S Club 27

I saw Jimi Hendrix on an HP laptop commercial today that reminded me of a musicians' "club" important to us in 2011. You see, the timing for the commercial was almost unfortunate because it ironically followed the addition of a new member to the 27 Club, Amy Winehouse. Yes, if you haven't heard of the 27 Club, it's an informal group of influential, yet troubled rockers that only made it to (of course) age 27. Featured above are the biggest names in the club, but certainly don't include them all. Brian Jones (an original Rolling Stone), Jimi Hendrix (the Voodoo Child), Jim Morrison of The Doors, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and latest member Amy Whinehouse together preach how difficult it is to reach age 28 when you're a rock star.

Now, something important to know about the club is that the first four died in consecutive years starting in 1969 to 1971. Those were tragic years for music and the pop world. Not only that, but many feared those first four stars would popularize a way out from a rock star's life. For you understand, mostly those deaths were overdoses a trend started by the King himself, Elvis Presley (who made it to 42).

Yet, the club was seeing clear years for two full decades, and it seemed that the club was no more than a early 70's fad. But pop music did not shine in the rest of the 70's and 80's like it had, the club (thought tragic) kept pop musicians very interesting. The troubled lives of musicians practically writes music for itself, and without much pop drama in this time music was boring. However, music still evolved into the 90's, when a young garage band seemed to have made it big. Nirvana and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" defined Generation X and its music. However, the pop trend is: when a pop star begins to influence and lead a generation, the stress from the power becomes unwieldy. Lead singer, Kurt Cobain, as we all know joined the 27 Club in 94.

But Cobain did not open Pandora's Box as many expected. The last time the 27 Club was admitting members, many joined at once. This was fortunately not the case in the 90's, and the club's doors stayed dormant for another couple of decades. Well, not quite.

Amy Winehouse, a British singer-songwriter with two incredible soul albums died yesterday at age 27. The public saw her life of hardships and drugs alongside her heavy influence on pop. And although she hadn't released an album or single in over three years, her influence over music today is obvious. I see a lot of Winehouse in Lady Gaga today, and hopefully the burden isn't passed on. Gaga is most definitely not hiding her drugs alongside of her heavy pop influence and troubled past, but please, dear, do not join the 27 Club like many before you. Gaga, you have three more years to make it to 28. You can do it, do it for all of your little monsters!