As far as musical patterns go, one of the most tragic is the fabled “27 Club.” The name refers to the striking number of famous musicians who have died at that particular age. It has become a saddening statistic to which many legends have fallen. But when did this trend begin, and who are some of the most famous examples of this eerie curse?
Robert Johnson
As music did not become a true commercial market until after World War II, Robert Johnson was not widely known during his lifetime — but his legacy has grown enormously since his death in 1938.
A poor blues musician who went from untalented to revolutionary, many of Johnson’s songs have entered the public consciousness. Often touching on the devil, religion, and deals, his music sparked a long-held urban legend about his death.
In 1938, Johnson died aged 27, with no conclusive cause given in his autopsy. This led to the belief that Johnson made a deal with the devil at a crossroads: Satan would bless him with extraordinary musical talent, in exchange for his soul later in life. On August 6th, 1938, the horned demon supposedly came to collect.
Another theory suggests Johnson was poisoned by a jealous husband after sleeping with his wife. While this more grounded explanation is plausible, the devil legend remains far more famous. Songs such as Cross Road Blues, Me and the Devil, and Hellhound on My Trail appear to reference this fateful encounter, helping the story spread for decades.
Many greats have cited Johnson’s extraordinary guitar work as a major influence, including Bob Dylan, who said:
“If I hadn’t heard the Robert Johnson record when I did, there probably would have been hundreds of lines of mine that would have been shut down.”
Robert Plant famously declared:
“Robert Johnson, to whom we all owed our existence, in some way.”
In later decades, artists such as Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, and — most notably — Eric Clapton helped introduce Johnson to new audiences. Clapton, who performed many of Johnson’s songs, called him “the most important blues singer that ever lived.”
Brian Jones
Between 1964 and 1967, the British Invasion swept across America. While The Beatles were the biggest act to emerge, rivals like The Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits, and The Hollies also made waves. None, however, had quite the edge of The Rolling Stones.
The Stones were founded by Brian Jones, who secured their first hit in 1964 with I Want to Be Your Man — a song written by Lennon and McCartney, unwittingly creating their own biggest rivals.
The band’s sound evolved rapidly. Thanks to Jones, they incorporated Indian instrumentation, with Jones playing sitar on Paint It Black, dulcimer, and marimbas. By 1967, they had worldwide acclaim and regular appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show.
But fame brought trouble. Drug accusations surrounded Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, and especially Brian Jones. His erratic behaviour and drug use saw him sidelined in the studio, and he was eventually denied a U.S. visa for touring. Jones soon quit the band.
On July 3rd, 1969, Jones was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool. The coroner ruled “death by misadventure,” noting his heart and liver were badly enlarged from substance abuse. His death marked one of the first high-profile cases to cement the idea of the 27 Club. The Stones held a tribute concert before replacing him with Mick Taylor.
Jimi Hendrix
Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in history, Jimi Hendrix revolutionised rock music in just a few short years. Inspired by blues legends like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Robert Johnson, Hendrix rose from a turbulent early life to create The Jimi Hendrix Experience with Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.
By 1968, the band had scored major hits such as Hey Joe and Purple Haze, and released a legendary cover of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower. Hendrix became a cultural icon after his fiery guitar-burning performance at the Monterey Pop Festival, and his electrifying Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock in 1969 remains one of rock’s most defining moments.
Hendrix’s life was equally defined by heavy drug and alcohol use. On September 18th, 1970, he was found unresponsive in London after taking nine sleeping tablets — 18 times the recommended dose — and choking on his own vomit. He was just 27.
Janis Joplin
Only weeks after Hendrix’s death, Janis Joplin — another icon of the psychedelic era — also joined the 27 Club.
Joplin first gained fame with Big Brother and the Holding Company, stunning audiences at Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. With her powerful blend of soul, blues, and rock, she scored hits like Piece of My Heart before embarking on a successful solo career.
Despite her talent, Joplin battled substance abuse throughout her life. On October 4th, 1970, she died of an accidental heroin overdose, possibly compounded by alcohol. She had recorded Mercedes Benz just days earlier.
Her final album, Pearl, became her most successful, featuring the posthumous number-one hit Me and Bobby McGee.
Jim Morrison
The flamboyant frontman of The Doors became one of rock’s most enduring icons. Founded in 1965 with Ray Manzarek, the band hit number one with Light My Fire and released classics like People Are Strange and Riders on the Storm.
Morrison’s rebellious image, fuelled by alcohol and controversy, made him both a star and a liability. In early 1971, he moved to Paris. On July 3rd, 1971 — exactly two years after Brian Jones’s death — he was found dead in his bathtub. No autopsy was performed, and the cause remains disputed, with theories ranging from heart failure to a heroin overdose.
Kurt Cobain
In the early 1990s, Kurt Cobain became the reluctant voice of a generation with Nirvana’s grunge-defining album Nevermind and its anthemic single Smells Like Teen Spirit. With Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, Cobain pushed grunge into the mainstream while speaking out against sexism, racism, and homophobia.
On April 8th, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle from a self-inflicted shotgun wound. His suicide note quoted Neil Young’s lyric, “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.” He had battled heroin addiction, depression, and the pressures of fame.
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse’s soulful voice and fusion of jazz, soul, and R&B made her one of the most distinctive artists of the 2000s. While her debut Frank earned critical acclaim, it was Back to Black that made her a global star, with hits like Rehab and Valerie.
Behind the success, Winehouse struggled with addiction and mental health issues, often making headlines for erratic behaviour. On July 23rd, 2011, she died of alcohol poisoning at her London home. Her blood alcohol content was more than five times the legal drink-drive limit.
The Enduring Mystery of the 27 Club
These are just some of the legendary figures who make up the 27 Club. Others include Canned Heat’s Alan Wilson, Badfinger’s Pete Ham, Manic Street Preachers’ Richey Edwards, The Grateful Dead’s Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and Stone the Crows’ Leslie Harvey.
While the causes vary — from overdoses to accidents — the legacy of the 27 Club looms large over music history. It remains both a tragic coincidence and a cautionary tale about the pressures of fame, the dangers of addiction, and the fragility of life at its creative peak.
