The '27 Club' isn't true, but it is real—a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality

Are famous people more likely to die at 27, or does dying at 27 make them more famous?

LOS ANGELES — Their deaths have fueled the notion that 27 is a lethal age for musicians and other notable artists. Read more...

The '27 Club' isn't true, but it is real—a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality

There's a certain allure to the notion that some of the world's brightest stars burn out at the age of 27. The so-called 27 Club has captivated the public imagination for half a century. Its members include legendary musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The idea is as seductive as it is tragic: a convergence of talent, fame and untimely death at a singular age.

The '27 Club' of late stars is a 'real phenomenon', study finds

“There is something special” about stars who died at that age, study finds. The 27 Club is a “real phenomenon” that makes the deaths of celebrities more...

The 27 Club isn’t true, but it is real − a sociologist explains why myths endure and how they shape reality

Many members of the 27 Club are outsize in their cultural influence. Psychology Forever/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SAThere’s a certain allure to the notion that some of the world’s brightest stars burn out at the age of 27. The so-called 27 Club has captivated the public imagination for half a century. Its members include legendary musicians Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The idea is as seductive as it is …

The Myth that Musicians Die at 27 Shows How Superstitions Are Made

Famous people who die at 27, such as Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse, get even more famous because of the mythology surrounding that number—a look at how modern folklore emerges