“27 Club”

Tragedy after tragedy has claimed the lives of many a celebrated recording artist - whether by accident or violence, each unfortunate. With so much ahead of them, so many words to be written, so many songs to be sung, lives cut too short, way too soon, have left blank pages of unwritten memory. Within every tragedy is a story. Each story unique, yet similar. Heartache, pain, depression, fill page after page often reflected in their artistry of music.  

Sometimes on rare occasion a common thread emerges...a commonality not in life but in death. Bizarre? Definitely.

Have you ever heard of the "27 Club"? I had not until yesterday when researching music history. 

"The fact that so many of the biggest and most influential talents in rock history died at the age of 27 is even more bizarre, and when you think about it, downright creepy."
The source: Ultimate Classic Rock

How many do you recognize?

From left to right...

Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison was the charismatic singer and songwriter for the 1960 rock group The Doors. On July 3, 1971, Pamela Courson (Jim Morrison's common law wife) found Morrison dead in the bathtub of their apartment, apparently of heart failure. He was only 27 years old at the time of his death.

Janis Joplin

Singer Janis Joplin rose to fame in the late 1960s and was known for her powerful, blues-inspired vocals. The singer died of an accidental overdose on October 4, 1970, at age 27. Dubbed the "first lady of rock 'n' roll," Joplin has been the subject of several books and documentaries, including Love, Janis (1992), written by sister Laura Joplin.
 

Brian Jones

In 1962, Brian Jones formed the Rolling Stones with pianist Ian Stewart, singer Mick Jagger, and Jagger's friend and guitarist Keith Richards. On June 8, 1969, following the recording of Let it Bleed, Jones was asked to leave the band. A month later, on July 3, 1969, Brian Jones was found at the bottom of his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, East Sussex, England. The death was ruled an accident. He was 27 years old.

 
Jimi Hendrix

Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, from drug-related complications. While this talented recording artist was only 27 years old at the time of his passing, Hendrix left his mark on the world of rock music and remains popular to this day. As one journalist wrote in the Berkeley Tribe, "Jimi Hendrix could get more out of an electric guitar than anyone else. He was the ultimate guitar player."

Pete Ham

Pete Ham formed the band The Panthers in the early 1960s and was the most important songwriter of the group. The band went through many name changes settling on The Iveys in 1965. Eventually, The Iveys would sign to The Beatles’ label, Apple Records. By the end of 1969, The Iveys had become Badfinger. On April 24, 1975, Ham found himself broke. Concern over his unborn child apparently led the singer and guitarist to take his own life. He was 27 years old dying just three days shy of his 28th birthday.

 

This is only some of a list of many...
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And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...