's manager and guide his career towards success.
After signing with RCA, Belvin put out his first big success with the label in 1959 with
the top 40 hit single "Guess Who'".
It was clear at this point that Belvin had the potential to be the next Billy Eckstine
or Nat King Cole.
With Jo Anne taking the reigns, Belvin was finally stepping into his element and showing
off a much more mature sound.
In late 1959, Belvin went into the studio and recorded a dozen songs, including covers
of standards like Makin' Whoopee, Blues in the Night, and In The Still of the Night.
Sadly, he would never get a chance to hear the finished recordings, because on February
6, 1960, not long after playing a show in Little Rock, Arkansas with fellow musicians
Sam Cook, Merv Johnson, and Jackie Wilson, Belivin and his wife were killed in a tragic
head-on auto accident.
Rudy Lewis
This R&B singer, born Charles Rudolph Harrell on August 23, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
was best known for his work with the Drifters.
When he was 24, Lewis moved to New York City and joined the musical group that would ultimately
turn him into a legend.
According to sources close to him, Lewis was hopelessly addicted to heroin, suffered from
a binge eating disorder, and was a closeted homosexual.
He managed to keep these secrets from the public, but clearly, these were things that
troubled him deeply.
On May 21, 1964, when the Drifters were expected in the studio to record the song 'Under The
Boardwalk' which Lewis had written, he was found dead in his Harlem hotel room.
Johnny Moore, who previously served as the group's lead vocalist, was brought back in
to provide lead vocals for the song.
The following day, the group recorded the song 'I Don't Want To Go On Without You' as
a tribute to their fallen friend.
Although no autopsy was ever performed, Lewis' death was ruled as a likely drug overdose.
Those close to him however believe that he died of a combination of overdose, heart attack,
and asphyxiation.
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Joe Henderson
This R&B and gospel singer was best known for his 1962 song 'Snap Your Fingers'.
Henderson was born in 1932 in Como, Mississippi, and was raised in Gary, Indiana.
His musical career started with him performing gospel music before signing with Todd Records
in 1958.
In 1962, he recorded 'Snap Your Fingers' which would prove to be the biggest hit of his career.
The track not only performed well on the R&B charts but also on the pop charts.
He charted three more times over the next two years with the songs Big Love, The Search
is Over, and You Take One Step (I'll Take Two'.
Henderson died of a heart attack in his Nashville, Tennessee apartment on October 25, 1964.
Malcolm Hale
Born in Butte, Montana on May 17.
1941.
Hale was an original member and lead guitarist for the female-fronted rock group Spanky and
Our Gang.
He performed with the band for their first two albums.
On October 31, 1968, Hale was found dead in his Chicago home.
It was later reported that his death was attributed to an attack of bronchial pneumonia.
His death proved to be a major blow to the band and ultimately led to their breakup a
year later in 1969.
Dickie Pride
This Rock & Roll singer had a stage name that apparently reflected his real-life persona.
Pride was born Richard Kneller in Surrey, England, on October 21, 1941.
When he was young, he considered becoming an opera singer but instead took an interest
in skiffle – a type of folk music with blues and jazz elements that was popular in the
50s.
Later he would fall in love with Rock & Roll music.
He played his first concert as Dickie Pride at the age of 16 after he was discovered by
composer Russ Conway and producer Larry Parnes.
In 1959, he put out his debut single 'Slippin' and Slidin' – a cover of a Little Richard
track.
Pride then performed alongside fellow Larry Parnes' pop prodigies Marty Wilde, Terry Dene,
Johnny Gentle, Duffy Power, and Billy Furty in The Big Beat Show.
Pride only ever had one hit, a song called 'Primrose Lane' which made the top 30.
His other tracks failed to perform, and it didn't take long before Parnes dropped him.
Pride soon found himself struggling with drug addiction, mental illness, and legal troubles.
After a failed marriage, Pride checked himself into a psychiatric clinic where he was lobotomized.
At first, it seemed as if the procedure had been a success, but Pride soon fell back into
drugs.
On March 26, 1969, Pride's sister found him dead lying in his bed.
It was later determined that he had accidentally overdosed on sleeping pills.
Brian Jones
This musician was one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones.
He was a talented multi-instrumentalist who was said to be able to pick up just about
any instrument and play it adeptly.
His musical gifts can be heard on Stones' albums like Aftermatch, Their Satanic Majesties
Request, and Between the Buttons.
Jones was born in Cheltenham, England.
When he was young, he was astute and excelled in school – especially in music, where he
played clarinet for his school's orchestra as the first chair.
In his teen years, Jones began to rebel.
He hated conformity and the strictness of school life.
Jones developed a love for blues and jazz music around this time, which introduced a
new unexplored world to him.
At 17, he picked up his first acoustic guitar.
He spent the next few years living a life as a nomadic, vagrant busker playing music
on the city streets.
In the early 60s, he moved to London, where he helped form The Rolling Stones.
He even came up with the band's name drawing inspiration from a Muddy Water's song.
Over time, however, Jones became estranged from his bandmates.
The outfit's manager Andrew Loog Oldham desired for Mick Jagger to be the face of the band
and for them to write original money-making material.
Brian, however, wanted the Stones to continue playing blues music.
After getting arrested a couple of times for possession of weed, he started giving the
band trouble.
Things got worse when the Stones toured America in 1969.
Since he wasn't able to make the tour and had already been practically outcasted from
the group, Jones was fired in June of that year.
Less than a month later, he was found dead in his swimming pool of an apparent accidental
drowning on July 3, 1969.
Can you think of any other members of the so-called 27 club who died in the 1960s?
And which one of these celebrity deaths would you say caused the biggest shock when they
happened?
Let us know in the comments.
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