The 27 Club: Musicians Dead At 27

Although people all over the world die at all ages, one fact that cannot be ignored is the amount of celebrity deaths at the age of 27. Which is why, it got the name ‘The 27 Club’. Scores of famous singers, songwriters, and musicians’ lives ended at the young age of 27, when they could have been in our midst for some many decades more and would have continue to give us the wonderful music that they were famous for.

Most of the famous musicians who died at 27 led a rock and roll kinda lifestyle. A scary thing to note is that, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, as a kid, even joked about how he would love to be a part of this elite club 27. And barring a couple of deaths, most other celebrity deaths have been shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, let’s have a look at the list of singers and musicians that died at 27.

Famous People Who Died at 27 from the Music Industry

Celebrity Name Died Cause of Death Famous For Life Span
Louis Chauvin March 26, 1908 Neurosphilitic sclerosis Ragtime musician 27 years, 13 days
Jeremy Ward May 25, 2003 Heroin overdose Sound for The Mars and De Facto 27 years, 20 days
Rodrigo Bueno June 24, 2000 Car accident Argentinean singer 27 years, 31 days
Bryan Ottoson April 19, 2005 Prescription drug overdose American Head Charge guitarist 27 years, 32 days
Kurt Cobain April 5, 1994 Suicide Founding member, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Nirvana 27 years, 44 days
Robert Johnson August 16, 1938 Strychnine poisoning Blues singer and musician 27 years, 100 days
Jesse Belvin February 6, 1960 Car accident R&B singer, pianist and songwriter 27 years, 53 days
Jesse Belvin February 6, 1960 Car accident R&B singer, pianist and songwriter 27 years, 53 days
Robert Johnson August 16, 1938 Strychnine poisoning Blues singer and musician 27 years, 100 days
Brian Jones July 3, 1969 Drowned Rolling Stones founder, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist 27 years, 125 days
Jimi Hendrix September 18, 1970 Asphyxiation Electric guitarist, singer and songwriter for The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys 27 years, 295 days
Janis Joplin October 4, 1970 Heroin overdose Lead vocalist and songwriter for Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Kozmic Blues Band and Full Tilt Boogie Band 27 years, 258 days
Jim Morrison July 3, 1971 Heart failure Lead singer, lyricist and video director for The Doors 27 years, 207 days
Amy Winehouse July 23, 2011 Unexplained Singer & songwriter 27 years, 312 days
Alexandre Levy January 17, 1892 Unknown Composer, pianist and conductor 27 years, 98 days
Nat Jaffe August 5, 1945 High blood pressure Swing jazz pianist 27 years, 216 days
Rudy Lewis May 20, 1964 Drug overdose Vocalist of The Drifters 27 years, 271
Malcolm Hale October 31, 1968 Carbon monoxide poisoning Lead guitarist of Spanky and Our Gang 27 years, 166 days
Dickie Pride March 26, 1969 Overdose of sleeping pills Rock and roll singer 27 years, 156 days
Alexandra July 31, 1969 Car accident Singer 27 years, 73 days
Alan Wilson September 3, 1970 Barbiturate overdose Lead singer and primary composer of Canned Heat 27 years, 61 days
Arlester Christian March 13, 1971 Murdered Frontman, vocalist and bassist of Dyke & the Blazers 27 years, 273 days
Linda Jones March 14, 1972 Complications from diabetes Soul singer 27 years, 91 days
Leslie Harvey May 3, 1972 Electrocution Guitarist for Stone the Crows 27 years, 233 days
Ron McKernan March 8, 1973 Gastrointestinal hemorrhage associated with alcoholism Founding member, keyboardist and singer of the Grateful Dead 27 years, 181 days
Roger Lee Durham July 27, 1973 Horse riding fall Singer and percussionist of Bloodstone 27 years, 163 days
Wallace Yohn August 12, 1974 Plane crash Organ player of Chase 27 years, 212 days
Dave Alexander February 10, 1975 Pulmonary edema Bassist for the Stooges 27 years, 252 days
Pete Ham April 24, 1975 Suicide Keyboardist and guitarist 27 years, 362 days
Gary Thain December 8, 1975 Drug overdose Bassist of Uriah Heep and The Keef Hartley Band 27 years, 207 days
Cecilia August 2, 1976 Car accident Spanish singer 27 years, 296 days
Helmut Köllen May 3, 1977 Carbon monoxide poisoning Bassist of Triumvirat 27 years, 62 days
Chris Bell December 27, 1978 Car accident Singer-songwriter and guitarist of Big Star 27 years, 349 days
Jacob Miller March 23, 1980 Car accident Lead singer for Inner Circle 27 years, 324 days
D. Boon December 22, 1985 Car accident Guitarist, lead singer of Minutemen 27 years, 266 days
Alexander Bashlachev February 17, 1988 Suicide Russian poet, rock musician and songwriter 27 years, 266 days
Jean-Michel Basquiat August 12, 1988 Speedball overdose Painter and graffiti artist; formed the band Gray 27 years, 234 days
Pete de Freitas June 14, 1989 Motorcycle accident Drummer for Echo & the Bunnymen 27 years, 346 days
Mia Zapata July 7, 1993 Murdered Lead singer of The Gits 27 years, 316 days
Kristen Pfaff June 16, 1994 Heroin overdose Bass guitarist for Hole and Janitor 27 years, 51 days
Stretch November 30, 1995 Murdered Rapper 27 years, 101 days
Fat Pat February 3, 1998 Murdered Rapper and member of Screwed Up Click 27 years, 61 days
Freaky Tah March 28, 1999 Murdered Rapper and member of Lost Boyz 27 years, 318 days
Sean Patrick McCabe August 28, 2000 Asphyxiation Lead singer of Ink & Dagger 27 years, 289 days
Maria Serrano November 24, 2001 Plane crash Background singer for Passion Fruit 27 years, 363 days
Valentín Elizalde November 26, 2006 Murdered Mexican banda singer 27 years, 297 days
Damien Morris December 19, 2007 Tour bus crash Vocalist and member of The Red Shore 27 years, 211 days
Orish Grinstead April 20, 2008 Kidney failure Founding member of the R&B group 702 27 years, 323 days
Lily Tembo September 14, 2009 Severe gastritis Zambian musician 27 years, 298 days
John Garrighan January 30, 2011 Heroin overdose Guitarist and vocalist for The Berlin Project 27 years, 304 days


Isn’t it so sadly amazing at the number of famous singers and musicians who have died at the young and promising age of 27!!! There surely must be some jinx with this number and the music industry. Dead at 27 and the 27 Club seems to have gotten so popular with the numbers that have piled on over the years. Now, all we can hope for is that there is no more additions to this list, and all our dear musicians go on to live a long and happy life, and keep churning out that mesmerizing music for us.

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