The Curse of 27- Famous Celebrity Deaths

27 Club also called ” Forever 27 Club” or the Curse of 27, features artists and musicians who died at the age of 27.

 

Here’s the curse of 27 famous celebrity deaths-list:

1) Robert Leroy Johnson

Born Robert Leroy Johnson born on May 8,1911, was an American blues singer. Johnson died of strychnine substance, which was rumored that the bottle of whiskey offered to him by the woman he is flirting that night contains poison. Some rumors said the woman’s husband and owner of Juke Point, was the one who gave opened bottle whiskey containing strychnine substance, but no there were no found reports and evidence confirming this.Johnson died on August 16, 1938, he is considered as the first member of 27 Club.

2) Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones

Born Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones, better known as Brian Jones, was born on February 28,1942. He was the original Rolling Stones  band leader.  Mick Jagger and Keith Richards eventually became successful as songwriting duo and took over as Rolling Stones’ band leaders. Since then, Jones became depressed and was hooked on drugs. His addiction went on over the years until he left the group in June 1969, and was replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor. Jones was found dead floating in his own swimming pool,  a month after he left Rolling Stones band. He died on July 3, 1969 at the age of 27.

3) Jimi Hendrix

 

Jimi Hendrix, born James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix or Johnny Allen Hendrix on November 27,1942. He was an American song writer and guitarist. He died of asphyxia , choked with his own vomit after taking Vesparax sleeping pills, prescribed to his girlfriend, Monika. The normal dosage of Vesparax pills was half to one tablet only, but Jimi Hendrix took 9 tablets of sleeping pills. He died on September 18, 1970. His girlfriend Monika Daneman inherited Hendrix’s estates. Monika was found dead on April 5, 1996 at age 50, inside her fume-filled Mercedez Benz here death was later on ruled as suicide.

4) Janis Lyn Joplin

Janis Lyn Joplin, or much known as Janis Joplin, was an American songwriter and singer, music arranger, dancer and painter, born on January 9, 1943. She was the vocalist and lead singer of Big Brother and The Holding Company and after that she went as solo performer. On October 4, 1970, she was found dead inside her bedroom. The official cause of death was heroin overdose with combined alcohol content. She died at age 27, and her cremated ashes was scattered into the Pacific Ocean. She is now member of 27 Club.

5) Jim Morrison

 

Jim Morrison, born James Douglas “Jim” Morrison on December 8, 1943, lyricist and singer of The Doors rock band. The American singer was found dead by his common-law-wife Courson, in his Paris apartment inside his bathroom. He officially died on July 3, 1971 at the age of 27. No autopsy was performed according to French Law, that there was no foul play and was ruled as cardiac arrest as caused of death.

Pamela Courson, common law wife of Jim Morrison was found dead in her L.A. apartment on April 25, 1974 and caused of death is heroin overdose and also  died at you guess it age 27.

6) Linda Jones

Linda Jones, the American soul singer was born on December 14, 1944. Her first album was Lonely Teardrops in 1963, using stage name as Linda Lane on Cub Records. Jones had several hits in 1967 like Take My Breath Away, My Precious Love and many more, but her career was overshadowed by diabetes and died on March 14, 1972. She just turned 28 when she died.

7) Jesse Belvin

 

Jesse Lorenzo Belvin, was an American R&B singer, songwriter and pianist and became famous in 1950′s. He was  born on December 15,1932. On February 6, 1960, Belvin and his wife Joan was killed on car accident at Hope, Arkansas. Rumor spread that his car was sabotage, but no confirmation about this report. He was 27 years old at the time of his death his wife Joan was 24.

Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson  of Canned Heat

Alan “Blind Owl” Christie Wilson, muck known as Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson was the lead singer and composer of the Canned Heat Band. He was born on July 14, 1943. He played harmonica, guitar and composed songs for the band. He died on September 3,1970 and caused of death is overdosed from substance.

9) Arlester “Dyke” Christian

10) Ron “Pigpen” Mckernan , Grateful Dead Band

Ronald C. “Pigpen” Mckernan the founder member of Grateful Dead band, was born September 8, 1945. He plays the harmonica, Hammond organ, singer, percussion and sometimes he plays the guitar. In 1970′s he had first stage of biliary cirrhosis. He was found dead on March 8,1973 and cause of death is gastrointestinal hemorrhage which is associated with alcoholism.

11) Roger Lee Durham

 

Roger Lee Durham, American singer and percussionist of Bloodstone band, died on July 27, 1973 from injuries he acquired when he fell off a horse.

12) Wallace Yohn, Organ Player of Chase Band

Wallace Yohn died at the age of 27 on August 12,1974 in a plane crash along with Chase band members, Bill Chase the founder and leader of their group.

13)  Dave Alexander

David Michael Alexander, also known Dave Alexander, born on June 3, 1947, was an American musician-bassist of The Stooges, a punk rock band. In 1970 Alexander was terminated from the group when he arrived at the Goose Lake International Music Festival. He was very drunk to perform on stage. In 1975, he died of pulmonary edema, in Ann Arbor, after his hospitalization due to pancreatitis, caused by alcoholism.

14) Pete Ham

Welsh singer Pete Ham, songwriter and guitarist and the bandleader of the Badfinger band. Peter Ham was born on April 27, 1947, and he was found hanging in his Surrey home on April 24,1975 . The autopsy report found alcohol content and was estimated 0.27%. In his suicide note, he wrote about his love to his girlfriend and unborn child and accusation of corruption toward the Badfinger’s business manager, Stan Polley over the past years.

15) Gary Thain

Gary Thain, born Gary Melvin Thain on May 15, 1948, was a rock bassist of the famous Uriah Heep band in UK. Gary Thain suffered electric shock at the Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas on September 15, 1974 where he was seriously injured. In early 1975 after his last tour, he was fired from the group due to drug addiction. He died from heroin over dose at the age of 27 on December 8, 1975.

The following famous dead celebrities were also considered to be part of the curse of 27. Some of the list below become famous in the United States, but they weren’t specifically from the US.

16) Cecilia (Evangelina Sobredo Galanes)

 

Evangelina Sobredo Galanes or much famously known by her stage name Cecilia, a Spanish singer and songwriter. Cecilia her stage name,  was derived from Simon and Garfunkel song, Cecilia. She died in a car accident at Benavente on August 2, 1976. Miguel Bose, Julio Iglesias and Ane Belen, sung her Spanish songs.

17) Helmut Kollen, Triumvirat Bassist and Vocalist

The German vocalist and bassist for rock band Triumvirat, Helmut Kollen, was born on March 2, 1950. Their successful albums Illusions on a Double Dimple Spartacus,  made the group famous.  He died at the age of 27 on May 3, 1977 from carbon monoxide poisoning he was  inside his car in his garage, to his car cassette player while the car’s engine is on.

18) Jacob Miller

Jamaican reggae artist and singer, Jacob Miller was born on May 4, 1952, made his first album with Clement Dodd, and soon became the lead singer of Inner Circle group. He died in a car accident on March 23, 1980 at the age of 27.

19) Pete Louis Vincent de Freitas

Pete Louis Vincent de Freitas, was born on August 2, 1961, a musician, producer and drummer of the Echo and the Bunnymen. On june 14, 1989 he died in a motorcycle accident on his way to Liverpool. He was 27 years old at the time of his untimely death, and was survived by her only daughter, Lucie Marie DeFreitas.

20) Mia Zapata

 

Mia Katherine Zapata, lead singer for The Grits band in Seattle, and was born on August 25, 1965.  On July 7, 1993, around 2:am Zapata left the Comet Tavern along Capitol Hills area, and was raped and beaten to death. A fisherman from Florida, was arrested and his saliva (DNA) was found onto Zapata’s body, where the specimen was kept in cold storage in 2002. Jesus Mesquia was sentenced to 36 years imprisonment.

