With the recent death of Amy Winehouse, much is being made -- again -- about the "27 Club." That is, a number of celebrities seem to have met their untimely demise at the age of 27 -- Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Brian Jones and a bunch of others. (See here). This could, of course, be utterly inconsequential, as many folks certainly die at all ages. But it just made me wonder if there's something about the age of 27 that has many of us living life at its riskiest.

Thinking back to 27, what were you doing? And, in hindsight, would you now say that behavior was much riskier than the behavior that characterized other parts of your life?

Also... scroll down to reply #5. I've broadened the question there.

[Edited 7/23/11 17:24pm]

@ 27 I was raising 3.5 children ( pregnant ) and building our home by hand ~ nail by nail

Yes I would do it all again ~ every moment

and NO my "risky" life was left in the streets / gangs of Detroit when I moved away at 20 ish

Ohhh, definitely.

At 27 I had already had both my children, we were getting ready to purchase our first home... So, no, I wasnt involved in risky behaviour... I left that in my teens..

I was caring for my newborn son.

I'm trying to think of something risky...I guess skipping class in HS would qualify, but the most we did was dance, play music and cards and drink a little wine.

That was being egdy to us....

As I think about my question, maybe I shouldn't be asking about "risk" so much as some climactic behavior or point of maturity that marked a sea change in your life, including one that definitely could've wound you up in the grave.

[Edited 7/23/11 17:25pm]

It's impossible for me to die at 27

My depression was definitely nearing its peak at that age. Suicide, for the first time, became an option rather than some abstracted notion, and I was wrestling with coming out to my family and friends. There definitely were some big changes to my life around then.

ScarletScandal said:

It's impossible for me to die at 27

Too many hotties you've not yet "met?"

[Edited 7/23/11 17:36pm]

Lammastide said:

As I think about my question, maybe I shouldn't be asking about "risk" so much as some climactic behavior or point of maturity that marked a sea change in your life, including one that definitely could've wound you up in the grave.

[Edited 7/23/11 17:25pm]

Not leaving the D in my late teens early 20s could have cost me my life so that was the start of my new life ... one much less likely to lead to a quicker grave

hmmm.....I was spending a lot of time caring for my 6 year old son and 2 year old daughter, pretty much all of my time was spent doing that if I wasn't working.

I had a lot of bad things surrounding my life at the that time also, so life seemed pretty sad. Things were about to get worse and didn't improve until about 5 years after.

It seems so long ago in retrospect.

JustErin said:

Same here...by 29 I had suffered a complete mental meltdown, developed a heart condition due to stress and fell into a severe depression but it led to me starting to deal with my drinking issues.

It's interesting. I was just reading about the whole Return of Saturn thing that astrologers push -- that with Saturn returning to the position it was in at the time of a person's birth (a roughly 29-year occurrence), big changes -- some life-ending -- happen particularly around this time. I don't much buy astrological arguments, but it is interesting to see that this time brings pretty big shifts for many people, good or bad. I chalk it up to being a marked point in maturation for people, a "second puberty" in a way.

[Edited 7/23/11 18:05pm]

Machaela said:

Lammastide said:

As I think about my question, maybe I shouldn't be asking about "risk" so much as some climactic behavior or point of maturity that marked a sea change in your life, including one that definitely could've wound you up in the grave.

[Edited 7/23/11 17:25pm]

Not leaving the D in my late teens early 20s could have cost me my life so that was the start of my new life ... one much less likely to lead to a quicker grave

And I'm glad you got out.

Lammastide said:

ScarletScandal said:

It's impossible for me to die at 27

Too many hotties you've not yet "met?"

[Edited 7/23/11 17:36pm]

Nope!

Because I'm 28

My wife & I met when I was 27...

and the year prior to that I was hosting near-nightly Margarita/Tequila/Long Island Ice Tea parties at a place called Henry J. Beans in Cologne, Germany.

Those times are legendary in some circles... regular bacchanals I tell ya... it was incredumazing...

27 was a screwed up year but it's not interesting or anything.... got in trouble cause of drinking. Quit drinking. Was often depressed and confused about what I should be doing. I was looking for a lot of answers and didn't like the ones I was finding. Was kinda lonely at times... so I was a little more social but being social can be SO much trouble. I was finding that most other people my age didn't really know what the hell was going on either and I really started feeling that i may never be able to relate to anyone ever again on a meaningful level. That was an extremely transitional year I have to say. I was kind of afraid of nearing 30 without accomplishing anything, which came and went and did indeed suck.:lol. ... but I'm still here.

I have a question. I was watching an Amy W video where she and Pete D were doing drugs and playing with pinkies. As screwed up as it was, it was actually a sweet video.

what I am wondering though... is why they both had dark stuff on their fingertips and under their fingernails. Is that dried blood from scratching sores.... or tweeking and crapping all over themselves... is it from freaking out and playing with dirt.... WHAT THE HELL IS THAT??!

This is going to drive me crazy.

