Infamous at 27

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Amy Winehouse would have turned 40 last Thursday Sept 14.

The late jazz / blues chanteuse, who took the music world by storm with the release of her wonderful second album Back To Black in 2006, was the last tragic figure to join the infamous 27 Club. But of course, she wasn't the first.

Unless you have been living in a musical vacuum, you would probably know of other superstars who went to that great gig in the sky at just 27 years of age.

Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Doors front-man Jim Morrison and the original founder of the Rolling Stones, Brian Jones, all went far too early between 1969 and 1971. 'Death by misadventure' may have been what the coroner's report said in most cases, with drugs, alcohol or substance abuse the likely cause, direct or indirectly, as was the case with Jones who drowned in his own swimming pool.

At the time, the idea of the 27 Club had not yet been coined as such. It wasn't until Nirvana front-man Kurt Cobain tragically took his own life in 1994 that the urban myth gained popular appeal. The advance of the internet may have had something to do with that.

What some may not know is that the myth can be traced all the way back to one of the most influential bluesmen of all time. Robert Johnson was allegedly poisoned by a jealous husband at the age of 27 back in 1938.

Although he was a major source of inspiration for blues and rock icons such as Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Robert Plant, much of Johnson's life remains the stuff of legend.

One story has it that Johnson sold his soul to the Devil down at the crossroads in exchange for his musical gifts.

Music biographer Peter Guralnick wrote a terrific little book called 'Searching For Robert Johnson' examining this very idea. Great read, even if you're not into the blues.

And so, you could easily argue that Robert Johnson was the first member of the so-called 27 Club. But does it matter? Not really. It's just a number. And there is no statistical evidence to suggest that rock stars are more likely to die at that particular age.

What makes better sense is that some rock stars (and celebrities in general), are more likely to leave us at a younger age than your average Joe, simply because of the heady lifestyles they tend to lead. If you are surrounded by the excesses of a rock-star life 'day-in, day-out', it may bring you undone earlier than it would if you were an accountant, a bricklayer or a hairdresser. Or it may not. Keith Richards and Willie Nelson are living proof of the latter :-)

When Amy lost her own personal battle with substance abuse and mental health issues on July 23, 2011, interest in the infamous 27 Club surged once more. And there's little doubt that it will again, when the next troubled celebrity takes up membership, intentionally or not.

Until then we can be thankful for the musical legacy that the 27 Club, myth, legend or unhappy accident, leaves behind.

Rock on Janis, Jimi, Jim, Kurt, Amy, Brian & Robert

To win a R250 Voucher from Yesteryear answer the following questions:

1) according to Yesteryear's Blog, who could be considered the 1st unofficial member of the infamous 27 Club?

2) who is your favourite artist of this brilliant but tragic group?

Winner announced on Yesteryear's social media Fri Sept 22.

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