The so-called ’27 Club’ has become one of music and pop culture’s most haunting legends. Over the years, a number of talented artists and public figures died at the age of 27, creating a list that has inspired endless fascination, even though there is no proven reason why so many deaths happened at that particular age. Here are 27 celebs who became part of the ’27 Club’.
Robert Johnson (1938)
The legendary blues guitarist died in 1938 at 27. He recorded only 29 songs during his lifetime, but his playing later became hugely influential on rock musicians. His mysterious death also helped create the mythology surrounding the 27 Club.
Brian Jones (1969)
Brian Jones was a founding member of the Rolling Stones and played guitar, keyboards, harmonica and numerous other instruments. He drowned in his swimming pool in July 1969, becoming the first of the famous late-1960s and early-1970s cluster.
Jimi Hendrix (1970)
Jimi Hendrix died in London in 1970 at 27. He had transformed electric guitar playing in just a few years, becoming one of rock’s most influential musicians before his death.
Janis Joplin (1970)
Janis Joplin died from an accidental heroin overdose in October 1970. Her raspy voice and intense performances made her one of the defining singers of the psychedelic rock era.
Alan Wilson (1970)
Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson was the co-founder, guitarist and singer of Canned Heat. He died in 1970 at 27, leaving behind songs including “On the Road Again” and “Going Up the Country.”
Jim Morrison (1971)
Jim Morrison was the lead singer and primary lyricist of The Doors. He died in Paris in 1971 at 27, becoming one of the most famous figures associated with the 27 Club.
Arlester “Dyke” Christian (1971)
Arlester “Dyke” Christian founded Dyke and the Blazers and helped pioneer the hard-driving funk sound that influenced later R&B. He was shot and killed in Phoenix in 1971 at 27.
Leslie Harvey (1972)
Leslie Harvey was the guitarist for the Scottish rock band Stone the Crows. He was electrocuted onstage during a performance in Swansea, Wales, in 1972 and died at 27.
Linda Jones (1972)
Linda Jones was a New Jersey soul singer whose powerful voice earned her a devoted following. She died from complications related to diabetes in 1972, shortly after turning 27.
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (1973)
Ron “Pigpen” McKernan was a founding member of the Grateful Dead and served as one of its original vocalists and keyboardists. He died in 1973 from complications related to alcoholism.
Pete Ham (1975)
Pete Ham was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Badfinger. The band had major success with songs including “No Matter What” and “Day After Day.” Ham took his own life in 1975 at 27.
Dave Alexander (1975)
Dave Alexander was the original bassist of The Stooges alongside Iggy Pop. He died in 1975 from pulmonary edema associated with alcohol-related health problems.
Gary Thain (1975)
Gary Thain was the bassist for Uriah Heep during one of the band’s most successful periods. He died from a heroin overdose in 1975 at 27.
Cecilia (1976)
Cecilia, born Evangelina Sobredo Galanes, was one of Spain’s best-known singer-songwriters of the 1970s. She died in a car crash in 1976 while returning from a concert.
Chris Bell (1978)
Chris Bell co-founded Big Star with Alex Chilton and helped create the band’s influential power-pop sound. He died in a car crash in 1978 at 27.
Jacob Miller (1980)
Jacob Miller was the lead singer of the Jamaican reggae band Inner Circle. He died in a car crash in Kingston in 1980 at 27.
D. Boon (1985)
D. Boon was the guitarist and vocalist of the influential punk band Minutemen. He died in 1985 when the van he was riding in crashed in the Arizona desert.
Alexander Bashlachev (1988)
Alexander Bashlachev was a Russian singer-songwriter, poet and guitarist who became an important figure in Soviet rock. He died in 1988 after falling from a ninth-floor apartment window at 27.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1988)
Jean-Michel Basquiat was primarily known as a groundbreaking painter and graffiti artist rather than a musician. He also briefly played in the experimental band Gray, which is why he is sometimes included in expanded versions of the 27 Club. He died of a heroin overdose in 1988.
Pete de Freitas (1989)
Pete de Freitas was the drummer for Echo & the Bunnymen and played on albums including Ocean Rain. He died in a motorcycle crash in 1989 while returning to Liverpool.
Mia Zapata (1993)
Mia Zapata was the lead singer of the Seattle punk band The Gits. She was murdered in Seattle in 1993 at 27. Her killer was eventually identified and convicted years later.
Kurt Cobain (1994)
Kurt Cobain was the singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of Nirvana. His 1994 death made him one of the most famous members of the 27 Club and helped push the idea firmly into mainstream culture.
Kristen Pfaff (1994)
Kristen Pfaff was the bassist for Hole during the band’s breakthrough period. She died from an accidental heroin overdose in 1994, only two months before Kurt Cobain’s death.
Richey Edwards (1995)
Richey Edwards was the guitarist and lyricist for the Manic Street Preachers. He disappeared in February 1995 at 27 and was legally presumed dead in 2008, although his body has never been found.
Fat Pat (1998)
Patrick Hawkins, known as Fat Pat, was a Houston rapper and member of the Screwed Up Click. He was shot and killed in 1998 at 27.
Jonathan Brandis (2003)
Jonathan Brandis became a teenage star through films such as The NeverEnding Story II and Ladybugs before starring as Lucas Wolenczak on SeaQuest DSV. He took his own life in 2003 at 27.
Amy Winehouse (2011)
Amy Winehouse died in 2011 at 27 from alcohol poisoning. Her albums Frank and Back to Black had already made her one of the most distinctive British singers of her generation.