Content warning: This article discusses death and addiction.

The 27 Club is a cultural phenomenon that’s been talked about for years and was coined after the death of Kurt Cobain, the lead singer for Nirvana, in 1994.

Cobain died on April 8th, 1994. An electrician was coming to do some work and found 27-year-old Cobain lying dead in his greenhouse. Cobain had two puncture wounds in his arms. His death was determined to be a suicide, but that’s highly debated even now. Soon after his death, the term “27 Club” emerged.

So now you’re probably thinking, “Girl what even is the 27 Club?? And what does that have to do with Kurt Cobain??” Well, it’s quite sad actually…

The 27 Club is an assortment of iconic artists who died at the age of 27. The pattern is not only that the artists were 27 at their time of death, but also that their death was substance abuse related. There are many members of the 27 Club. Besides Cobain, some other notable members of the club are Amy Winehouse and Jimi Hendrix.

Amy Winehouse was a brilliant, vibrant indie artist who created many hits during her time. She debuted with her album “Frank” in 2003, a fresh, sultry voice brought to a static music scene.

She struggled with addiction, over time appearing more skinny and unhealthy in tabloids. Winehouse had many public scandals but relatively maintained her fame up until 2009, when she died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27.

Jimi Hendrix, who I’m sure everyone’s heard of, is one of the most notorious members of the 27 Club. The rock artist was prevalent in the late 1960s and specialized in the electric guitar. He became famous after performing at many festivals, including the Woodstock Festival in 1969.

Hendrix suffered from many afflictions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and substance addictions. In 1970, he died of asphyxiation after taking 18 sleeping pills. Hendrix was 27.

The conspiracy theory behind the 27 Club is that these artists sold their souls for fame, the caveat being that they die at 27.

In my opinion, the artists dying at 27 is pure coincidence and their deaths can be attributed to a lifestyle of addiction and mental health issues. The coincidence is very crazy though, considering all the members of the 27 Club were at peak fame, struggled with addiction, and died at the same age. Is the 27 Club a pure coincidence or is it something darker? I guess that’s for you to decide.