The 27 Club: A Brief History Of Celebs Who Passed Away At The Age Of 27

1. Amy Winehouse - Drug overdose

imagesource/britannicaAmy was known for being remarkably honest and open with the general public, which made her such an icon. However, when it came to her inner life, she liked to try to keep things on the down low. Like some of the greats - Jimi & Kurt - she became sick of her career and like Janis Joplin, Amy's relationship became glaringly strained towards the end. No one knows what Amy's final thoughts were, but its certain she was loved by many and always will be.

2. Kurt Cobain - Suicide

imagesource/LAtimesOne of the most famous, if not the most well-known member of '27 club', Kurt Cobain sadly killed himself at his home and was discovered by an electrician the morning after. He left a note for his wife and daughter, before shooting himself - the singer was terrified of losing his home in a lawsuit, just weeks before. "Suicidal people tend to want to make a statement," Niall Stimson said. "I just kind of felt he killed himself in his house [as if to say], "You're not going to take my house, no matter what. . .'"

3. Brian Jones - Tragic accident

imagesource/UdiscovermusicBrian Jones' death was a tragic accident to say the least with some people questioning the official version of what happened on this tragic night in 1969. Brian, like many other rock n roll stars, liked to mix alcohol and drugs, but this time as he dived into his swimming pool at his country home in England, he dived right into the arms of death.

Members of the Rolling Stones have expressed doubts. “And still the mystery of his death hasn’t been solved,” Keith Richards has said. “I don’t know what happened, but there was some nasty business going on.”

4. Jimi Hendrix - Overdose

imagesource/time.comLike many stars, Jimi Hendrix took sleeping pills. Nobody knows for sure how many pills he actually took the night of his death or whether he even knew what he was taking. But this particularly strong barbiturate was strong enough to put a man to sleep for 8 hours with just half a tablet. Jimi had swallowed at least nine that night as well as consuming a lot of alcohol.

5. Janis Joplin - Hit head head whilst on drugs

imagesource/spotifyAround the time of her death, in 1970, Janis was going through a tough time in her relationship. One night after recording her final song, Janis went back to her hotel room in Hollywood, injected a vein in her arm with heroin, went out to buy some cigarettes in the hotel lobby, before returning back to her room to get ready for bed. As she began to undress, she reached for her cigarette packet on the side of the nightstand, hit her face on the table as she fell to the floor, where she was found dead the morning after.

6. Jim Morrison - Found dead in bathtub

imagesource/billboardThe 27 club began to be researched around the time of Jim Morrisons death, who's popularity grew even more posthumously. The fact he died at 27, the same as as Brian, Jimi & Janis, reinforced the idea that he was special. But what made it an even weirder coincidence, was that his girlfriend died at the same at too.

7. Mia Zapata - Murdered

imagesource/rollingstoneLead singer of the Gits, Mia Zapata was at the time one of the most popular and influential punk female voices. But as the band prepared their sophomore release, Zapata was brutally beaten, raped and strangled to death in 1993. He murderer was not found and charged until 10 years later in 2003. In the aftermath, her friends launched Home Alive, a self defense organisation and held a series of benefit concerts to raise money.

8. Richey Edwards - Suicide

imagesource/NMEThe British guitarist went missing back in 1995 and was presumed dead in 2008. Because his car was abandoned at the Severn Bridge, it is widely believed that he committed suicide. Edwards was known to be deeply disturbed and before he went missing he took a photo of himself with the words "4 Real" carved into his arms.

9. Stretch - Shot and killed

imagesource/2paclegacyOnly one year after 2Pacs death, Stretch was gunned down. Some believe it was because Stretch robbed a drug dealer of over 10grams of drugs, which would explain the 4 bullets found in his back at the time of his death. However, others believe this was pay back for him turning on his long time best friend 2Pac right before his death the year before.

10. Jade Goody - Cancer

imagesource/digitalspyJust seven months after receiving her diagnosis, UK reality star, Jade Goody passed away from Cervical Cancer.  Following her death, millions of women around the UK attended their cervical screenings and since then numbers began to rise thanks to the 'Jade Goody effect'.

11. Anton Yelchin - Car accident

imagesource/thesaltlaketribuneActor, Anton Yelchin, did a lot of work in his 27 years on this planet, even just between the years of 2011 and 2015 and sadly, his best years had just begun when he died in a freak accident where he was squashed between a brick pillar at his home and his car.

12. Fredo Santana - Cardiovascular disease

imagesource/highnobrietyThe Chicago rapper was found dead in 2018 at his LA home. The coroner ruled that cardiovascular disease was the main cause of his death, in addition to idiopathic epilepsy. The rapper had been suffering from seizures in the months running up to his death as well as being treated for liver and kidney failure.

13. Benjamin Keogh - Suicide

imagesource/allthatsinterestingAs the grandson of Elvis Presley, Benjamin grew up around wealth and luxury. Unfortunately, that doesn't always equate to happiness and with the increasing pressure to match his grandfathers success, Benjamin began to struggle with depression. Little is known about the tragic night he died, other than it he death was caused by a gunshot wound to the head. Keogh's mother, Lisa Marie, now lives a pretty secluded life with her remaining 3 children.

14. Dave Alexander - Pulmonary Edema

imagesource/pintrestThe Stooge's bassist had a bit of a rep for being a loose canon, even before the group came together. After Iggy Pop fired him in 1970, Dave Alexander began to battle with addictions and health issues. In 1975, the ex-bassist drank so much that he developed pancreatitis and after going to hospital where his lungs filled with fluid before he died of of pulmonary edema.

