Audiobook12 hours
27: A History of the 27 Club Through the Lives of Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse
Written by James M. Robinson
Narrated by Todd McLaren
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
When singer Amy Winehouse was found dead at her London home in 2011, the press inducted her into what Kurt Cobain's mother named the 27 Club. "Now he's gone and joined that stupid club," she said in 1994, after being told that her son, the front man of Nirvana, had committed suicide. "I told him not to." Kurt's mom was referring to the extraordinary roll call of iconic stars who died at the same young age. The Big Six are Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison of the Doors, Kurt Cobain and, now, Amy Winehouse. All were talented. All were dissipated. All were 27.
Journalists write about "the curse of the 27 Club" as if there is a supernatural reason for this series of deaths. Others invoke astrology, numerology, and conspiracy theories to explain what has become a modern mystery. In this haunting book, author Howard Sounes conducts the definitive forensic investigation into the lives and deaths of the six most iconic members of the Club, plus another forty-four music industry figures who died at 27, to discover what, apart from coincidence, this phenomenon signifies.
In a grimly fascinating journey through the dark side of the music business over six decades, Sounes uncovers a common story of excess, madness, and self-destruction. The fantasies, half-truths, and mythologies that have become associated with Jones, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Cobain, and Winehouse are debunked. Instead a clear and compelling narrative emerges, one based on hard facts, that unites these lost souls in both life and death.
Journalists write about "the curse of the 27 Club" as if there is a supernatural reason for this series of deaths. Others invoke astrology, numerology, and conspiracy theories to explain what has become a modern mystery. In this haunting book, author Howard Sounes conducts the definitive forensic investigation into the lives and deaths of the six most iconic members of the Club, plus another forty-four music industry figures who died at 27, to discover what, apart from coincidence, this phenomenon signifies.
In a grimly fascinating journey through the dark side of the music business over six decades, Sounes uncovers a common story of excess, madness, and self-destruction. The fantasies, half-truths, and mythologies that have become associated with Jones, Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Cobain, and Winehouse are debunked. Instead a clear and compelling narrative emerges, one based on hard facts, that unites these lost souls in both life and death.
Author
James M. Robinson
James M. Robinson, consultant for this collection, is widely known for his groundbreaking contribution as the permanent secretary of UNESCO's International Committee for the Nag Hammadi codices, and his many published works on Gnostic texts and the Sayings Gospel Q.
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Reviews for 27
Rating: 3.9117646470588237 out of 5 stars
4/5
17 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reasonably interesting account of tracking Rock stars on their road to self-destruction. A little bit too much psychoanalysis in trying to trace the roots of the destructive behavior to childhood roots, but overall pretty consistent in identifying the setting of the celebrity culture as a major contributor to their short and tragic lives, all of which ended at age 27. What is also striking is the number of people who were in as bad a denial as the performers and enabled their downfall.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/527By Howard Sounes; Da Capo Press, 2013 Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse all died at 27 years of age, as did many other musicians over the years. Over time, these stars, amongst others, have been dubbed as "members of the 27 club". Howard Sounes, new book "27" is a fabulously researched and well written analysis of the lives and deaths of these stars, in order to determine if the "27 club" myth actually revealed any significant links between the lives they led and their untimely deaths. Sounes does a great job revealing their lives, grasp of stardom and ultimately, tragic downfalls. Both similarities and differences between the stars are clearly revealed in Sounes new book. Having travelled, extensively researched and then interviewed as many family and band members as well as others in their lives as he possibly could, Howard Sounes, "27" will undoubtedly become a best seller.I received this book for free, to review. I am a member of Net Galley, Goodreads, Librarything, as well as maintain a book review blog at debettenson.wordpress.com.DBettenson