The “27 Club” - Hendrix ReVisited

The Hendrix ReVisited tribute band is first and foremost dedicated to recreating the music and vibe of Jimi Hendrix and the Jimi Hendrix Experience!

However we also fascinated by the mystical and almost cult-like interest in rock and roll’s infamous “27 Club.” While many Hendrix ReVisited shows are dedicated purely to the music of Jimi Hendrix, our other shows add in the music of many of the “27 clubbers” listed below. This concept allows us to create a unique and exciting stage show like none other!

Rock ‘n’ roll is an art form that some have tried to link to the supernatural and even the occult. The blues and (later) rock music have often been portrayed as the “devil’s music” for its bad influence on the young in terms of inciting rebelliousness and promoting raw sexuality. Not just musicians, but many artists in other creative fields have died way too soon. Over time, an uncanny list formed of rock musicians that died at the tender age of twenty- seven. It is mere statistical coincidence or is the infamous “27 Club” something more? The first membership to the club can be traced back to Delta blues great, Robert Johnson, whom the legend stated “made a deal with the devil.” His genius helped spark the rock ‘n’ roll spirit of many great British blues-rock guitarists from; Keith Richards to Eric Clapton to Jimmy Page and even another member of the “27 Club,” ex-Rolling Stone Brian Jones.

The “27 Club” Prominent Members (partial list):

#1 Robert Johnson – Died 1938, poison (strychnine) – 27 years, 100 days

#2 Brian Jones – Died 1969, drowned – 27 years, 125 days

#3 Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson – Died 1970, Drug OD – 27 years, 61 days

#4 Janis Joplin – Died 1970, Drug OD – 27 years, 285 days

#5 Jimi Hendrix – Died 1970, Asphyxiation – 27 years, 295 days

#6 Jim Morrison – Died 1971, Heart Failure – 27 years, 207 days

#7 Ron “Pigpen” McKernan – Died 1973, Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage – 27 years, 181 days

#8 Pete Ham – Died 1975, Suicide – 27 years, 362 days

#9 Kurt Cobain – Died 1994, Suicide – 27 years, 316 days

#10 Amy Winehouse – Died 2011, Alcohol poisoning -27 Years, 312 days

Neil Young wrote, “It’s better to burn out than fade away.” That line was found in the suicide note left behind by Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. Some musician’s in the “27 Club” died from health issues that took their lives. But most often, it was drugs and alcohol. The real cause of many of these deaths came from the pressures of too much fame, too much pressure to repeat earlier success, overly demanding tour and travel schedules, and too much money; all way too soon. Even the type of person drawn to the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle has played a factor. Young creative artists tend to be emotional, rebellious, and inexperienced and confronted with sudden changes in their lifestyles. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, musicians in their twenties and thirties were two to three times more likely to die prematurely than the general British population.

The deaths of many of the prominent musicians on this list have been sudden, controversial, and mysterious. For example, Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool only weeks after being ousted by the Rolling Stones. Jim Morrison was found dead in a Paris, France bathtub, with details never made publicly clear. Janis Joplin died before she had the chance to really define her post-San Francisco psychedelic Big Brother legacy. Her tortured past put her on a path of self-destruction even though she had obtained superstar status. The speculation over the death of Kurt Cobain continues, and even now, the Seattle Police get inquires to reopen his case.

Mere statistical coincidence or fate or conspiracy, the “27 Club” may be rock’s greatest mystery. The tragedy is that everyone on this list was taken way too soon. That has been a great loss for rock music itself. ____________________________________

Excerpt from textbook Rock History-The Musician’s Perspective by Dr. Rob Brosh