I have listed below just some of the more well-known musicians who died at this age, together with a brief biography and how they met their death. For a more complete list check out the 27 Club Wikipedia page. (click the link).
1. Robert Leroy Johnson (1938) - Strychnine Poisoning?
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| Robert Leroy Johnson 1911-1938 |
2. Brian Jones (1969) - Drowning
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| Brian Jones 1942-1969 |
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 to 3 July 1969) was a founder member of legendary British rock group The Rolling Stones. It was his ad in a Soho club information magazine ("Jazz News") in 1962 that was answered by Mick Jagger & his school friend Keith Richards that lead to the formation of the band. As the Stones became a worldwide phenomenom, multi-instrumenalist Jones was gradually pushed into the background by "Glimmer Twins" Jagger & Richards. Towards the end of the sixties, Jones' input into the bands recordings dimished dramatically. During this time he was also arrested twice on charges of drug possession.
The final straw came when the band wanted to organise a tour of the US to start in November 1969, whcih they would use to promote the soon to be released album "Let It Bleed". They were advised buy the authorities, in no uncertain terms, that Jones' drugs convitions meant he would never be granted a work permit for the States. So, on 8th June 1969, Jagger & Richards, together with drummer Charlie Watts visited Jones to inform him that the band he had started would now continue without him.
The next day, a public statement by Jones said that he had left as he no longer saw "eye-to-eye with the others over the discs we are cutting". His place in the Stones was taken by 20-year-old guitarist Mick Taylor who had formerly been with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers.
Less than a month later, on the evening of 2-3 July 1969, Jones was discovered motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford farm in Essex, a property formerly owned by children's author A A Milne, which Jones had purchased in November 1968.
Two days later the Stones performed a free concert in Hyde Park (it had been scheduled weeks earlier) which was to be an opportunity to show the world new guitarist, Taylor. However, Jagger dedicated the concert to Jones.
Murder conspiracies around Jones death song sprang up, in fact in 1993 Frank Thorogood, a builder who was at the farm that night, allegedly confessed on his deathbed to killing the former Rolling Stone in a drunken fight. This was also the theory which formed the basis of the 2005 movie "Stoned". However, Sussex police have insisted that there is no evidence to dispute the original coroner's verdict of death by misadventure and that they would not be reopening the case.
3. Jimi Hendrix (1970) - Asphyxiation
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| Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) |
The high point of Hendrix's career was undoubtedly his appearance at the Woodstock festival of August 1969 with his two hour set including his iconic performance of "The Star Spangled Banner", which defined the festival, and many say, the 60's as well.
His career began to wane as the 70's dawned, with his last performance being an impromptu performance with Eric Burdon's War at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho, London on 17th September 1970.
Hendrix's body was found in his girlfriend Monika Dannemann's basement flat at the Samarkand Hotel in Notting Hill. Monika called the ambulance at 11:18 nad when they arrived at 11:27 they discovered him fully clothed, and it was obvious that he had been dead for some time.
The original autopsy concluded that he had asphyxiated on his own vomit. His girlfriend told the authorities that he had taken a number of her sleeping pills the night before, and although initial reports state that there was red wine in his airway, the autopsy found very little alcohol at all.
The usual conspiracy theories have circulated since then - he was murdered as he wanted to get out of his management contract being the main one, or that he committed suicide. However, the accepted verdict is that his death was accidental.
4. Janis Joplin (1970) - Heroin Overdose
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| Janis Joplin (1943-1970) |
Less than three weeks after the world lost Jimi Hendrix, another legendary American performer died in tragic circumstances. Janis Lyn Joplin (19 January 1943 to 4 October 1970) was born in Port Arthur, Texas and first came to prominence as lead vocalist with 1960's psychedelic-acid rock band Big Brother & the Holding Company. Later on as a solo artist she was one of the highlights of both the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969.
In August 1970, she went into the studion with her band Full Tilt Boogie to record her new album. This recording would eventually see the light of day after her death as the classic album "Pearl" On the 24th August she checked into the Landmark Hotel in Los Angeles, which was near to Sunset Sound Recorders where she was rehhearsing and recording the album.
The last recordings she would make were on the 1st October 1970 - the track "Mercedes Benz" for the album as well as a version of the Dale Evans song "Happy Trails" which she intended as a birthday treat for John Lennon, who would be 30 on October 9th. Lennon would receive the recording after Joplin's death.
On the evening of 3rd October, Joplin drove back to the Landmark Hotel with band member Ken Pearson as well as a fan who had tagged along.
The following morning, producer Paul A Rothchild was concerned that Joplin hadn't shown up at the studio to finish the album. The band's road manager John Cooke drove to the Landmark Hotel where he saw Joplin's distinctive psychedelically painted Porsche 356C in the parking lot. Upon entering her room, he found her body on the floor beside her bed.
The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, the general consensus being that she had been accidentally given a more potent dose of the drug by her dealer, as a number of other users also overdosed that week.
5. Jim Morrison (1971) - Heart Failure?
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| Jim Morrison (1943-1971) |
Less than a year after Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison became the third American rock legend to join the "27 Club". James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (8 December 1943 to 3 July 1971) was born in Melbourne, Florida and was best known as leader of lyricist and lead singer of rock band "the Doors". He formed the band in 1965 with keyboardist Ray Manzarek, who was apparently impressed by his poetic lyrics, saying they were rock group material. Shortly after they were joined by drummer John Densmore and guitarisy Robby Kreiger. The name of the band came from the titel of Aldous Huxley's book "The Doors of Perception".
Morrison learned much of his stage presence from his namesake Van Morrison, whose band Them the Doors had opened for on the last week of a residency in June 1966. The band achieved overnight fame in 1967, when their single "Light My Fire" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.
