Club 27

A look into the intriguing deaths of famous music stars at the age of 27

"Hello candy cane children. I broke my finger, three breaks, car wreck, horrible left turn in front of me, no chance of escape, air bag, the air near my fingers, devil in my left hand, doctors say no way, lots of pain, typing with one finger, made it through year of rock n' roll death, got off with just a warning."

So went the post on the White Stripes' website by the band's frontman after he was involved in a car crash that left him with a fracture in his left hand. The accident happened on the 9th of July 2003 - the star's 28th birthday.

While Jack White has been lucky enough to live beyond his 27th year, many other musicians haven't, unwittingly becoming members of a rather exclusive group, for Club 27 is one club that very few would like to join willingly. Some of the most prolific musicians of recent times have died at the age of 27, the 'year of rock n' roll death' as Jack puts it, and Club 27 refers to this very group. To add to the intrigue, most of these deaths have been surrounded by controversy in one form or the other.

Lewis Brian Hopkin-Jones (February 28, 1942 - July 2, 1969)
The original lead guitarist, backing vocalist and one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones played many instruments on various Stones records and also worked with a myriad of other musicians including Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and the Beatles. A big influence on the '60s London fashion scene, Jones started off as the band's creative leader but because of his drug abuse ended up getting sacked from the group in June 1969.
Around a month later, he was found dead in his swimming pool, seemingly under the influence of alcohol and sedatives, even though it is believed that he had stopped most of his drug use towards the end of his life. All of the reports collected from the many people there at the time contradicted each other, and while the coroner's report stated 'death by misadventure', his girlfriend Anna Wohlin claimed that he had been murdered by Frank Thorogood, a builder they had hired for renovating their house, who had been staying with them. Thorogood is said to have confessed to the murder on his deathbed but passed away before a confession could be recorded.

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970)
American guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer, Jimi Hendrix is widely considered to be one of the best guitarists in the history of popular music, so much so that the Rolling Stone magazine has named him the number one guitarist of all time.
Hendrix was found dead in the basement apartment of the Samarkland Hotel in London after he reportedly took nine Vesperax sleeping pills. His girlfriend Monika Dannemann claimed that Hendrix had been alive when placed in the back of the ambulance, contradicting police and ambulance reports that state that he was dead when they arrived on the scene, the apartment itself empty and the front door wide open.

Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970)
Blues-influenced rock, R&B, and soul singer, Janis Joplin is best remembered for her offbeat style, lyrical themes and distinctive voice. Janis fronted the Big Brother And The Holding Company before forming various backing groups. While working as a folk singer around the mid '60s, her drug use began to increase. She was a heavy drinker throughout her career, and occasionally used heroin and other intoxicants, the very thing that would become the reason for her untimely death. She passed away due to an overdose of heroin in a Los Angeles motel room.

Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 - July 3, 1971)
Jim Morrison, the lead singer and lyricist of The Doors, shot to fame with the success of his band's self-titled debut album. Under the pressure of fame, he ended up becoming an alcoholic, and then moved to Paris in March 1971 to concentrate on his writing and to quit drinking, where he died a few months later. Conspiracy theories about his death ensued, ranging from speculations of a possible drug overdose, to the possibly of assassination by American government authorities. Some fans believed (and still do) that Morrison faked his own death in order to escape from the spotlight. The official report, however, listed the cause of death as a 'heart attack'.
After the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison is quoted to have said "I'm number three".

Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 - April 5, 1994)
The lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana, and the force behind the popularity of grunge music, Kurt Cobain struggled with the massive success of his band after the release of 'Nevermind' and felt persecuted by the media. Cobain battled with depression and pain due to a chronic stomach condition for most of his life and self-medicated by the use of heroin, ultimately becoming addicted to the drug.
His body was found on the 8th of April, 1994, three days after he is believed to have died, in a room above the garage of his Seattle home by Veca Electric employee Gary Smith who was there to install security lighting. Though Cobain is legally documented to have committed suicide with a shotgun bought for him by his best friend Dylan Carlson, the unclear circumstances surrounding his death have inspired a multitude of alternative theories. According to toxicology experts, the amount of heroin injected into his body was over three times the lethal dosage even for an addict and would have been more than enough to kill him. Other factors, like the angle of the wound, the absence of fingerprints on the gun, and the doubt over the authenticity of the last four lines on what is considered to be a suicide note, have led some to believe that his wife Courtney Love had something to do with his death.
Kurt Cobain's mother, Wendy Cobain O' Connor, while referring to her son's death at the age of 27, said the following words to a news reporter: "Now he's gone and joined that stupid club. I told him not to join that stupid club."

To this date, the reasons behind these deaths still remain uncertain. And the number 27 is perhaps nothing more than a mere coincidence. But even in the short time they were given, each of these musicians has left a lasting impact on the world of music - and that is one thing that no one can ever have any doubts about.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 14th August, 2005