I was messed up at 27.

It's interesting that so many of the victims had serious drug/alcohol issues. I think that the age must be some kind of turning point where if you are out of control, the intense emotions of that age may not allow you to continue on that particular path.

Most normal people just grow up, but if you combine fame with hard drugs and youth, it can be deadly. Even those who lived past it may eventually succumb, like Elvis, MJ, Heath Ledger, Brad Nowell, but it does seem to be something of a crossroads age

Lammastide said:

As I think about my question, maybe I shouldn't be asking about "risk" so much as some climactic behavior or point of maturity that marked a sea change in your life, including one that definitely could've wound you up in the grave.

[Edited 7/23/11 17:25pm]

Risky or self-destructive behavior never held any allure for me. I've never done drugs nor been a heavy drinker. Intoxicated people always look stupid to me and I had no desire to be like that at any age.

My most life changing events happened before I was 18 but still pale in comparison to the stuff other people go thru. I left home at 18 and knew I was solely responsible for myself and my personal security and I took that shit quite seriously so engaging in risky or stupid shit was never an option. Not having a safety net was the best motivator for me. So I really started an upward trajectory in my personal life at 18 that I'm blessed to say was not derailed by any youthful indiscretions. So at the age of 27, I had just earned my Master's degree and bought a brand new house and was enjoying the fruits of my labor. And I still am.

I'm 27 right now, I can't compare. All the deaths were coincidences anyways. But they are unique when it comes to popular music.

No, I wasn't really on the edge of a precipice or anything at 27.

As far as the 27 thing goes Joplin, Jimi, Amy - I think there's some kind of spiritual or metaphysical thing going on with that. That there are certain people who were sent here for a very special, specific purpose - kinda like being a shooting star or something, that burn out fast and they're meant to go young. Am I making any sense?

I know I probably sound like a space cadet right now...

babynoz said:

I was caring for my newborn son.

I'm trying to think of something risky...I guess skipping class in HS would qualify, but the most we did was dance, play music and cards and drink a little wine.

That was being egdy to us....

We KICKED it and had FUN. None of my friends then or now did drugs (a FEW smoked weed) and the most they'd do is get fucked up on some MD or Boone's but not anything serious. I'm glad I grew when I did and wouldn't want to be young for all the tea in China

it just seemed appropriate...

Life was a riot and I was having more fun than at any time in my life.

Constant trips to South Beach, the Keys, and partying all over the state of Florida.

I was constantly clubbing, constantly drinking, and regularly getting laid.

I was also a pretty bad person when I think about it. I don't miss those days much.

I'm the same age as Amy, but turned 28 already. At 27 I felt lost in life still, still struggling with my depression, moods and anxiety and got sexually intimate with a 5 month boyfriend. I really felt on edge like I was going to lose it for the most part

I will be 27 next year I imagine that it will only get better from where I am now, which is already a huge improvement in comparison to the last few years of my life, which I spent being very ill and broke and seriously depressed. I was in constant pain and couldn't really function on my own. I didn't want to live and thought about ending things fairly often, but there were a few things that kept me going and I'm glad I did. I'm doing much better now. I just started working again and I will be going back to school soon. My 27th year will be spent moving toward the goals that I set for myself and was unable to accomplish before.

.

[Edited 7/23/11 20:16pm]

ScarletScandal said:

Lammastide said:

Too many hotties you've not yet "met?"

[Edited 7/23/11 17:36pm]

Nope!

Because I'm 28

SCNDLS said:

Lammastide said:

As I think about my question, maybe I shouldn't be asking about "risk" so much as some climactic behavior or point of maturity that marked a sea change in your life, including one that definitely could've wound you up in the grave.

[Edited 7/23/11 17:25pm]

Risky or self-destructive behavior never held any allure for me. I've never done drugs nor been a heavy drinker. Intoxicated people always look stupid to me and I had no desire to be like that at any age.

My most life changing events happened before I was 18 but still pale in comparison to the stuff other people go thru. I left home at 18 and knew I was solely responsible for myself and my personal security and I took that shit quite seriously so engaging in risky or stupid shit was never an option. Not having a safety net was the best motivator for me. So I really started an upward trajectory in my personal life at 18 that I'm blessed to say was not derailed by any youthful indiscretions. So at the age of 27, I had just earned my Master's degree and bought a brand new house and was enjoying the fruits of my labor. And I still am.

You go!

SCNDLS said:

babynoz said:

I was caring for my newborn son.

I'm trying to think of something risky...I guess skipping class in HS would qualify, but the most we did was dance, play music and cards and drink a little wine.

That was being egdy to us....

We KICKED it and had FUN. None of my friends then or now did drugs (a FEW smoked weed) and the most they'd do is get fucked up on some MD or Boone's but not anything serious. I'm glad I grew when I did and wouldn't want to be young for all the tea in China

The bad kids sniffed glue,

I wouldn't have picked any other time to be young...today's kids have so much more to deal with.