Over the next year the band became bigger, but with this success Morrison, who had long been a heavy drinker, began to behave erratically - sometimes showing up for recordings inebriated, as well as being late on stage for live performances - the band would have to play instrumentals until their singer decided to show up.
Things came to a head on March 1st, 1969 during a concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Florida. Morrison attempted to start a riot in the audience, but failed. Shortly after a warrant was issued for his arrest for "indecent exposure". Consequently, a number of Doors concerts were subsequently cancelled. (In December 2010, Morrison was posthumously pardoned by Florida).
In 1971, Morrison joined his long term partner Pamela Courson in Paris, where they set up home in an apartment on Paris' Right Bank. During this period, Morrison lost some of the weight he had agined in the previous months, as well as shaving off his beard.
He was found in the bathtub of the apartment on July 3rd, 1971 by Courson. Under French law as there was no evidence of foul play, no autopsy was ever carried out, the cause of death being put down to heart failure.
Courson is alleged to have told friends later that Morrison had died by mistakenly snorting heroin, thinking it to be cocaine. Courson herself died three years later of a heroin overdose, chillingly also at the age of 27.
To this day, rumours abound that Morrison's death was faked as no-one apart from Courson and the medical examiner saw the body. For those who do believe he is no longer with us, his body is buried in Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
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| Pete Ham (1947-1975) |
Pete Ham (27 April 1947 - 24 April 1975) was best known as leader of 70's rock group Badfinger, and co-writer of classic ballad "Without You". Born in Swansea in 1947, Pete formed his first group in 1961. After several lineup and name changes, the band became The Iveys in 1965 and a year later relocated to London. After playing continuosly for a couple of years the band came to the attention of Beatles PA Mal Evans, and soon became signed to the Beales Apple record label.
With the release of their first Paul McCartney penned single "Come And Get It" in 1970, the band changed their name to Badfinger, which became a worldwide hit. This was followed in late 1970 by the Pete Ham composition "No Matter What" which equalled the first track's success. However, his most famous composition is undoubtedly "Without You" - a track taken to Number 1 in the UK by both Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey, and covered by endless others.
In 1972 the band left Apple and signed with Warner Brothers - however, this became a disasterous marriage - the band became involved in numerous financial and managerial problems and from 1973-1975 the band were unable to issue any music and did not receive any income from their music.
Three days before his 28th birthday, on the 24th April 1975, Pete Ham could take no more and hanged himself in the garage of his Surrey home. His suicide note read - "I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. P.S. Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me." (Stan Polley was Badfinger's business manager who had become more and more non-communicative with the band during the Warner years).
Ironically, his co-writer on "Without You", Tom Evans also hanged himself eight years later.
7. Kurt Cobain (1994) - Suicide
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| Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) |
Cobain formed Nirvana in Aberdeen, Washington in 1985 with bassist Krist Novoselic, and they released their debut album Bleach on a small independent label in 1989.
In 1990, the classic line up was completed when drummer Dave Grohl joined the line-up, and it was with the release of their second album "Nevermind" in 1991 that led the band to global success, especially with the lead track "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Cobain was quickly hailed as the spokesman of a generation. Personally, however, Cobain was uncomfortable with the trappings of fame, believing that his message and vision were being misinterpreted by the media and public. With the third album "In Utero" in 1993, the band went back to basics, producing a record that was truer to Cobain's vison of raw energy - so much so that rumours abounded that the record company didn't want to release it in its original state as it was such a drastic departure from "Nevermind".
For a number of years Cobain had struggled with heroin addiction and depression. Also, the constant media attention surrounding him and his wife, Hole lead singer Courtney Love did not rest easily with his tortured soul.
On March 1st during a tour stop in Germany, Cobain was diagnosed with bronchistis and severe laryngitis. Teh next day he was flown to Rome to undergo medical treatment, where he was joined by his wife. On March 4th, Love awoke to find that Cobain had overdosed on a combination of champagne and Rohypnol - he was immediately rushed to hospital where he spent five days before being released and flying back to Seattle. On March 18th, Love phoned the police and said that Cobain was suicidal and had locked himself in a room with a gun. However, when police arrived, he denied being suicidal and said that he had locked himself in to hid from his wife. Love, in turn, denied that she had said he was suicidal and had not seen him with a gun.
By the end of March, Cobain had finally agreed to join a detox program. He arrived at the Exodus Recovery centre in Los Angeles on March 30th, but the staff were unaware of his history of depression nor of his suicide attempts. He spent the day talking to councillors as well as playing with his baby daughter Frances.
The following night, after going outside for a cigarette, he jumped over a six feet wall to exit the facility, took a taxi to Los Angeles then flew back to Seattle. On the flight back he sat next to Duff McKagan of Guns 'n' Roses, whom he seemed genuinely pleased to see.
On April 2nd and 3rd he was seen at various places around Seattle, although his close friends and family had no idea of his whereabouts. On April 3rd, Love hired a private investigator to try to track her husband down and on April 7th, amid rumours that the band were to split up, the band pulled out of a scheduled appearance at that year's Lollapalozza music festival, where they were to headline.
The next day, April 8th 1994, Cobain's body was found at his Lake Washington home by an electrician who had arrived to install a security system - seeing no visible signs of trauma, the electrician initially thought that the star was sleeping until he saw the shotgun pointing at his chin. A note was found, addressed to his childhood imaginary friend "Boddah". It said that he ..."hadn't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music, along with really writing...for too many years now." A high concentration of heroin was found in his body, which had been lying there for days. The coroner's report estimated that he had died on the 5th April.
To be continued...
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