So many entertainers have passed away just
three years' shy of 30 that there's even a
name for it: the 27 Club.
While studies have shown that there's no increased
statistical likelihood for celebrities to
depart at a particular age, the morbid idea
of the 27 Club persists.
With high-profile examples like Kurt Cobain,
Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse, and Anton Yelchin,
it's not hard to understand why.
Here are some other notable entertainers who
left us at the age of 27.
Fredo Santana
Derrick "Fredo Santana" Coleman was a rising
star in Chicago hip-hop, thanks to his successful
2013 debut album Trappin' Ain't Dead, several
acclaimed mixtapes, and his hit single "Pass
Me My Double Cup."
Unfortunately, his success and life were short-lived,
as he passed away on January 19th, 2018.
Santana performed a kind of hip-hop called
"drill," a gritty reboot of trap music.
But away from the studio and stage, he was
battling an all-too-familiar demon: drugs.
Specifically, he was addicted to lean, also
known as "purple drank," also known as cough
syrup chugged at dangerously high levels,
which led to major health issues.
In October 2017, he checked into the hospital
for kidney and liver failure.
Three months later, he had passed on.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
One of the founding members of the Grateful
Dead, the guy everyone called "Pigpen" sang
and also played organ and harmonica for the
iconic group.
He worked hard to establish the band as a
pioneer in jug- and blues-based rock, even
before they were officially known as The Dead.
Unfortunately for him, the other members didn't
share that vision for very long.
The group got heavily into LSD and began recording
more psychedelic music.
This left "Pigpen," a hard-drinking blues
man who didn't care for trippy drugs, out
in the cold.
By 1970, McKernan's drinking had begun to
hurt him so much, he had to quit touring.
He couldn't stay away for long, though, as
he returned the next year.
But by June 1972, he was completely done with
both touring and the band.
On March 8th, 1973, he suffered a fatal internal
hemorrhage.
Though he didn't last long with the Grateful
Dead, the band never would've taken off without
him.
Linda Jones
Had Linda Jones lived longer, she might have
become one of the most famous soul singers
of all time.
In 1967, she hit the big time with the song
"Hypnotized."
She was on her way to becoming a star along
the lines of Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick,
only fiercer.
Jones, a diabetic, was at her mom's house
on March 14th, 1972, following an afternoon
performance at the Apollo Theater.
She asked her mom to wake her up from a nap
in time for her evening show.
But instead, she found her daughter the victim
of a diabetic coma.
It wasn't the most soulful way to go, but
a sadly realistic one.
Mia Zapata
Seattle grunge-punk band The Gits were really
coming into their own during the Age of Nirvana.
But then, catastrophe struck.
On July 7th, 1993, lead singer Mia Zapata
was attacked by a man named Jesus Mezquia,
who beat her, violated her, and then strangled
her.
He evaded capture for over a decade until
DNA on her body linked him to the crime.
Creepily enough, a song that Zapata wrote
for the Gits' second album, released after
her passing, all but foretold what would happen.
Titled "Sign of the Crab," it included lines
about cutting up a human body and leaving
parts of it across a town, and a killer escaping
justice.
Powerful songwriting, but not at all the kind
of thing anyone wanted to come true.
Joseph Merrick "The Elephant Man"
Joseph Merrick wasn't exactly an entertainer
by choice.
As creatively depicted in the film The Elephant
Man, he suffered from extreme physical deformities
and was unable to find steady work until he
realized that his curse was the only way he
could make a legitimate income.
And yes, his name was Joseph, even though
in the movie they changed his name to John
for some reason.
He joined the freak show circuit as "The Elephant
Man," charging people to gawk at his enlarged
head, trunk-like forehead growth, and overgrown
right arm.
But eventually England outlawed his act, and
his manager stole his money.
At that point, Merrick had little choice but
to remain in a hospital for the rest of his
days.
On April 11th, 1890, Merrick passed away in
his sleep.
Due to the extreme weight of his head, he
was unable to sleep lying down, so he instead
did so while sitting up.
That night, however, he attempted to sleep
like other people, crushing his own windpipe
as a result.
Robert Johnson
If you're into the blues, classic rock, or
just music in general, you owe a debt to Robert
Johnson.
The man defined Chicago and delta blues, despite
only recording a handful of tunes.
But when those tunes include "Sweet Home Chicago,"
"Crossroads," and "Love In Vain," you've already
written more than enough to ensure your artistic
immortality.
Johnson's passing at the age of 27, like Johnson
himself, is shrouded in mystery and rumor.
We know he passed away on August 16th, 1938,
but we don't know how.
Some say he succumbed to syphilis.
Some say he had a tissue disorder called Marfan
syndrome.
Others insist he was poisoned by a lover's
jealous boyfriend, and still others say his
own girlfriend poisoned him.
Pete Ham
Badfinger's Pete Ham is a tragic example of
how the music industry can destroy lives.
The band itself was poised to be the next
Beatles, even getting signed to the Lads from
Liverpool's label, Apple Records.
Ham was the smiling face of Badfinger, a fine
guitarist with limitless potential.
But then, the very business that was poised
to make him huge completely betrayed him.
Badfinger found financial representation in
New York businessman Stan Polley, who netted
them a six-figure contract with Warner Records
in 1974.
But he would only give them a thousand dollars
per month allowance, claiming the rest was
being saved and invested.
In reality, Polley was stealing from them.
This destroyed the band, especially Ham.
Financially and emotionally broken, and with
a child on the way, he was desperate.
On the morning of April 24th, 1975, after
drinking ten scotches the night before, he
hanged himself in his garage.
Jonghyun
South Korean music superstar Kim Jong-hyun
simply known as Jonghyun to his fans was a
singer for the pop band SHINee before branching
off into a solo career.
His 2016 debut album She Is had topped the
charts, and he had another album in the works.
That all changed on December 18th, 2017, when
he was found unconscious in his Seoul apartment.
By all accounts, Jonghyun had taken his own
life, the victim of carbon monoxide poisoning
from heated charcoal.
He had often publicly discussed his depression
and the effect fame had on him.
As he detailed in the note he left behind,
"The life of fame was not for me.
[…] Why did I choose this life?
[…] It's a miracle that I lasted this long."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal
thoughts, please call or chat online with
the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
1-800-273-TALK (8255).
