Amy Winehouse and the 27 Club
As you likely know already, singer Amy Winehouse was found dead Saturday morning. You may also have heard, as various media outlets are noting, that Winehouse is the latest in a long list of prominent musicians to pass away at the age of 27. Some of the more notable names on that list include Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain, though there are a number of others who are not as well known. These musicians have been dubbed “the 27 Club,” and the phenomenon has been the subject of a book titled The 27s: The Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll as well as the theme of a fiction film named The 27 Club. In addition to that book and film, for more on some of the members of the club and their music, check out the May 17, 2009, episode KSLU radio’s Rock School, featuring Joe Burns and Chad P., which covers the Club.
Meanwhile, baseball statistician Bill James years ago determined that major league baseball players tend to peak at the age of 27. Is this coincidence, or is there something about the age 27 that gives it some kind of special significance within both the world of rock ‘n’ roll and the world of baseball? And, particularly now that she has entered the 27 Club, how would you characterize Winehouse’s significance to rock ‘n’ roll?
