The Myth of the 27 Club

Sean Levine wrote this in Drug Addiction on Friday, July 11, 2014

Everyone dreams of living “the Rock n’ Roll lifestyle,” especially drug addicts and alcoholics. They imagine a 24/7 never-ending stream of drugs, booze, casual sex, fame, and glory. There’s even an assumption that addicts won’t have to own up to their addiction if they can sing a note or play the guitar. Needless to say, history has proven this a fantasy. No one is immune to the horrors of drug addiction, as the recent death of Philip Seymour Hoffman shows. Addiction brings death and destruction to everyone afflicted by it. Young addicts who dream of stardom may do well to remember the “27 Club.”

The 27 Club is the name given to the group of stars and musicians who have died at the age of 27. Moreover, most of these people died from drugs — overdoses or other consequence of addiction, such as accidents, suffocation or suicide. The 27 Club has a very large membership, which includes: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. As recently as 2011, Amy Winehouse became a member of the 27 Club as well.

What should the 27 Club teach every drug addict? There is nothing poetic or romantic or glorious about drug addiction. Quit the opposite — it is harsh and cold and brutal. Every member of the 27 Club wasted their lives on addiction rather than addiction treatment. They wasted their talent doing drugs rather than receiving drug addiction services. History could have been different if they had gone to a drug rehab or an alcohol rehab. We could have enjoyed their work, their art and their music for so many more years. Their families would not relive their tragic deaths every time a song comes on the radio. They would not have to remind themselves of the wasted talent and genius that proved powerless over addiction.

Look no further than the 27 Club to see the true reality of addiction. It doesn’t care who you are or what you do. It doesn’t care how young you are, how creative you are, or how much you have to offer the world. The 27 Club is always looking for new members, but you don’t have to be one! Call 877-968-6682 to find treatment today!