The Startling Last Words of Stars Who Died at the Age of 27

Written By James Chung
| March 21, 2020 - 2:46 pm | Updated 3 years ago

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Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse are just a few of the many talented stars who passed away at the young age of 27, making each of them famous members of the so-called “27 Club.” All of them burned brightly before meeting a tragic demise, and these are the last words that they left behind.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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Jimi Hendrix is remembered as one of the most influential guitarists in history thanks to his flamboyant electric guitar skills and pioneering sound in the 1960s. Tragically, his career was cut short when he died from drug-related complications on September 18, 1970 after only truly enjoying mainstream success for 4 years.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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Born in 1942 in Seattle, as James Marshall Hendrix, the future rock star had a tough childhood and ended up in the care of extended family and acquaintances. His parents, Al and Lucille, would often get drunk and fight, which had a lasting effect on the young Hendrix.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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After Hendrix’s mother Lucille died in 1958, Hendrix directed himself toward playing the guitar, and the instrument became a sanctuary for him. He taught himself to play the blues, started to skip school, and spent most of his time hanging out with musicians. Hendrix played in several bands before becoming a known commodity, beginning with the Rocking Kings and including the King Kasuals, Curtis Knight and the Squires, and Jimmy James and the Blue Flames.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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Throughout the ’60s, Hendrix also became associated with the recreational drug counterculture in the United States. He experimented with LSD, cannabis, and several other substances in addition to becoming a heavy drinker. Many blamed his drug and alcohol addiction for the numerous tales of Hendrix being violent with girlfriends and lovers – though these stories have been disputed.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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Herbie Worthington, who was friends with Hendrix, said that after drinking, he would turn into a different character. As recorded in Charles R. Cross’ Room Full of Mirrors, Worthington said “[Hendrix] just couldn’t drink. He simply turned into a bastard.” As it would turn out, it was drinking and drug use that would cost Hendrix his life in the end.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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On September 17, 1970, Hendrix spent the evening out with friends before heading home with his girlfriend, Monika Dannemann. The two of them enjoyed the rest of the night together, drinking red wine before Hendrix took sleeping pills.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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The next morning, Dannemann found his dead body covered in his own vomit. It was reported that Jimi had taken 9 full sleeping tablets the night before (almost 20 times the recommended dose) and died from asphyxiation.

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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Hendrix’s last known words were in an answering machine message he left for his manager and friend Chas Chandler. He said “I need help bad, man.” Of course, this brought about the question of what did Hendrix need help with?

Jimi Hendrix’s Call for Help

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A number of conspiracy theories have sprung up over the years around Hendrix’s death, with the predictable ones being that his girlfriend had killed him or that he’d intentionally taken his own life. There were even some more far-fetched ones that suggested that he was murdered by his manager, but no meaningful evidence has ever come to light to support any of these theories.

Robert Johnson’s Final Words to the Devil

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Robert Johnson was a legendary American blues musician whose name is surrounded by rumors and mythology. As the story goes, Johnson traded his soul to the Devil himself in exchange for his musical gifts, and then he died under mysterious circumstances at the age of 27 on August 16, 1938.

Robert Johnson’s Final Words to the Devil

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Although he only participated in two recording sessions – conducted in improved settings such as hotel rooms – and released just 29 songs, Johnson was hugely influential on a range of iconic musicians. Many of Johnson’s songs, lyrics and blues licks have been referenced by and influenced artists over the years like Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant and Keith Richards.

Robert Johnson’s Final Words to the Devil

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Research into his life suggests that Johnson was haunted by many things. Driven by a desire to never return to the laborious agricultural work of his youth, the songwriter lived a nomadic life — frequently disappearing and reappearing in locations across the South and Midwest of America. Wandering with his guitar, Johnson performed wherever he could.

Robert Johnson’s Final Words to the Devil

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The story goes that Johnson was given poisoned whiskey by a lover’s jealous husband who had apparently hoped to teach Johnson a lesson. The guitarist fell ill and died several days later on August 16, 1938, in Greenwood, Mississippi.

Photo of Robert JOHNSON and Robert JOHNSON (GRAVE)

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While it’s unknown precisely what killed Johnson, he also suffered from an ulcer which may have contributed to his death. Before being laid to rest in a pine box, Johnson’s final words were, “I pray that my redeemer will come and take me from my grave.”

Jim Morrison’s Mysterious Death in Paris

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Legendary singer, songwriter and poet Jim Morrison died in Paris on July 3, 1971, some 9 months after the death of Jimi Hendrix. With no autopsy having been conducted, the exact cause of The Doors’ lead vocalist’s death has never been determined – but there’s been no shortage of speculation.

Jim Morrison’s Mysterious Death in Paris

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The “Lizard King” is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most influential frontmen in history, and as famous as Morrison is for writing iconic songs like “Light My Fire,” “L.A. Woman” and “Riders on the Storm,” he’s also known for his alcohol and drug use.

Jim Morrison’s Mysterious Death in Paris

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Indeed, Morrison developed a serious dependency on alcohol, and it affected his live performances so much that the singer fell off the stage during a performance in December 1967. Earlier in the night, according to Frank Lisciandro’s Jim Morrison: Friends Gathered Together, he had told the band, “I’m going to get as drunk as I can possibly get and then I won’t be responsible. It’ll just be the phenomenon manifesting itself through me while I’m blotto.” In the documentary When You’re Strange, there’s also a chilling clip of Morrison in the middle of an alcohol-induced spasm. However, there’s no evidence that his death was alcohol-related.

