I’ve probably met Clio twice ever, both just for a flash in the pan, while living in Germany years ago. However, in addition to those brief encounters, some mutual friends and amazing taste in music, I knew she was good people and we’ve remained in touch. Clio studies International Music Management in The Netherlands, worked at Reflections Records, and has toured with bands like Goatsnake, 108, and Trash Talk. Feel free to hit her up with any recommendations you think she’d be into: clioariane [at] gmail [dot] com. With this post she cherry-picks some of the more profound rockstars who didn’t make it past age 33 due to hard living and/or misfortune – going back all the way to 1937 (pretty sure “rockstar” wasn’t even a term back then)!
By Clio Leeuwenburgh
A number of years ago I made a mixtape for a guy’s 31st birthday. Each song was by an artist (or featured a band member) who died before that age, which I personally thought was pretty sweet, but he either didn’t get it or didn’t like T. Rex (deal-breaker) because I never heard from him again. Anyway, I made this updated version for Cryogenic Husk, who seem to appreciate a good tune or two. (I’ve changed the age of death to 33 so I could include a couple of favorites.) Hopefully you enjoy listening to this mix as much as I did curating it.
Cryogenic Husk #42 – Dead By 33
1) Robert Johnson – Me And The Devil Blues 2) Sam Cooke – You Send Me 3) Patsy Cline – Loved & Lost Again 4) Amy Winehouse – Some Unholy War 5) Hank Williams – Lost Highway 6) Jimi Hendrix – Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) 7) Led Zeppelin – I Can’t Quit You Baby 8) Ozzy Osbourne (The Blizzard of Ozz) – Mr. Crowley 9) T. Rex – Ride a White Swan 10) Eddie Cochran – Twenty Flight Rock 11) Buddy Holly – Heartbeat 12) The Who – I Can’t Explain 13) Joy Division – A Means To An End 14) Nick Drake – Day Is Done 15) Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah / I Know It’s Over
1) Robert Johnson – Me and the Devil Blues (1937)
Cited as one of the greatest guitarists of all time (#5 according to Rolling Stone), Mississippi blues king Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil in exchange for his musical skills. Satan clearly kept up his part of the deal, but claimed the young man’s soul at the age of 27 after Johnson romanced the wrong broad and was allegedly poisoned by her jealous husband in 1938.
2) Sam Cooke – You Send Me (1957)
What exactly happened on the night of Sam Cooke’s death remains unclear, but according to official reports the 33 year-old soul legend found himself half-naked in a struggle with an L.A. motel owner who eventually shot him dead. Whether Cooke’s lady friend that night was held hostage by the singer (like she claimed) or was a hooker spending the night with him free-willed nobody knows, but a dead body and couple of grand missing points to sketchy business whichever way you want to put it. Anyway, You Send Me was a #1 hit in 1957 and I think is one of the most beautiful songs he ever wrote.
3) Patsy Cline – Loved & Lost Again (1956)
One of my mother’s favorites, country sweetheart Patsy Cline gained national fame in the 1950′s with her first single Walkin’ After Midnight. Sadly, the songstress lost her life at the height of her career in a plane crash in Tennessee at the age of 30. Gone but not forgotten, Cline continues to be hugely influential in music today and has been covered by everyone from Elvis Costello to Willie Nelson.
4) Amy Winehouse – Some Unholy War (2006)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past couple of months, it probably hasn’t escaped your attention that acclaimed British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse kicked the bucket and joined the 27 Club in July this year. While an official cause of death is still quite vague (detox seizure?), Winehouse had a notorious alcohol and drug problem which landed her in rehab more than a few times. The five-fold Grammy Award-winning artist’s legacy consists of no more than two studio albums, including this lovely gem.
5) Hank Williams – Lost Highway (1949)
Known for being one of the most important (if not the most important) country singers of the 20th century, Hank Williams penned 11 songs in his lifetime that would become #1 hits between 1948 and 1953. The Alabama native dropped out of school to devote all of his time to music and was quickly signed to MGM Records, but with fame also came drugs & alcohol which ultimately led to his demise at the age of 29. Lost Highway is the B-side to You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave).
6) Jimi Hendrix – Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) (1971)
Greatest guitarist of all time, Plaster Caster favorite, style icon, serial babe magnet, psychedelic drug advocate, prominent Club 27 member… An obvious choice, but who can omit Hendrix when it comes to deceased rockers? His sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’roll lifestyle ultimately led to his untimely death when he choked on his own vomit after a London party in 1970, but the legend clearly lives on. Hey Baby is one of Hendrix’ many dreamy anthems that was released posthumously, and appears on the album Rainbow Bridge.
