Many of you are likely familiar with “The 27 Club”, a group of successful musicians who all died at the age of 27. But, who was the first? How and where did it start? Come with me to the Mississippi Delta…
Recently, a friend turned me on to a 1986 movie called “Crossroads”, starring Ralph Macchio as a young guitarist searching for a lost song by a blues artist named Robert Johnson.
Although the movie is fiction, such a person did exist. The Netflix documentary, “Devil at the Crossroads” tells the story, but here’s a synopsis:
As a poor plantation worker in the Mississippi Delta, Robert Johnson yearned to be a blues guitarist. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that good at it. He disappeared for a time and when he came back, his skills had improved 1000 fold!
According to legend, he was instructed to take his guitar to a crossroad at midnight. There he was met by a large black man (the devil) who took the guitar and tuned it. The devil played a few songs and then returned the guitar to Johnson, giving him mastery of the instrument.
This was a deal with the devil mirroring the legend of Faust. In exchange for his soul, Johnson was able to create the blues for which he became famous.
In folklore, nobody who sells his soul to Satan ever gets away scot-free. Poor Robert met his untimely demise at age 27 on August 16, 1938, (either from being poisoned by a jealous husband or congenital syphilis; it’s not clear), thus becoming the “founding member” of the 27 Club and spawning the curse.
Ironically, to add fuel to the myth, he had recorded two songs the year before, called “Crossroad Blues” and “Me and The Devil Blues”:
The most famous names in the 27 Club include Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain & Amy Winehouse.
Click HERE for a complete, detailed list (opens in a separate window).
Speaking of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Burdon (a famous bluesman in his own right and lead singer of The Animals) was a close friend. After Jimi released “Are You Experienced?” in 1967, Eric replied with his own recording, “Yes, I’m Experienced”, in 1968. He was devastated by Jimi’s death in 1970, calling it “the end of the parade”.
Eric escaped the curse and was still performing until COVID hit, partly (to paraphrase something he said during a concert) due to his career not turning out as well as expected. Was that because he didn’t sell out? (Or, make a deal with the devil? 😉 )
In 2013, Eric recorded a new album, “Til Your River Runs Dry”, of mostly original songs. One of them, “27 Forever”, pays homage to his friend Jimi and all the other members of the 27 Club.
Song lyrics for “27 Forever”, printed on this concert T-Shirt:
Sell your soul to the devil, to stay at this level and be 27 FOREVER #dogladysden #music Click To Tweet
🎙️LISTEN TO THE PODCAST🎙️
If you could have anything you desired, what would it be?
Would you be willing to sacrifice something to get it?
Do you believe in curses?
Are you familiar with the 27 Club and do you have a favourite member?
Looking forward to your comments!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
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43 thoughts on “27 FOREVER”
I love what you’ve done here, Debbie! I had never heard of the 27 club before, so this was an awesome education. I also didn’t know about the Eric Burdon/Jimi Hendrix connection. You picked all great tunes! Thanks for the dance! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the article, Stacy. 🙂 Thanks for coming by and for co-hosting this blogfest.
If you like the blues, I find that Robert Johnson holds up well. Such a haunting voice. I’m not sure I knew that he died at 27 as well
Thanks for visiting, Jeremy. There was a purity to Robert Johnson’s voice. His story is more popular than ever these days, thanks to that Netflix documentary.
Debbie,
Alright, I wasn’t crazy after all. Okay, don’t look at me that way. When I click on comments it only shows a total of 2 for this post and I know that’s not right since I left a few myself and I betcha as soon as I hit ‘post comment’ then all of them will show. That’s why I got confused yesterday. Now…does this mean something in your settings is off or WP is having a meltdown? I guess it could be my browser. BRB, I’m gonna pull your site up using Firefox to see if does the same thing. Okie dokie, FF displays all of your comments without adding a comment, so I guess Safari is having issues. That solves that. 🙂 Have a good day, my friend!
I’m glad it was the browser and not the website! Thanks for checking into it, Cathy. I always use Chrome on PC and mobile. Seems to be the most reliable.
