July 3, 1969 – July 3, 1971: A dark circle on Rock history that begun with Brian Jones and ended with Jim Morrison
During exactly two years several Rock stars died at age 27 between July 3, 1969 and July 3, 1971
July 3, 1969 – July 3, 1971: A dark circle on Rock history that begun with Brian Jones and ended with Jim Morrison
David Warren an editor and author for Pop Expresso and in the free time enjoys making instrumental music – davidwarrenmusic.com – and to learn about history and cultures. Reach out at david@popexpresso.com
July 3 it’s one of the darkest days on the history of Rock music. For many, it symbolizes the strange circle that begun on that day in 1969 and ended the same day in 1971. On July 3, 1969, Brian Jones, the guitarist and founding member of the Rolling Stones drowned under mysterious circumstances on his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm where he had been exiled for several months. The iconic Stone had been struggling with drug addiction for several years and had just been recently dismissed from the band. Jones was 27 at the time of his death, and in an exactly 2 years period, four more successful Rock stars would die also at age 27, which begun the myth around the 27 Club. On September 3, 1970 “The Blind Owl” Alan Wilson, founding member, multi instrumentalist and often lead singer for Canned Heat passed away at age 27, in only two weeks, on September 18, the world was shocked to learn about Jimi Hendrix’s death, also at age 27, and on October 4, Janis Joplin also passed at the same age.
On July 3, 1971, exactly two years after Brian Jones death at 27, Jim Morrison of The Doors dies in Paris with the same age on his bathtub. Only a few months earlier, after the deaths of Hendrix and Joplin, Morrison reportedly joked with friend that they were “drinking with number three”, and in 1969, just after the death of Brian Jones, he wrote a tribute poem to Jones that he called “Ode to L.A. While Thinking of Brian Jones, Deceased”. Despite many more successful Rockers passing away at 27 during the 1970’s and even 1980’s, it wasn’t until 1994, with the death of Kurt Cobain that the 27 Club started to gain a mythological interest on Rock and Pop Culture history. In 2011, British singer Amy Winehouse “enters” the club. She was the last relevant name to be associated with it. Today we remember Brian Jones and Jim Morrison, two gigantic figures of Rock and Pop Culture. Many says that the Rolling Stones period with Brian Jones was indeed their best and most creative, with groundbreaking albums such as “Aftermath”, “Between The Buttons”, “Their Satanic Majesties Request” or “The Beggars Banquet”. Jones talent helped the Stones 1960’s songs to develop a timeless dimension that lasts to this day. With Jim Morrison, the icon that never gets old, it’s the same. The music he did with The Doors on albums such as “The Doors”, “Strange Days”, “Waiting For The Sun”, “Morrison Hotel” or “L.A Woman” remains fresh and relevant, he keeps being discovered by new generations, who identify with his angst and rebellion. The Rock Poet, The Lizard King, reached an immortality status that few can. The party ended too soon and both left too soon, but with the legacy they left, most likely, in 100 years, their music, both of Jones and Morrison will still be heard and appreciated as it happens with all the genius.
Watch the Rolling Stones with Brian Jones performing “Paint It, Black” live at The Ed Sullivan Show, 1966
Watch The Doors performing “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” live at The Isle Of Wight Festival, England, 1970
Listen to the playlist Not Fade Away – The Best Of Rolling Stones with Brian Jones and The Doors with Jim Morrison on Spotify
Watch more Rolling Stones related videos
Watch more The Doors related videos
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