The lead singer of the brilliant Canned Heat died of a barbiturate overdose (suspected suicide) on 3 Sept 1970.  This was 15 days before Hendrix died at 27 and one month before Janis Joplin died at 27.  1970 was a big year for the 27ers.

Jazz organist (for the band Chase) Wallace Yohn died aged 27 on 12 August 1974 in a tragic plane crash.  He was on his way to play a gig in Jackson County, Minnesota with band leader Bill Chase when their plane (a Piper Twin Comanche) came down.

Trumpet player with the Friendly Fires Richard Turner died tragically of a heart attack on 11 August 2011. Richard was the most recent person to join the Forever 27 Club.  The Friendly Fires are a fantastic band - check them out here: http://www.wearefriendlyfires.com/

Nat Jaffe was an American jazz swing pianist who died on 5 August 1945 (high blood pressure).  He played with the likes of Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong.

We love this: original art sent to us by Laura Jane Keoghan - this has given us some ideas for a project or two.  If you're interested in a gallery project for original f27 art - get in touch

Cecilia was a Spanish singer/songwriter who took her stage name from a track by Simon and Garfunkel.  She died in a car accident on the way back from a gig on 2nd August 1976 having composed some 70 songs, some of which were censored by Franco's government.

View her official website

Bunnyman Pete de Freitas should be celebrating his 52nd birthday this week. He died aged 27 in a motorcycle accident in 1989 on his way back from filming a music video.

He recorded a UK top ten and a UK top twenty album during his time as a drummer with Echo and the Bunnymen.

Happy Birthday Pete.

Someone reminded me today about an ambition I've had for a long time and one of the reasons this site happened: to raise enough cash to play some venues in the US especially the Whisky A GoGo - it's worth it just for the venue name.

This venue has played host to some of the most important bands and acts on the planet (The Doors, Janis Joplin, Hendrix in the vintage years and Eminem). They've got some great images from Whisky vintage years - click here.  Steeped in history you can going and drink at the bar where Jim acted inappropriately or where Jimi dropped his cigarette ash.  It doesn't get any better than that. 

"Fortunately, an extremely sexy, pixie-voiced blond named Ronnie Harran, who booked the Whisky, saw us…She had an ear for talent…the Whisky was finally a gig we could be proud of…"
John Densmore, The Doors' drummer

If you ever visit California you have to go the Whisky - it's the law.