19. The 27 Club shows no indication of slowing down its membership drive
Though many members of the 27 Club are listed on most sites which describe the phenomena based on their age, rather than the fame or notoriety they achieved in life, new members are assigned to the group with somewhat disturbing regularity. Following the addition of Badfinger’s Pete Ham, few of the members of the group enjoyed a similar level of fame in life as the earlier members until one day in the spring of 1994, when Nirvana front man and to many the face of the grunge movement joined the group by committing suicide with a shotgun. Kurt Cobain’s death re-invigorated curiosity regarding the 27 Club, and since his entry several others have unfortunately occurred which have kept interest in the group in the public eye.
Two months after Cobain’s untimely though self-inflicted demise, Kristen Pfaff, another Seattle grunge scene musician and well-acquainted with Cobain (they were close friends according to some accounts), died of a heroin overdose. She too was 27. Several rap stars and rising stars have joined the club, including Stretch, Freaky Tah, and Fat Pat, all of whom gained entry by being the victims of murder. In 2011 singer Amy Winehouse became a member after her death from alcohol poisoning. The list continues to grow in the 21st century, and substance abuse, or the negative side-effects of substance abuse, continues to be the leading cause of death which provides unfortunates with the somewhat dubious honor of being members of the 27 Club.