Let’s face it, very few people were surprised by the news on Sunday that Amy Winehouse had died a day earlier. Media outlets have had her obituary on file almost as long as the public has known her name. At the time of her death, she was regarded as much for her out of control drug abuse as for her sultry voice and black beehive hairdo.

Winehouse, who was 27 years old upon her death, is now being hailed as the next in a long list of talented musicians who have succumbed to the mythic "Curse of 27." So what is this curse?

It all began with Robert Johnson, a blues musician who was thought to have met the Devil at a crossroads in Mississippi and traded his soul for a powerful musical gift. Whether or not the Devil gave it to him, the truth is, he remains Rolling Stone’s fifth best guitar player of all time just as his legend continues to inspire the most fantastic of tales. However, Johnson’s death at the age of 27 was not the result of a tumultuous relationship with drugs, but rather, Johnson was murdered – strychnine poisoning.

In 1969, Brian Jones, founding member of the Rolling Stones, was discovered at age 27 dead at the bottom of his private swimming pool. While it’s true, he was known to use drugs and alcohol to excess, some believe Jones was murdered, and even more people suspect it was a suicide.

The big three of "The Curse" are Jimi Hendix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison, who all died at 27 within 10 months of each other in 1970 and 1971. Hendrix choked on his own vomit after ingesting large quantities of sleeping pills and alcohol; Joplin overdosed on heroin; and Morrison was found dead in his bathtub after suffering a massive heart attack.

Until Winehouse, the most recent member of the 27 Club was Kurt Cobain, who allegedly killed himself with a gun to his head, not with a needle in his arm.

While it would seem that Winehouse did die of a drug overdose (as of yesterday, no evidence was found by London police to support this theory), "The Curse" that's growing increasingly synonymous with drug abuse is nothing more than media spin doctoring. The truth is, each of these individuals was troubled to begin with and had become further isolated by overwhelming success and popularity.

Drugs and alcohol, and their overuse, certainly play a role in many of these premature deaths, but that doesn’t mean that they are the reason "The Curse of 27" continues to thrive. That, it would seem, is a matter to take up with Robert Johnson’s Devil.

Joselin Linder is the author of The Stoned Family Robinson

Also see:
Amy Winehouse Dead at 27
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