21) Kristen Marie Pfaff

The American bass guitarist, of Hole band, Kristen Marie Pfaff, born on May 26, 1967 was found dead inside her bedroom on June 16, 1994 at about 9:30 a.m. Paul Erickson found her lying on the floor with syringes and some substances. Her death was soon  ruled out as accidental death.

22) Randy Walker or Stretch Walker

Randy Walker or Stretch Walker was born on August 21, 1968, an American hip hop rapper from Queens, New York, founder of Live Squad hip hop group, with brother Majesty in the late 1980′s. He was murdered on November 30, 1995. He was shot three times at the back while driving his car along Queens Village.  He left unreleased songs that featured Tupac Shakur and the Live Squad. Stretch Walker was 27.  Tupac Shakur died o September 13,1996, 10 months after Stretch Walker was killed. Tupac was also murdered inside his car by gunshot, at the age of 25.

23) Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain, born Kurt Donald Cobain on February 20,1967, is an American songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of Nirvana- an alternative band. Cobain was the  founder of the Nirvana group with Krist Novoselic in 1985. Kurt Cobain’s fame and his public image became his most pressures and musician wife Courtney Love. He was into drug addiction, illness and depression. He was found dead on April 18, 1994 in his Seattle home. Official report of caused of death was ruled as suicide by a gunshot on his head.

24) Lily Tembo

Lilian Tembo otherwise known as Lily Tembo from Zambia, known for her achievements as journalist, radio personality, musician and a social worker in her charity projects, where her first album in 2004 won as great artist in music industry. Tembo was born on November 20, 1981 and died on September 14, 2009 at the age of 27, suffering from severe gastritis. Fans, relatives and close friends were surprised of her sudden death. It was reported that she was chatting via Facebook to her fans on September 11, 2009.

25) Freaky Tah

 

Raymond Rogers or Freaky Tah, was born on May 14,1971, an MC hype man and promoter and member of the Lost Boyz hip hop group, with Mr. Cheeks. On March 28, 1999, it was Mr. Cheeks birthday party, Freaky Tah was shot three times at the back of his head towards the Sheraton Hotel’s exit in Queens, New York and was rushed in the hospital was pronounced dead. He was 27 years old, and will be 28 in month and half away.

 Richard James Edwards AKA Richey Edwards

Richard James Edwards, commonly called Richey Edwards was born on December 22, 1967. He is  a Welsh musician, lyricist and rhythm guitarist for Manic Street Preachers band. He disappeared on February 1, 1995 and was assumed  dead in 2008 by his family. There was a theory that he committed suicide by jumping off the bridge where his abandoned car was found nearby. But family and close to Edwards don’t believe this speculations of suicide theory.

26) Patrick Lamark Hawkins AKA Fat Pat

Patrick Lamark Hawkins, aka Fat Pat was born on December 4, 1970 a rapper from Houston,Texas and member of Dead End Alliance with brother John “Big Hawk” Hawkins and DJ Screw, original member of Screwed Up Click. Fat Pat was shot dead in Austin, Texas on February 3, 1998, outside the corridor of the promoter’s home to collect an appearance fee. The promoter was not home when Fat Pat was shot three times.

27) Amy Winehouse (The Latest member of 27 Club)

Amy Jade Winehouse, famously known as Amy Winehouse was born on September 14, 1983, best known for her craft as singer and songwriter and for her powerful deep contralto vocals, singing her best forte in R&B, jazz and soul music. Since 2007, she was a regular item on tabloids until her recent death due to weird behaviors contributed to her drug and alcohol addiction. On July 23,2011 Winehouse and former husband had legal battles and Blake Fielder Civil was sentenced and imprisoned. Winehouse was found dead on July 23, 2011 in her home in London at the age of 27. OD mix with alcohol was said to be the cause of death. She was cremated at the Golden Green Crematorium. Amy Winehouse is now on the list -2011 celebrity deaths.