eric harmer

reposted from 2013 – as the documentary 27: Gone Too Soon is being shown on tv.

Erics Fermented Thoughts…….. Die At 27

I was browsing my music collection the other night and thought I would point out how many of my favourite artist died at the age of 27, and how similar their deaths were. Going way back to Robert Johnson he died age 27, it is believed that he was poisoned by a jealous love rival. He died at a cross roads near Greenwood, Mississippi on August 16th 1938. Jimi Hendrix also died age 27 in London on April 5th 1994, he was reported to have drowned in his own vomit that mostly consisted of red wine. It was also reported that he had taken 9 of his girlfriends sleeping pills, this might have led to his inability to wake up and save himself. Kurt Cobain died April 5th 1994 age 27 his friends and family persuaded him to book in a detox center in L.A. on March 30th 1994, he discharged himself the next day and returned to Seattle. Less than 2 weeks later he was found dead with a shotgun wound to the head, no suicide note was found. Brian Jones died July 3rd 1969 aged 27, he was found at the bottom of a swimming pool in East Sussex. Official cause of death was ‘death by misadventure’. Coroners report stated that his heart and liver were enlarged due to drug and alcohol abuse. Jim Morrison died June 29th 1975 age 27. In Paris under French law no autopsy is required if foul play is not suspected. No autopsy was carried out. The most widely held theory is that he snorted his girlfriend’s heroin thinking it was cocaine and overdosed. Janis Joplin died October 4th 1970 age 27 again she was a part of the fast and furious style of the era relying on drugs and alcohol to maintain her image. The official cause of death is listed as an overdose of heroin.

It is hard to believe that all of these artists died at such an early age and achieved such status in the music world. With all these artist there is a raw vulnerability that shows in their music that is missing in most of today’s artists. The music business nowadays is exactly that, a business. Nicely packaged and pigeonholed so that we know what we are getting. The pioneers of pop music were in a very dangerous place. I think that shows in the legacy the have left us.

Eric Harmer.

Paul Richardson… Hendrix died on Sept 18th 1970, Morrison died on July 3rd 1971.

Eric Harmer… you are right Paul, . Sorry about that I must have been on the gin when I wrote this