Coincidence or something more? The 27 Club, musicians who each died at the age of 27.
Two of the most legendary of them all went today, the 3rd of July, two years part. The man that named the Rolling Stones, original 2nd guitarist Brian Jones today in 1969. Jim Morrison today in 1971. And Janis Joplin. Many years later, Kurt Cobain. As the story goes, his sister claimed that as a kid he would talk about how he wanted to join the 27 Club. It's good to have goals. We can credit the great blues legend Robert Johnson with getting the club started. He went at the age of 27 on August 16, 1938, at a country crossroads near Greenwood Mississippi. He had been playing for a few weeks at a country dance in a town about 15 miles (24 km) from Greenwood.
There are a number of accounts and theories regarding the events preceding Johnson's death. One of these is that one evening Johnson began flirting with a woman at a dance. One version of this rumor says she was the wife of the juke joint owner who unknowingly provided Johnson with a bottle of poisoned whiskey from her husband, while another suggests she was a married woman he had been secretly seeing.
Researcher Mack McCormick claims to have interviewed Johnson's alleged poisoner in the 1970s, and obtained a tacit admission of guilt from the man. When Johnson was offered an open bottle of whisky, his friend and fellow blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson knocked the bottle out of his hand, informing him that he should never drink from an offered bottle that has already been opened. Johnson allegedly said, "don't ever knock a bottle out of my hand." Soon after, he was offered another open bottle of whiskey and accepted it, and it was that bottle that was laced with strychnine. Honey Boy Edwards, another blues musician, was also present and apparently confirmed this account.
Better still, check out this narrated bio on Robert Johnson, followed by a montage of musicians, gone at 27.
Cheers,
Jeff.