Amy Winehouse Death Connected to 'Forever 27 Group' by Coincidence

Nearly every Amy Winehouse death story has included the "Forever 27 Club" in some fashion. Since death seems to happen to every troubled rock star at the age of 27, it puts Winehouse's loss in a neat little bow. However, although she is the sixth famous musician to die at that age, according to Entertainment Weekly, the vast majority of them suffered in the late 60s and early 70s.

The trend started when Brian Jones was discovered dead at 27 on July 3, 1969, and when Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin died two weeks apart in September 1970. Once Jim Morrison succumbed on June 3, 1971 at 27, it was a full blown phenomenon.

But in the modern era, it is much harder to believe that reaching a specific age spells doom for a rock star. Before Winehouse's death, the only 27-year-old musician of note to die since 1971 was Kurt Cobain, who took his own life in 1994.

Given that only one famous 27-year-old artist died in almost 40 years until Saturday, a case can be made that young stars have done a much better job of taking care of themselves since the 60s and 70s -- at least enough to stay alive. As such, Winehouse's demise is an anomaly, and not something to connect to the rest of the "Forever 27 Group" by anything other than coincidence.

Of course, the popular opinion is that she died of an overdose, since her drug problem was as bad as it was for Hendrix, Joplin, Jones and Morrison. But the latter four artists were in a more persuasive drug culture than Winehouse was in, although they didn't live in the era of TMZ, social media and Twitter. In addition, living in Britain made her a target of both the American tabloids and the even harsher scandal rags in London.

Despite dying so early, the first five members of this group are still recognized as the defining talents of their era. In fact, the early losses of Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Jones and Cobain made them even more of a legend, since they defined the "live fast, die young" cliche.

However, the death of Winehouse leaves her as someone who could never live up to her potential, after the blazing start to her career and her five Grammy Awards in 2008. Yet after that, she was best known for her drug problems and fashion, and not for her music- whereas the other 27-year-olds mostly managed to be recognized for both, even at the end.

Those who morn her will wonder what could have been if she managed to overcome her demons. Yet those demons had nothing to do with how old she was, with all those who struggled before her at her age, or the kind of culture they had to deal with.

Sources

Entertainment Weekly- "Amy Winehouse joins the Forever 27 Club"

New York Post- "Amy Winehouse dead at 27; overdose eyed"