0
17
35
52
70
1967
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
Tracks Released That Year
0
7
15
22
30
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
Nirvana’s LifetimeRecords Earned
6RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS
0
7
15
22
30
1968
1970
1974
1978
1972
1976
1980
1982
1984
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
The Club’s MostInfamous Members
The notion of a "27 Club" arose after the deaths of Brian Jones of the Rolling stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin,
and Jim Morrison of The Doors. Later added were Kurt Cobain of Nirvana who died in 1994 and Amy Winehouse
who died in 2011. With the exception of Joplin, there is controversy surrounding their deaths.
27 CLUB
1983–2011 Amy WinehouseCause of Death: Alcohol Poisoning
1967–1994 Kurt CobainCause of Death: Suicide (Disputed)
1943–1971 Jim MorrisonCause of Death: Heart Failure (Disputed)
Janis Joplin 1943–1970 Cause of Death: Heroin Overdose
Jimi Hendrix 1942–1970 Cause of Death: Asphixiation (Disputed)
Brian Jones founded The Rolling stones with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1962.
Jones was asked to leave the Stones in June 1969 due to erratic behavior. He drowned in his swimming pool a month later.
Brian Jones 1941–1969 Cause of Death: Drowned (Disputed)
Club Members’ Cause of Death Distribution
1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Robert JohnsonBlues Singer27y, 100d
Malcom HaleRock Guitarist27y, 166d
Jacob MillerInner Circle27y, 324d
Brian JonesRolling Stones Founder
27y, 125d
Dickie PrideRock Singer
27y, 156d
Jim MorrisonThe Doors, Poet
27y, 207d
Ron McKernanThe Grateful Dead27y, 181d
Alexander BashlachevRussian Poet, Rock Singer27y, 266d
Jean-Michel BasquiatGray, Artist27y, 234d
Rodrigo BuenoArgentine Cuarteto Singer27y, 31d
Sean Patrick McCabeInk & Dagger27y, 289d
Bryan OttosonAmerican Head Change27y, 32d
Roger Lee DurhamBloodstone27y, 163d
Linda JonesSoul Singer27y, 91d
Leslie HarveyStone and the Crows27y, 233d
"Dyke" ChristianDyke & the Blazers
27y, 273d
Jimi HendrixGuitarist, Rock Singer
27y, 295d
Janis JoplinSinger27y, 258d
Alan "Blind Owl" WilsonVocalist—Canned Heat
27y, 61d
Dave AlexanderBassist—The Stooges27y, 352d
Pete HamLeader/Guitarist—Badfinger27y, 362d
Gary ThainBassist—Uriah Heep, Keef Hartley Band27y, 207d
Kurt CobainLeader/Guitarist—Nirvana27y, 44d
Kristen PfaffBassist—Hole, Janitor Joe27y, 51d
Nat JaffeSwing Jazz Pianist27y, 216d
Jesse BelvinR&B Singer
27y, 53d
Rudy LewisVocalist—The Drifters27y, 271d
Chris BellVocalist—Big Star27y, 349d
Pete de FreitasEcho & the Bunnymen27y, 346d
Helmut KöllenBassist—Triumvirat27y, 62d
D. BoonMinutemen27y, 266d
Mia ZapataThe Gits27y, 316d
Fat PatRapper—Screwed Up Click27y, 61d
Freaky TahRapper—Lost Boyz27y, 318d
Maria Serrano Passion Fruit27y, 363d
Valentín ElizaldeMexican banda singer27y, 297d
Wallace YohnOrganist—Chase
27y, 212d
Richey EdwardsManic Street Preachers
27y, 41d
Jeremy WardMars Volta, De Facto
27y, 20d
Amy WinehouseSinger
27y, 312d
Richard TurnerTrumpet Player
27y, 12d
Year of Death (inducted)
0
10
20
30
40
1967
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
0
5
10
15
20
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
0
17
35
52
70
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
Lifetime and Posthumous Track Releases
27 Club MemberTimeline
Displays Number of 27 Year Old Musicians Who Died Each Year
Alexand
re Lev
y
UNKNOWN/DISPUTED
Nat Jaf
fe
Richey
Edward
s
MURDERED
Robert J
ohnson
Arleste
r Chri
stian
Mia Zapa
taFat
PatFre
aky Tah
Valen
tín Eli
zalde
Louis C
hauvin
HEART FAILURE/
ILLNESS
Jim M
orriso
nLin
da Jon
esDave
Alexand
er
Richard
Turner
Malcolm
Hale
FREAKACCIDENT
Brian J
ones
Leslie
Harvey
Roger L
ee Durh
am
Helmut
Köllen
Jesse
Belvin
VEHICULARACCIDENT
Wallace
Yohn
Chris B
ellAlan "B
lind Owl" W
ilson
Jacob
Miller
D. BoonPe
te de
Freita
s
Rodrigo
Bueno
Maria S
errano
Serrano
Rudy Le
wis
DRUG/ALCOHOL OVERDOSE
Dickie P
ride
Jimi H
endrix
Alan "B
lind Owl" W
ilson
Janis J
oplin
Ron "Pi
gpen"
McKern
an
Gary Thai
nJea
n-Mich
el Basq
uiat
Kristen
Pfaff
Sean Pa
trick M
cCabe
Jerem
y Mich
ael W
ard
Bryan O
ttoson
Amy Wine
house
Pete
Ham
SUICIDE
Alexand
er Bash
lachev
Kurt Coba
in
27% 5%20% 14%14% 9%11%
Trac
ks R
eleas
ed T
hat Y
ear
Trac
ks R
eleas
ed T
hat Y
ear
Trac
ks R
eleas
ed T
hat Y
ear
Tracks Released That YearTracks Released That Year
Album Back to Black earned five Grammy Awards.
The success of Nirvana’s Nevermind earned them an RIAA Diamond Certification.
Released 6 months after Cobain’s death, MTV Unplugged earned Nirvana a Grammy Award.
“Body and Soul,” a duet with Tony Bennett, was Amy’s final recording.
Posthumous ReleaseReleased During Lifetime
Dubbed The Queen of Rock and Roll as well as The Queen of Psychedelic Soul.
Released three months after her death,Pearl went quadruple platinum.
Inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Was first successful in the UK with his first single, “Hey Joe.”
Nirvana’s LifetimeRecords Earned
RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS
The Doors’ debut single "Light My Fire" was their first and most successful single.
The final 40th Anniversary re-release of The Doors’originalstudio albumswill be released on January 24, 2012
21
Janis Joplin’s LifetimeRecords Earned
RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS3
Jimi Hendrix’s LifetimeRecords Earned
RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS106
Amy’s LifetimeRecords Earned
RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS11
The Doors’ PosthumousRecords Earned
19RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS
The Doors’ LifetimeRecords Earned
11RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS
Janis Joplin’s PosthumousRecords Earned
10RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS
Jimi Hendrix’s PosthumousRecords Earned
9RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS
The Rolling Stones’Records with Jones Earned
RIAA PLATINUMCERTIFICATIONS5
Over the years there has been a curiously high frequency at which musicians die at age 27, a
Rock and Roll controversy that has brought upon the notion of The Forever 27 Club.