7) Led Zeppelin – I Can’t Quit You Baby (1969)
Widely regarded as the best drummer ever, John Bonham joined Led Zeppelin in 1968 which was to become one of the most successful (and awesome) bands in rock history. Bonham recorded nine albums with Led Zeppelin until one day he downed 40 shots of vodka and went out the same way has Hendrix. After his death in 1980 the remaining members decided to disband the group, although a reunion has taken place with Bonham’s son on drums.
8) Ozzy Osbourne (The Blizzard of Ozz) – Mr. Crowley (1980)
After leaving Black Sabbath in 1979, frontman Ozzy recruited Randy Rhoades as the guitarist for his band Blizzard of Ozz. Rhoades and his Les Paul were hired on the spot, and the California heavy metal kid proved to be a big hit. Hailed as the best new guitarist of his genre, Rhoades had a promising career ahead of him until a plane crash ended his life at the age of 25. Mr. Crowley refers to British occultist Aleister Crowley, whose books inspired Ozzy to write this song after finding a deck of tarot cards at the recording studio.
9) T. Rex – Ride a White Swan (1970)
The release of their 1st single, Ride a White Swan, officially put T.Rex on the map in 1970 and marked the beginning of glam rock in the UK. Songwriter and frontman Marc Bolan became known for his eccentric style, wearing feather boas and glitter during the band’s live performances. While T.Rex’s popularity waned in the mid-70′s, Bolan continued touring and making appearances on national television until his tragic death in a car accident two weeks before his 30th birthday.
10) Eddie Cochran – Twenty Flight Rock (1956)
When 18 year-old Eddie Cochran appeared in the ’56 comedy The Girl Can’t Help It starring the late sex symbol and rumored satanist Jayne Mansfield, his career was propelled to the pop stardom which, ultimately, spelled out his doom. Just three years later Cochran was involved in a car crash while on tour in England, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Posthumously induced in the Hall of Fame, Cochran’s songs have been covered by a multitude of artists including The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and The Who.
11) Buddy Holly – Heartbeat (1958)
Ranking #13 among Rolling Stone’s ’50 Greatest Artists of All Time’, bespectacled rock ‘n’ roll icon Buddy Holly made an immeasurable impact on popular culture during his short lifetime. Together with The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, the 22 year-old Texas native died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, also referred to as ‘The Day the Music Died’. Heartbeat was the last single he released before the fatal accident.
12) The Who – I Can’t Explain (1964)
Nicknamed “Moon the Loon” because of his sometimes fruitcake behavior, Keith Moon joined The Who as the rock band’s drummer in 1962. As well as being a superb musician, Moon was known to raise hell everywhere he went. He was banned from venues and hotels all over the globe for trashing more than a few dressing rooms, and allegedly drove a Lincoln Continental into a swimming pool on his 21st birthday. While his only injury was a missing tooth, he spent the night in jail and received a $24,000 bill to cover damages. It was not until 1978 that Moon’s reckless behavior caught up with him, when he died from a drug overdose at the age of 32.
13) Joy Division – A Means To An End (1980)
Despite having only two studio albums to their name, British post-punk band Joy Division has reached cult status of epic proportions since the loss of frontman Ian Curtis in 1980. His suicide meant the end of Joy Division, whose remaining members continued as New Order. A Means to an End is a haunting example of the band’s characteristic gloomy sound and appears on the posthumously released album Closer. Curtis was 23 years old.
14) Nick Drake – Day Is Done (1969)
Fairly unknown during his lifetime, singer-songwriter Nick Drake’s talent is now recognized far and beyond Great Britain. Depression and insomnia troubled the young artist and are often underlying themes in his music. Credited as one of the greatest of albums of all time by NME, Five Leaves Left was Drakes debut album and features this beautifully melancholy composition. In 1974, Drake ultimately lost his battle with his metal illness and succumbed to an overdose of antidepressants, which was ruled a suicide.
15) Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah / I Know It’s Over (1995-’96)
After modest success with his ’94 debut Grace, singer-songwriter and son of the late Tim Buckley (also a musician who died prematurely), Jeff Buckley never completed his sophomore album. In Memphis to record what was later released as Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, Buckley went swimming in Wolf River one evening and drowned. Rivaling Leonard Cohen’s original version, Buckley’s rendition of Hallelujah is near perfection in this live medley with The Smiths’ I Know It’s Over.