15. Ron McKernan - Gastrointestinal Issues

imagesource/frankbeachamsjournalAnother singer who was taken too soon, was Ron "Pigpen" McKernan. After a difficult relationship with alcohol, Ron died at the age of 27 from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage from the years of alcohol abuse. After shooting to stardom at an early age, he was forced to take a step down from his band, The Grateful Dead, die to his worsening health. He also had a brief relationship with Janis Joplin before they both passed away.

16. Pete Ham - Suicide

imagesource/ultimateclassicrockPete Ham of Badfinger, sadly reached a point where death seemed to be the only solution. After meeting with bandmate Tom Evans in a pub near home 3 days before his 28th birthday, he told his friend "Don't worry, I know a way out". After drinking all night, Pete went home, wrote a letter expressing his disdain towards his manager then hung himself in his garage. Evans hanged himself 7 years later.

17. Chris Bell - Car crash

imagesource/wikipediaAlthough he enjoyed a colourful & successful career, Bell suffered with severe clinical depression and drug addiction and later had to work at his family's restaurant after failed attempts to re-launch his career. In the winter of 1978, Bell crashed his sports car into a pole, killing himself instantly.

18. Kristen Pfaff - Drug overdose

imagesource/rollingstoneaustraliaOne of Kurt's mourners and member of Courtney Love's band, Hole, died of a heroin overdose in the bath in her apartment in 1994. The former girlfriend of Eric Erlandson became the third member of the Seattle music community to die at the age of 27 within a year.

19. Jean-Michel Basquiant - Drug overdose

imagesource/redditAt the age of 20, Jean became an art-world celebrity, but along the way, he developed a serious drug problem. In the run up to his death, from "acute mixed drug intoxication" from opioids and cocaine, he claimed he was shooting a hundred bags of heroin per day.

20. D.Boon - Car crash

imagesource/premierguitarA few days after returning from tour, singer-guitarist, D. Boon, fell ill with a fever. After visiting his girlfriends parents in Arizona, Boon decided to lie down in the back of the bands van whilst his girlfriend drove home. On the way home, she fell asleep at the wheel and as the car flipped, the frontman flew out the back door, broke his neck and died.

21. Jonathan Brandis - Suicide

imagesource/wikipediaJonathon Brandis's suicide was a sad reflection of the too-frequent downfall of former child stars. He began his career at the age of 6 starring in Stephen King's It. As he got older, he became an instant heartthrob, receiving thousands of love letters from fans, causing levels of pandemonium. However, after his show was cancelled in 2006, he struggled to maintain his fame and career & in 2002, he was set to appear in a film alongside Colin Farrell and Bruce Willis, however, all of his scenes were cut. A year later he passed away in Ceders Sinai hospital after hanging himself in his LA apartment.

22. Jeremy Michael Ward - Drug overdose

imagesource/discopopsDespite Ward's rambunctious demeanour, like many very talented people, he suffered with drug issues for many years. Right before his death, Jeremy's band was about to release their most hotly anticipated records yet. Ward was found dead from a heroin overdose in his home in LA in May 2003.

23. Robert Johnson - Poisoned

imagesource/theNYtimesOne of Blues most celebrated and talented singers, Robert Johnson, died just 3 days after his 27th birthday. He made moves on the wife of the owner of a roadhouse where he was playing, drank from an open whiskey bottle he was given before dying from stychnine poisoning and pneumonia.

24. Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson - Drug overdose

imagesource/themusicreportKnown as the blind owl because of his terrible eyesight, Alan Wilson headed blues band Canned Heat. Unfortunately, Wilson struggled with mental illness and had previously attempted suicide not long before his performance at Woodstock 1969. Unfortunately, he succumbed to a drug overdose, becoming the first of three acclaimed musicians to die at the age of 27.

25. Gary Thain - Drug overdose

imagesource/rockhappenzGary rose to fame with New Zealand rock band Uriah Heep in Britain back in the 70s. But after losing his position in the band due to drug addiction, he later spiralled even more out of control and died in 1975 after overdosing on heroin.

26. Leslie Harvey - Electrocuted

imagesource/ultimateclassicrockFamous guitarist, Leslie Harvey, played with band Stone of Crows. Her unfortunate ending came in 1972, when she was electrocuted after touching a microphone that was not correctly earthed. She died from the injuries resulting from the accident.

27. Cecilia - Car accident

imagesource/elperedicioSpanish singer and songwriter Evangelina Sobredo Galanes, popularly known as Cecilia, was a member of music group Expresion during the 70s. However, before he career could properly take off, she died in an accident near Benavente and was buried in a cemetary near her hometown.

28. Linda Jones - Complications from Diabetes

imagesource/blackthenFamous for her soulful voice, Linda Jones sadly died of complications related to Diabetes. After doing a nationwide tour in support of her album, it is thought that she slipped into a coma or went into insulin shock while she was sleeping at her mums house.

29. Helmut Kollen - Suicide

imagesource/ultimateclassicrockOn 3 May 1977, Helmut sat in his car in his garage listening to some of the studio tracks in his car's casette player. Unfortunately, Kollen had left his car running & died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Shortly after his death, his bandmates recorded the song "We All Thought We Knew You" dedicating it to Helmuts parents.

30. Jacob Miller - Car crash

imagesource/discogsJamaican raggae musician died in 1980 along with one of his sons in a horrific car crash. He was widely known and became popular for his association with Bob Marley and the Wailer. Shortly before he passed, he had recorded the Album Mixed Up Moods, which was released just after his death.