Dublin: 3 °C Wednesday 5 February, 2025
Advertisement
Trending:

Tags

See other tags

Tags

Gallery: The strange phenomenon of the '27 Club'

Amy Winehouse passed away aged 27 – the latest in a line of influential musicians to do so. But who are the club’s other members?

Jul 25th 2011, 10:49 AM 1,772 Views 17 Comments
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire/Press Association Images

THE DEATH OF Amy Winehouse on Saturday made her the latest member of a dark club: influential musicians who died at the age of 27.

The club’s existence was first suggested after the deaths of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Doors vocalist Jim Morrison and Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, who all passed away between 1969 and 1971. But its macabre membership extends much further, from early blues musician Robert Johnson to rapper and Tupac collaborator Stretch. There’s even been a book about it.

Here TheJournal.ie looks at some of the other esteemed members:

Gallery: The strange phenomenon of the '27 Club'
1 / 10

  • The 27 Club

    Robert Johnson, pioneering blues guitarist: Suspected strychnine poisoning, 1938. (AP Photo/Justin M. Norton)

  • The 27 Club

    Brian Jones: Drowned in swimming pool, 1969. (Barratts/EMPICS)

  • The 27 Club

    Janis Joplin: Probable heroin overdose, 1970. (AP Photo)

  • The 27 Club

    Jimi Hendrix: Choked on vomit, 1970. (Barratts/EMPICS)

  • The 27 Club

    Jim Morrison: heart failure, 1971 (Topham)

  • The 27 Club

    Alan 'Blind Owl' Wilson of Canned Heat: barbiturate overdose, 1970. (via brizzle born and bred on Flickr)

  • The 27 Club

    Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan of the Grateful Dead (far left): Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism, 1973. (AP Photo)

  • The 27 Club

    Kurt Cobain: suicide, 1994 (Mark J Terrill/AP)

  • The 27 Club

    Richey James Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers: missing since 1995 and officially presumed dead. (Nick Tansley/EMPICS)

  • The 27 Club

    Amy Winehouse: cause of death not yet confirmed. (Yui Mok/PA Wire)
  • Robert Johnson, pioneering blues guitarist: Suspected strychnine poisoning, 1938. (AP Photo/Justin M. Norton)
  • Brian Jones: Drowned in swimming pool, 1969. (Barratts/EMPICS)
  • Janis Joplin: Probable heroin overdose, 1970. (AP Photo)
  • Jimi Hendrix: Choked on vomit, 1970. (Barratts/EMPICS)
  • Jim Morrison: heart failure, 1971 (Topham)
  • Alan 'Blind Owl' Wilson of Canned Heat: barbiturate overdose, 1970. (via brizzle born and bred on Flickr)
  • Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan of the Grateful Dead (far left): Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism, 1973. (AP Photo)
  • Kurt Cobain: suicide, 1994 (Mark J Terrill/AP)
  • Richey James Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers: missing since 1995 and officially presumed dead. (Nick Tansley/EMPICS)
  • Amy Winehouse: cause of death not yet confirmed. (Yui Mok/PA Wire)

About the author:

About the author
Michael Freeman
@michfreeman
michael@thejournal.ie

Contribute to this story:

Send a Correction

Read next:

COMMENTS (17)

    ∞

    About Us

    Follow Us

    Corrections

    Policies

    Content copyright © Journal Media Ltd. 2025 Registered in Dublin, registration number: 483623. Registered office: 3rd floor, Latin Hall, Golden Lane, Dublin 8.

    TheJournal.ie supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie
     

    Please note that TheJournal.ie uses cookies to improve your experience and to provide services and advertising. For more information on cookies please refer to our cookies policy.

    News images provided by Press Association and Photocall Ireland unless otherwise stated. Irish sport images provided by Inpho Photography unless otherwise stated. Wire service provided by Associated Press.

    Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for user created content, posts, comments, submissions or preferences. Users are reminded that they are fully responsible for their own created content and their own posts, comments and submissions and fully and effectively warrant and indemnify Journal Media in relation to such content and their ability to make such content, posts, comments and submissions available. Journal Media does not control and is not responsible for the content of external websites.

    Switch to Mobile Site

    Sites: TheJournal.ie | Noteworthy | The 42 | Boards.ie | Adverts.ie | Daft.ie