Amy Winehouse Death

When the headline “Amy Winehouse found dead at 27” came barging into our Saturday afternoon, the word “dead” felt like a long-promised punch to the gut. It may not have surprised anyone, but it still hurt
like hell.

And then there was the “27” — rock-and-roll’s most dangerous number. It’s the age that took Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and now a singer whose battles with drugs, drink and depression were nightmarishly publicized in a mediascape her forebears never could have imagined.

Amy Winehouse's hit songs included "Rehab," "Valerie," "Tears Dry on Their Own" and "Back to Black." Police confirmed news reports that Winehouse was found dead Saturday in her London apartment.

Fans in Serbia booed Amy Winehouse off the stage in late June at what turned out to be her last concert appearance. The troubled singer was found dead Saturday in her apartment in London.

Those forebears make up the “27 Club,” a group of musicians who all died at 27. Ron “Pigpen” McKernan of the Grateful Dead died of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage linked to alcohol abuse. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones died in his swimming pool. Chris Bell of Big Star died in a car accident. So did D. Boon of the Minutemen. Delta bluesman Robert Johnson died in 1938 under mysterious circumstances — some say he was poisoned while others cite a Faustian deal with the devil. But he was definitely 27