The 27 Club - Lest We Forget

It’s better to burn out, than to fade away … my my hey hey – Neil Young

Ain’t it fun, when you know that you’re gonna die young – Stiv Bators, The Dead Boys

Yep, we all know the expression ‘live fast, die young, leave a pretty corpse’. Rock n’ roll is littered with casualties who embodied this aphorism, dying young by their own hand, at the hands of others, of booze, or drugs or even the odd bizarre gardening accident (Jeff Pocaro of Toto – we’re looking at you…)

Amongst all these pretty young corpses, it seems as society we’re most fascinated by what Kurt Cobain’s Mum called ‘The Stupid Club’, those who died at 27 – many appearing to be at the peak of their creative powers and with their stars shining most brightly.

These rock stars seem to retain their allure years, if not decades, after they die. They appear on t-shirts, posters, in fashion campaigns, in artwork, they get name checked in songs and books and the media feeds voraciously on them. Yep, they’re forever young.

Janice Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970)

– A notorious party animal, the Big Brother & the Holding Company singer and solo performer died of heroin overdose in a Los Angeles hotel in October 1970.

Check Out – Janice joplin – Piece of my heart

Brian Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969)

– a legendary party animal and ladies man, he’d been kicked out of the Rolling Stones a few months prior to being found at the bottom of the swimming pool at his farm in East Sussex. Rumours that he met with foul play have been circulating for years.

Check Out – Brian Jones – She’s a rainbow

Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970)

– One of the greatest guitar players and performers of all time was found dead in mysterious circumstances in a London hotel room, it is believed he choked on his own vomit after consuming copious amounts of prescription pills and red wine.

Check Out – Jimi Hendrix – Little wing

Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971)

– The American Poet, Jim Morrison was found dead in the bathtub in his Paris apartment by his girlfriend Pamela Courson, supposedly dying of a heroin overdose. He’d apparently snorted the white stuff thinking it was cocaine. Because no autopsy was performed questions continue to be raised over his cause of death.

Check Out – Jim Morrison – Peace Frog

Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994)

– Blew his brains out in the garage of his Seattle home in April 1994, his is one of the most analysed suicides of all time. Cobain quoted Neil Young’s Hey Hey My My in his suicide note.

Check Out – Kurt Cobain – On a Plain

Robert Johnson (May 8, 1911–August 16, 1938)

– The original bluesman and rock star, Johnson was also renowned for his boozing and womanising. He is believed to have been poisoned by a rival in Greenwood Mississippi in 1938.

Check Out – Robert Johnson – Sweet home Chicago

Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson (July 4, 1943 – September 3, 1970)

– The Canned Heat drummer died in September 1970 of a heroin overdose in Topanga Canyon on the outskirts of Los Angeles.

Check Out – Alan “blind owl” Wilson – Going up the Country

Peter Ham (27 April 1947 – 24 April 1975)

– The Badfinger singer, apparently depressed at the path his career was taking and unhappy with his manager, hanged himself in April 1975.

Check Out – Peter Ham (badfinger) – Without You

Dave Alexander (June 3, 1947 – February 10, 1975)

– The Stooges guitarist had been kicked out of the band five years earlier for turning up to a festival too drunk to play. He was found dead with fluid on the lungs, linked to his excessive drinking.

Check Out – Dave Alexander – The Stooges

Richey Edwards (born 22 December 1967, presumed deceased on or after 1 February 1995)

– The Manic Street Preachers rhythm guitarist and lyricist checked out of a London hotel room on 1st February 1995 and has never been seen again. Police found his car in a carpark near a notorious suicide spot.

Check Out – Richey Edwards – The Manic Street Preachers