It was the year 1969. The Hippie movement was losing its momentum, and the outbreak of the Vietnam War left the youth in a bitter unrest. This depression of spirit reached its nadir with the deaths of four of the most talented and revolutionary 27-year-old musicians of the era, the founding members of the Forever 27 Club.
It all began with Brian Jones, the guitarist and founder of the Rolling Stones. He was a talented Blues and Psychedelic Rock musician whose innovative use of instruments like the harmonica, marimba and sitar defined the unique sound of the band.
In spite of his talent and popularity, he was often described as an ‘estranged’ character who sought refuge from fame and money in alcohol and drugs.
On July 3, 1969, Jones, aged 27, was found dead in his own swimming pool. Jim Morrison wrote a poem in his memory, ‘Ode to LA While I Think of Brian Jones, Deceased’, and Jimi Hendrix dedicated a song to him on TV.
A year later, on September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix, died of asphyxiation at his girlfriend’s flat in Notting Hill, London, at the age of 27.
Named as the greatest guitarist of all time by the Rolling Stone Magazine, Hendrix created a new dimension of rock music with his technical mastery and experimental style, planting the first seeds of hard rock and heavy metal.
He was notorious character, often found in dispute with the police, caught between women, drugs and alcohol.
He is remembered for his ethereal solos in songs like ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘All Along the Watchtower’.
On October 4, 1970, only 16 days after Hendrix’s death, Janis Joplin, the Queen of Rock & Roll and Psychedelic Soul, lost her long battle with drugs and alcohol at the age of 27.
One of the few female rock stars of her era, she called herself “first hippie pinup girl”. She inspired generations of women with her powerful voice and heartfelt lyrics in songs like ‘Little Girl Blue’, ‘Piece of My Heart and ‘Kozmic Blues’.
On the 2nd death anniversary of Brian Jones, on July 3, 1971, the lead singer and creator of The Doors, the 27-year-old Jim Morrison, was found dead in the bathtub of a Paris hotel room. The cause of death was ruled as heart failure.
As a UCLA graduate and a self-published poet, he is remembered as one of the smartest yet wildest rock stars of all time. His magnetic presence onstage and sex appeal made him an icon of the 60’s. He is remembered for timeless hits like ‘Light My Fire’ and ‘People are Strange’.
Commenting on his rise to fame, Morrison once said, “I see myself as a huge fiery comet, a shooting star. Everyone stops, points up and gasps “Oh look at that!” Then- whoosh, and I’m gone...and they’ll never see anything like it ever again... and they won’t be able to forget me- ever.”
More than two decades after this chain of tragic events, Kurt Cobain, the lead singer, guitarist and song writer of Nirvana, committed suicide on April 5, 1994 at the age of 27.
Cobain was the poster boy of Grunge Rock and Generation X, who took the world by storm with hits like ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’.
Cobain’s acts of smashing guitars and creating havoc onstage contrast against his more profound musical moments in songs like ‘Come As You Are’, showing the full spectrum of his musical talents.
The music world was shocked when this harrowing pattern resurfaced last month with the tragic death of Amy Winehouse at the age of 27. She died on July 23, 2011, in London, and the cause of her death is still unexplained.
By combing genres like soul, jazz and R ‘n B, Amy Winehouse created an eclectic and fresh form of contemporary music that was embraced by fans and critics alike.
In her multi award winning album ‘Back to Black’ her musical talents and idiosyncratic style were eclipsed by her personal battles with drug and alcohol abuse, forming a deep and dark experience of music in songs like ‘Rehab’ and ‘Love is a Losing Game’.
What unites these stars is not only the media attention given to their notorious lifestyles and the enigma surrounding their untimely deaths, but also their extraordinary talents as musicians and icons of youth revolt who have left us too soon. Let us hope that the Curse of 27 has taken its final victim.
“Death makes angels of us all
and gives us wings
where we had shoulders
smooth as raven’s
claws”
Jim Morrison |
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