A most excellent post, Debbie! I had heard of the 27 club before, but never knew who was the ‘first’. Neither did I know about the Eric Burdon/Jimi Hendrix connection. Love learning new things like this. Again, fascinating post!
Thanks, Mary. Stephen got me started on this topic and it just sort of evolved. 🙂 Here’s another fun Eric Burdon tidbit: He was “The Egg Man”, referred to in John Lennon’s song, “I Am The Walrus”. Google will tell you how that came about. 😀 (Or, maybe you already know?)
Hi Debbie!
It’s so good to be back in action! I’m going to try to keep up best I can. It’s hard to come back from a hiatus and jump right back in. I have to put blogging in a conscious mindset again.
Great freebie post here! I haven’t thought about the 27 Club in a long time! It’s fascinating to me, all of those greats dying at the same age. Do I believe in curses? Yeah, in a way I do. Yet I’m skeptical at the same time. That’s just some weird coincidence for sure.
I loved hearing the full backstory on the 27 Club. Had never heard of the originating artist Robert Johnson. You found some great cuts of his blues pickins. I liked them.
Boy, Eric Burdon sure doesn’t look like the young Eric Burdon, does he? It’s hell getting old. I LOVE his “27 Forever” song! Thanks so much for the introduction to it. I’m definitely adding it to my music library. And that is a very cool t-shirt! I’m going to look on ebay to see if any are available for purchase.
You always turn me onto cool info and music. Glad that you’re partaking in the 4M! Have you been playing along lately? I truly was so far removed from blogging I have no idea what’s been going on with the Monday’s Music hop over these last few months. Hope you’ll be a regular here.
talk soon,
Michele at Angels Bark
It’s so nice to see you back in the Blogosphere, Michele! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the post. It’s true, Eric Burdon looks much different now, but, don’t we all? 😛 Thankfully, he still has that magnificent voice, and that’s the main thing! (Can you tell I’m a super fan of his? ♥) ’27 Forever’ is a great song, but so is the whole album (Til Your River Runs Dry). It’s the first one he recorded in several years and worth a listen. The t-shirt is from his 2013 tour, but maybe you’ll find it online, somewhere. I’m not a 4m regular but participate once in a while. This post was scheduled for Monday anyway and I remembered it was also going on, so I linked in. 😀 Happy co-hosting for the month! 🙂 Cathy asked if I wanted to do that in future, but I’m a bit commitment-phobic. Thinking about it….Even if I don’t have a post up, I’ll come around to visit. Welcome “home”!♥
Thanks for the warm and wonderful welcome back! So good to be here!
I hear ya about being a commitment phob: me too. I know you said you only play with us 4Mers once in a while (and so glad you decided to on my comeback day!) but I hope you’ll play along with my themes this month (next Monday’s theme of body part songs and the other Monday with my songs about Heaven and Hell). It’ll be fun! Hope you come play with… Love ya Girl! <3
It’s really great to see you, Michele! 🙂 As for your themes, I’ll have to see how things go, but will definitely try to visit, even if I don’t do a post. This time of year is busy with yard work, spring cleaning, etc.
Debbie,
I boogied with you yesterday and even left a comment before I had to leave for my doctor appointments but it’s not showing. Did WP throw me into your spam folder? Probably. You might want to take a look. The reason I’m back is I got to thinking, how would you like to be the 4M honorary co-host one month? There’s no obligation, I just thought I’d toss that out there for you to think about. If you decide you want to do it, then shoot me an email. Gotta jet, trying to catch up a bit. 😉
Hi again. 🙂 Your comment is right here, further down, Cathy. Not sure why you weren’t able to see it, but I replied as well.
Thanks for the invitation, but I’m not sure I could commit to doing a post every Monday for a month. Let me think about it, okay?
Hey Debbie, oddly after I closed this comment I saw my previous one. I’m not sure why I wasn’t seeing it at at the start, but anyhow, do you think about being a cool house sometime down the road. There’s no pressure at all. If you want to that’s fine and if not that’s OK, too. It’s all about the fun! And, I’m glad to have you on the dance floor whenever you want to boogie!!
Thanks to Siri she misunderstood what I was trying to say. Instead of a cool house It should be a co-host. ?
