27 FOREVER

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. 

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.

Track listing:

1. "Water" (Eric Burdon, Dave Steen) – 4:20
2. "Memorial Day" ( Tony Braunagel, Eric Burdon, Terry Wilson) – 4:39
3. "Devil And Jesus" ( Eric Burdon, Gregg Sutton) – 4:22
4. "Wait" ( Eric Burdon, Terry Wilson) – 3:45
5. "Old Habits Die Hard" (Eric Burdon, Tom Hambridge) – 4:00
6. "Bo Diddley Special" ( Eric Burdon, Terry Wilson) – 5:29
7. "In The Ground" ( Eric Burdon, Terry Wilson, Stuart Ziff) – 4:10
8. "27 Forever" ( Eric Burdon, Terry Wilson) – 4:27
9. "River Is Rising" ( Tony Braunagel, Eric Burdon, Jon Cleary) – 5:59
10. "Medicine Man" (Marc Cohn) – 4:39
11. "Invitation to the White House" (Eric Burdon) – 5:55
12. "Before You Accuse Me" (Bo Diddley) – 3:13

🎙️LISTEN TO THE PODCAST🎙️

Points to ponder:

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?

Featured image: Artwork by Jonathan Kis-Lev [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons