What do Otis Redding, Gram Parsons, Nick Drake, Jimmy McCulloch, James Ramey (aka Baby Huey), Bryan Osper and Jon Guthrie have in common? What about Tim Buckley, Gregory Herbert, Zenon de Fleur, Nick Babeu, Shannon Hoon, Beverly Kenney and Bobby Bloom? And Alan Wilson, Jesse Belvin, Rudy Lewis, Gary Thain, Kristen Pfaff, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Pete de Freitas, Raymond “Freaky Tah” Rogers, Helmut Köllen and Linda Jones? It's all dead pop musicians. The first group died at the age of 26, the second group died at the age of 28 and the third group died at the age of 27.

56 years is the crucial age of death

In a population of dead musicians that spanned seven decades from 1950 to 2010 for which an accurate age of death could be identified, age 56 had the highest frequency of deaths. Notables who died at this age include Eddie Rabbitt, Tammy Wynette, Mimi Farina, Johnny Ramone, Chris ledoux, Vandy “Smokey” Hampton and Charles “Baby” Tate. 

The 27 Club

So why isn't there a 56 Club or a 28 Club? Is it because Brian Jones (drowning), Jimi Hendrix (sucked overdose from barbiturate overdose), Janis Joplin (heroin overdose), Jim Morrison (drug-induced heart attack), Kurt Cobain (suicide by shot) and Amy Winehouse (alcohol poisoning) everyone died at the age of 27? All were tortured souls who reached the pop star stage and tragically died at their peak. Maybe we should consider a name change for this group, from the 27 Club to 'The Tragic Six' or 'The Tragic Seven' if we include Robert Johnson.? There are many more musicians who died at the age of 27 than these.

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