Hahaha! How about a cool co-host? 😉 Auto-correct can be such a pain! 😛 I’m a bit commitment-phobic when it comes to blogging, but I’ll let you know. All depends on how hectic things get offline, which is unpredictable. I do appreciate the invitation.
Debbie,
Consider tossing some theme suggestions this way even without the co-hosting obligation if you don’t want and I’ll give you credit when I use them. I think this is an excellent thing to do for those like you and I totally get it. Some don’t like being tied down for a month and if you feel that way then it takes away the fun, so no worries – no pressures from me, my friend. Like I said, yesterday I’m just happy you boogie with me when you can!
One reason I only do BOTB once a month is I don’t want to confine myself to just music posts. I’m trying to expand the photography and travel categories, as well as creative writing. Maybe in future, I’ll start another blog that is strictly in the music niche. Something to think about! In the meantime, I’ll try and come up with some good themes for the 4M. To be honest, I really don’t want to commit to hosting an entire month, at least at this point in time. I will let you know if I change my mind. Thanks again for the invitation!
Interesting……but considering that most of these are drug /alcohol related I’m not surprised that they died young. Why is it that musicians like to take drugs to enhance their ‘creativity’?
I think many highly talented people are insecure about themselves and turn to drugs to feel more confident. Sadly, the outcome can often be tragic. Thanks for reading my article!
Well, I am speechless! Girlfriend not only have you rocked the house you have rocked my world. This is absolutely fabulous to say the least. Jimi Hendrix oh lordie where did you dig him up at… AWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESOME! I’ve never heard of Eric Burdon, but that doesn’t mean I won’t in the near future. Oh my goodness girlfriend these blues are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy out there & that’s awesome. YOU HAVE ROCKED THE HOUSE! WOO HOO! Gotta have me some blues once in a while!
Hi Marie; I’m glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂 It surprises me that you aren’t familiar with Eric Burdon, though. He was the leader of The Animals, who recorded “House of the Rising Sun” and many other hits in the 1960s. And, also “Spill the Wine” with War. Maybe before your time? 🙂 He’s an amazing blues singer, so I’ll leave you with this:
What a wonderful bunch of great sounds. Love them all.
Have a fabulous day and week. ♥
Thanks for coming by, Sandee! 🙂
Some- maybe most- I knew, some not. The EB song was very good… I listened while reading the list. The whole Badfinger deal still breaks my heart.
Eric Burdon is one of my favourite artists. I’m glad you like the song. 🙂 Yes, the Badfinger story is incredibly heartbreaking. 🙁
Great Monday post, Debbie D! I wasn’t aware of the 27 Club. What a loss of some great talents and all so young! Thx for the great share!
Thanks for coming by, Eugenia. Yes, it’s tragic how many talented people have died prematurely.
Terrific post, DEBBIE!
As I was reading it, I suddenly I had the thought: Wait a minute! Isn’t there even an apparel company named after ‘The 27 Club’? But then it dawned on me that it’s called ‘Forever 17′, not ’27 Forever’, and I had to laugh at myself! (Math was always my very worst subject.)
I’d like to see that documentary you mentioned. Hadn’t even heard about it.
Back in my heavy partying years (the early ’80s), I used to like listening to Robert Johnson really late, like 3:00-4:00 AM, when everyone else had gone to bed… or passed out.
I turned a lot of people onto R.J. when I was young. Including my Ma. Her favorite song was ‘They’re Red Hot’ because of the all the vocal pitch changes Johnson employed in that recording:
Inspired by Robert Johnson’s “devil songs”, back in 1986, I wrote one of my own. It wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, but was simply a mildly humorous spoof. And here it is:
DEVIL ON MY COATTAIL BLUES
I wish I was a young man lyin’ in a riverbed
I wish I was a young man dead
Wish I wasn’t lonely, tired ‘n’ sore
Wish there was somethin’ I could live for
I don’t fancy life, I guess it’s easy to see
I don’t talk with God ’cause He don’t recognize me
I took a walk with satan, up around the bend
He put his are around me an’ called me his “friend”
We went to his apartment an’ sat down to tea
“Steve”, he said, “do a favor for me.
