The 27 Club: Coincidence or Curse?

Throughout music history, many musicians have died very young and unexpectedly. Many of these musicians die at the exact age of 27 and many are due to drug and alcohol abuse. People question if this is just a coincidence or if the age is cursed.

Robert Johnson was the first well-known musician to die at the age of 27. Johnson sang blues and played guitar in the 1930s, but his career was short-lived. He only had two recording sessions and released 29 songs before suddenly dying at 27 in 1938. Before his death, it was rumored that he sold his soul to the devil, which could’ve created the curse of the age of 27. After his death, he was recognized by the Blues Hall of Fame. 

Brian Jones, an English musician who founded the Rolling Stones, followed in the footsteps of Johnson and died at 27 in 1969 due to mixing drugs and alcohol, then diving into his swimming pool where he drowned. 

Jimi Hendrix was the next big musician to die at age 27. He died in 1970 after taking around nine sleeping tablets when only half of one could put someone to sleep for about 8 hours. Other popular musicians who died at 27 before the club became well-known were Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison. 

The 27 Club became popular after Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of Nirvana, died by suicide on Friday, April 8th, 1994. His substance abuse counselor said one of Kurt’s biggest worries was losing his house in a lawsuit which could have led to his act of suicide. People then began to notice the number of musicians who died at 27 and the club gained notoriety.  

Amy Winehouse and Anton Yelchin were the two most recent celebrities to die at the age of 27. Winehouse died in London in 2011 after she suffered from alcohol intoxication. She was well known for her song “Back to Black,” which was released in 2006. Yelchin died of traumatic asphyxia after appearing in 18 films from 2011-2015. He also was a guitar player in a band called The Hammerhands.

Whether or not you believe the curse is real, no one can deny the amount of talent lost at the age of 27 in the music industry. Who is next, or has the curse been put to a stop?