You've probably heard of the “27 Club” at some point in your life, but what exactly is this tragic cultural phenomenon?
The 27 Club is an unofficial list made up of notable people, many of whom were musicians, who died at the age of 27. The name was first coined after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 and has since become a staple of pop culture.
Before Cobain, rock fans had already begun to notice a pattern of their favorite artists dying at the age of 27, but the death of Nirvana's lead singer brought major attention to the phenomenon.
The list has since evolved to include notable names from across the entertainment industry, from actors to artists and every performer in between.
Which celebrities are members of the 27 Club?
The 27 Club is unofficial, meaning there are no official members. Still, below are some of the most famous names to have joined this spooky club, and their causes of death.
Robert Johnson
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0Robert Johnson's gravestone.
Some of the 27 Club records are quite old, but the majority start with blues singer and musician Robert Johnson. His singing ability, guitar prowess, and songwriting talent earned Johnson recognition as a blues giant, but his career only lasted seven months.
Johnson died of unknown causes on August 16, 1938. His death certificate, obtained 30 years later, did not list a cause of death, and no formal autopsy was ever performed.
Rudy Lewis
Public domainRudy Lewis was the lead singer of the Drifters.
Rudy Lewis, a posthumous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, was the lead singer for the Drifters and died on May 21, 1964. Like Johnson, no autopsy was performed.
Authorities determined his death was likely the result of a drug overdose after he was found dead in a Harlem hotel room after the Drifters were scheduled to record one of their songs, “Under the Boardwalk.”
Brian Jones
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0Brian Jones in the locker room at Georgia Southern University.
Brian Jones, founder and original leader of the Rolling Stones, was the first major fatality from the 27 Club, and rock and roll fans began to notice a pattern.
Jones was found dead at the bottom of the swimming pool at his Cotchford Farm home around midnight on 3 July 1969. The official cause of death was drowning, but a coroner's report later stated it was “accidental death”.
Jimi Hendrix
Public domainJimi Hendrix Experience promotional photo.
A year later, influential electric rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix died on September 18, 1970, bringing to an end a four-year mainstream career.
Hendrix was found unconscious by his then-girlfriend Monica Dannemann and died of drug and alcohol abuse, with an autopsy determining that he had choked on his own vomit due to barbiturate poisoning.
Janis Joplin
Public domainPublicity photo from a photo shoot with Janis Joplin.
Hailed as one of the greatest rock singers of all time, Janis Joplin died that same year on October 4, 1970, from a heroin overdose and possibly alcohol.
However, Joplin's close friend Peggy Caserta believed the American singer and songwriter died from head injuries after falling and hitting her face on a table, although Caserta acknowledged that intoxication may have played a role in Joplin's death.
Jim Morrison
Public domainPublicity photo of James Morrison.
A year later, on July 3, 1971, Jim Morrison died suddenly in his Paris apartment. The Doors' lead singer and primary lyricist was found dead in his bathtub by his girlfriend, Pamela Corson.
The official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but no autopsy was performed, and some suspect drug and alcohol abuse may have been involved; Coulson died of a heroin overdose three years later, also at age 27.
Ron McKernan
Public domainRon “Pigpen” McKernan in 1968.
McKernan, known by his stage name “Pigpen”, was a founding member, keyboardist and singer of the Grateful Dead. He struggled with alcoholism from a young age and suffered from many health problems, including cirrhosis of the liver and ulcers.
McKernan died of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage on March 8, 1973. He was not found until approximately two days later when he was discovered by his homeowner at his Corte Madera, California home.
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Creative Commons Zero, Public DomainJean-Michel Basquiat graffiti by Aimé Freethinker.
American graphic artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, a member of the Neo-Expressionist movement, became an art world celebrity in the late 1970s. His paintings were exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, but the young artist also fell victim to drug addiction.
As a result, Basquiat died on August 12, 1988, after being found unconscious in his home on Great Jones Street in Manhattan. The cause of Basquiat's death was determined to be a heroin overdose.
Mia Zapata
Mia Zapata, lead singer of the Gits, was the first murder victim to appear on this list after she was beaten, raped, and strangled on her way home on July 7, 1993. $70,000 was raised to solve her murder, but for years, Zapata seemed unlikely to get justice.
Then, in 2003, advances in DNA technology led to the arrest of Florida fisherman Jesus Mesquia. Mesquia had a history of violence against women, and saliva found in bite marks on Zapata's body linked him to her murder. He was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to 37 years in prison until his death in 2021.
Kurt Cobain
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic perform live at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.
Kurt Cobain, founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Nirvana, shocked the world when he committed suicide on April 5, 1994. His body was discovered by an electrician on April 8, following an intervention regarding Cobain's drug use a month earlier.
Despite disputes over the circumstances, Cobain's death is recorded as a suicide: he took his own life with a shotgun blast to the head, leaving behind a letter revealing his state of mind.
Jonathan Brandis
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0Jonathan Brandis at the Ventura Diner in Los Angeles.
Jonathan Brandis was a former child actor best known for his roles in the 1990 miniseries based on Stephen King's “IT” and the hit 1993 series “SeaQuest DSV.”
Struggling to maintain her career thereafter, Brandis committed suicide in her Los Angeles apartment after her role in the 2002 war drama Hart's War was drastically cut short. She later died at Cedars-Sinai Hospital on November 12, 2003.
Amy Winehouse
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0Amy Winehouse sings at the Virgin Festival.
Amy Winehouse, the British R&B and soul singer and powerhouse vocalist, passed away on July 23, 2011 after a long and well-publicized struggle with drug and alcohol abuse.
Her bodyguard found her unconscious in bed, and the coroner ruled her “sudden and unexpected death” as due to alcohol poisoning.
Anton Yelchin
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0Anton Yelchin at the North American premiere of Only Lovers Left Alive.
Actor Anton Yelchin is best known for playing Lt. Pavel Chekov in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek, and continued to have an active career until his death.
On June 18, 2016, friends discovered Yelchin fatally injured in a freak accident in which his car reversed and pinned him against a brick pillar. The cause of death was listed as “blunt force trauma asphyxiation.”
Kim Jung Hyun
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0Kim Junghyun performing at SMTown Week.
Kim Jung-hyun, known as Jonghyun, was the lead vocalist for South Korean boy band SHINee for nine years. He committed suicide on Dec. 18, 2017, after spending two days in a rented apartment in southeastern Seoul and sending worrying messages to his sister.
No autopsy was performed, but investigators believe he died from inhaling toxic fumes or smoke.
Chance Perdomo
Prime VideoChance Perdomo plays Andre Anderson in “Gen V.”
Most recently, actor Chance Perdomo, who became famous for his roles in the hit TV series “Gen V” and “The Dark Adventures of Sabrina,” died in a motorcycle accident in March of this year.
Producers of The Boys spinoff later revealed that he would not be reprising his role on the show.