I’m one soul short of my quota for the year.
Perhaps we could strike a deal right here.”
I said, “I won’t sell today, but tomorrow I might.
“I’m gonna try ‘n’ make it through another night.”
Well, his eyes they danced like fire, his horns became uncurled
“Hell”, he said, “you could choose your destiny in this world!”
So we’re meetin’ again tomorrow, he’s buyin’ drinks ’til I see double
An’ you know when I get drunk, I often get in trouble.
That, Debbie, was my one and only attempt to write a Blues song. Hat tip to Robert Johnson!
Naturally, you’ve heard Cream’s version of Robert’s ‘Crossroads’. And I know there are other Rockin’ covers of that song out there. That might have BOTB potential. I don’t recall anyone using that song in a Battle before. Feel free to run with that if you’re ever inclined. I’ve just done two BOTB Blues contests in a row, and I have another in mind, which I’ll probably do before long. So I’m pretty Blues’d out for awhile.
Again, great music post, Debbie! Very cool and nicely done!!
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
POSTSCRIPT:
Doggone it! That was supposed to read…
He put his ARM around me an’ called me his “friend”
I thought you might enjoy this, Stephen. 😀 Thanks for coming by! Hope you do get a chance to watch the documentary. It’s riveting! And, great idea for a BOTB, using Cream’s version and ????. I’m going to do some research.
You should totally record your blues song! (Or, get your singing buddy to do it). Loved the lyrics!
Since you mentioned it, I’m sharing Cream’s Crossroads right here:
Thanks, DEBBIE. Glad you liked the lyrics. That was just something I threw together one day. To be a "real" song, though, I would need to add a chorus to tie those verses together. But I'm sure I'll never do that. There's never enough time to do all the things I want.
Oddly, at YouTube, the only other cover of 'Crossroads' I found was one by Lynyrd Skynyrd. But I know I've heard some others over the years. Just can't remember anymore who dun 'em.
~ D-FensDogG
STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
I bet you could finish that song, Stephen if you really wanted to! 😉
I went over to Secondhand Songs and found a whole page of covers for “Crossroads”. Here’s the link, if you’re interested:
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/10974
I have something else already scheduled for the 15th but might do a “Crossroads” BOTB in future. Thanks again for the suggestion!
Very interesting and sad that we lost all of these musicians at such an early age. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Yes, all that great talent, cut short! 🙁 Thanks for coming by.
Debbie,
This is a great twist for ‘your choice song picks’. I knew there were a number of mewsician to die young and I think I recall there was a club but didn’t know the name of it until now. It’s so sad to hear about someone so young passing but it’s a shame when you find out it’s from drug/alcohol related. Nothing good ever comes from substance abuse. For some, they can dabble in it and walk away from it but others that’s all it takes to get its hooks into ’em making them a slave forever. It’s interesting that you featured the 27 Club today and Driller featured hippie artists with a strong drug history from the 70s. I think it’s cool how you worked in your concert photos with your mewsic selections, too. You always pull together such great posts. Thanks for hitting the dance floor with us. Have a boogietastic week, my friend! 😉
HI Cathy; Yes, it’s sad when people are responsible for their own demise, or, was it the curse? 😉
I loved Driller’s post! 😀 We have the same taste in music and must be around the same age.
Thanks for the compliment; I always try to work photography into most things, these days. It’s a real passion! ♥
It was my pleasure to join you and I appreciate all the work you do to put these together every week. Cheers!
Hi Debby – interesting to read about the ‘club’ … I’ll be interested to listen to the clips you’ve left with us and at some stage will watch the documentary. A history of music here … thanks – really interesting – cheers Hilary
I’m glad you enjoyed reading about the “27 Club”, Hilary. It is an interesting bit of folklore. 🙂 Thanks for coming by!
What a fascinating concept for this 27 club. I look forward to seeing the entire list of late performers… For now, I wish to travel across that green bridge, Debbie.
It’s an interesting bit of “folklore”, for sure. 🙂 Are you referring to the green bridge in Seneca Falls, from last’s week Instagram roundup? You’d enjoy visiting that town! thanks for dropping in, Myke.