the planet project

The only certainties in life are death, taxes and music. But the greatest of these is music. Purveyors of the great art of music are so revered that they have been admired, loved, even worshiped. They are gods among men. How is it that those among us, so adored and gifted, seem so fraught and conflicted and all too often meet untimely ends?

Ah, the romance of the Rock and Roll lifestyle. Show me the man, woman or child who has not clutched a hairbrush in the privacy of their rooms while belting out their favorite tunes and I will show you a future accountant. I can say with absolute certainty that I am not alone in practicing my Grammy Awards acceptance speech in the shower.

Of course, there are no free lunches and this line of work comes at a particularly high price. Live fast, die young in the music world is a great career choice that an inordinately large number of musicians make. Some argue that the rock and roll lifestyle only seems to claim more victims as they get more press, but the sad truth is that being a rock star is a very dangerous sport….

A recent study by John Moore University showed that, statistically, a rock star’s risk of death is 1.7 times higher than those who pursue less hazardous occupations. The vast majority of deaths (28%) are drug and alcohol related and about 7% die from accidents (probably also drug and alcohol related). Why do we lose such a large number of musical geniuses at a young age? My theory is that the devil claims the best musicians for himself. Allow me to elaborate…

An inordinately large number of musicians die at the age of 27 giving rise to the infamous curse of the “Forever Club 27”. Perhaps curse is a strong word but it would be fatuous to ignore such an eerie statistical anomaly.

Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones is generally credited as being the founding member of the club after he drowned in his swimming pool in 1969. The curse, however, has a far more ominous origin; little know guitarist Robert Johnson is regarded by many as the greatest blues guitarist who ever lived. Johnson’s initial forays into music were mediocre at best. When blues legend Son House played the circuit in Johnson’s hometown, Johnson followed him around, unsuccessfully trying to mimic House’s style. When House passed back through town a few months later, Johnson’s guitar technique had blossomed into a sinister, primal beast of epic proportions. The change was phenomenal.

Johnson’s otherworldly talent was haunting and he sang of dark shadows and being pursued by the hounds of hell. One of his songs told of a midnight meeting at a crossroads where he made a deal with the devil – his soul for the most profound blues ever played. He died spectacularly on stage at 27 in 1938 after drinking poisoned whiskey.

And so it began; Brian Jones followed in 1969, then it was the turn of guitar legend Jimi Hendrix (asphyxiated, 18 September 1970) and Janis Joplin (heroine overdose, 4 October 1970). Jim Morrison died of a heart attack in his bathtub on 3 July 1971 and, more recently, Kurt Cobain shot himself on 8 April 1994. These are the most famous members of the 27 club, but there are a chilling 34 in total.

Conspiracy theorists would have us believe that it’s the subversive nature of music that has resulted in the deaths of its commandos of cool. Rock and Roll attained popularity at a time when the civil rights movement began. It achieved the kind of integration in styles that many desired in their societies. It provided grounds for common interest as black performers garnered respect and a following from white audiences. Music has always challenged the boundaries of government, church and social norms. Theorists suggest that it’s the state that has culled those who they perceive to threaten social stability.

Whatever the reason, it is wretched that so many beautiful, talented, inspirational young legends are lost along with the songs that will never enrich our lives. Although we have not had a new club member for some time, the loss of the young to the gaping vortex of fame continues. Perhaps hell has all the best musicians after all.