Jim Morrison’s Mysterious Death in Paris

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Although there’s some debate over the cause of Morrison’s passing, the theory that’s generally accepted is that he and his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, had watched a film before heading back to their apartment in Paris. Courson then went to bed, only to wake to find Morrison gurgling and choking.

Jim Morrison’s Mysterious Death in Paris

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Morrison proceeded to vomit blood, but declined to seek medical help and instead said that he would take a bath. Courson returned to bed, and would find him dead in the bathtub the following morning. His last words were allegedly “Are you there, Pam? Pam, are you there?” and the official cause of death was reported as heart failure.

Jim Morrison’s Mysterious Death in Paris

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According to Danny Sugerman, co-author of No One Here Gets Out Alive: The Biography of Jim Morrison, the couple had been snorting heroin together that night. “It’s not unusual when someone does heroin for the first time, for them to feel ill,” he told MOJO. “He was sick, he took a bath, he died. There was no more mystery than that.”

Amy Winehouse’s Sad Last Words to Her Doctor

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English singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse is one of the most prominent celebrities of recent times to join the 27 Club. With a unique, soulful voice, her work included an eclectic mix of musical genres – touching on soul, R&B, pop, and jazz. But Winehouse also famously battled drug and alcohol addiction, and she died of alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011.

Amy Winehouse’s Sad Last Words to Her Doctor

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Winehouse was born in London, England and made her start in the music industry at the age of 16. Her schoolmate – before she got expelled – and friend, singer Tyler James, apparently helped her get publicity for her demo tape before she ultimately secured a deal with Island Records.

Amy Winehouse’s Sad Last Words to Her Doctor

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By the mid-2000s, Winehouse was drinking heavily, using drugs, and in a tempestuous relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. It was against this background that she released her most famous album, Back to Black. The massively successful “Rehab” served as both the album’s lead single as well as a frank refusal to receive treatment for her addictions. Her family suggested that the star’s tumultuous journey through the second half of the 2000s was sparked by the 2006 death of her grandmother, which removed a crucial stabilizing influence in her life.

Amy Winehouse’s Sad Last Words to Her Doctor

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Winehouse broke records by winning five Grammy Awards for Back to Black in what would prove be a high point in her career. Winehouse’s struggle with drugs and alcohol over the following years and would lead the singer to become an unreliable and unpredictable performer.

Amy Winehouse’s Sad Last Words to Her Doctor

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The singer’s heartbreaking last known interaction came in a medical check-up with Dr. Christina Romete, which took place just hours before she was found dead. Dr. Romete said that Winehouse was unwilling to follow the advice of medics with regards to her lifestyle and that she wanted to do things her own way. Nevertheless, in some of her final recorded words, Winehouse reportedly said “I don’t want to die.”

Pete Ham’s Way Out of Financial Ruin

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Welsh singer, songwriter and guitarist Pete Ham was most famous for his part in leading the 1970s pop/rock group Badfinger, once called “the next Beatles.” As a lifelong sufferer of depression, Ham killed himself on April 24, 1975 after he and his bandmates were betrayed by their manager.

Pete Ham’s Way Out of Financial Ruin

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Born in Swansea, a teenage Ham formed a group called The Panthers at the start of the 1960s. The band would evolve over time, eventually becoming The Iveys and getting a green light from all four Beatles to sign with Apple Records before finally settling on the name Badfinger.

Pete Ham’s Way Out of Financial Ruin

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Ham would go on to become a leading figure in the genre of power pop thanks to influential tracks like “Without You,” which he wrote with Badfinger bassist Tom Evans. The song has been covered by scores of artists, including Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey and won several awards in 1973 – most notably an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.

Pete Ham’s Way Out of Financial Ruin

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Badfinger’s manager, Stan Polley, put together a contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1972. But not long after, Polley had seemingly taken the advance payment and run – something that the label sued for, but he would only admit to some two decades later. In the meantime, the band was left with more legal troubles than cash.

Pete Ham’s Way Out of Financial Ruin

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Believing he had been left in financial ruin, Ham hung himself just days before he would have turned 28. Ham left behind a note for his pregnant wife and son that read “I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. P.S. Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me.”

Pete Ham’s Way Out of Financial Ruin

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Ham was suffering from depression, but financial ruin pushed him over the edge. On the night he died, Ham met with his Badfinger bandmate Tom Evans to discuss their financial issues. They were both distraught by what had happened. “I know a way out” were reportedly some of Ham’s last words to Evans – who would also take his own life several year later on November 19, 1983.

Jonghyun’s Final Text Farewell

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Kim Jong-hyun, better known as Jonghyun, was a South Korean singer and K-pop superstar. He was the lead vocalist in boy band SHINee and released a whopping 12 blockbuster albums with the group. Tragically, Jonghyun took his own life, on December 18, 2017 via carbon monoxide poisoning – but only after the K-pop idol reportedly sent a heartbreaking goodbye message to his sister.

Jonghyun’s Final Text Farewell

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Jonghyun was regarded as one of the best singers in South Korea. Not only did his first solo album, Base, take the number one spot on the Billboard World Album Chart, but he also garnered acclaim for his creative vision and ability to drive his work forward in a way that was relatively rare in his field.

Jonghyun’s Final Text Farewell

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The young K-pop star was also a vocal supporter of victims of discrimination and the LGBT community. Writing to a a transgender student, he said, “I support you. As an entertainer, as a minority… who deals with the public, I feel a great sense of loss in this world where we don’t admit differences.” Internet trolls responded to messages like these by attacking Jonghyun, which would only add to the strain on him.

Jonghyun’s Final Text Farewell

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On December 18, 2017, Jonghyun walked into an apartment in Seoul’s Gangnam District that he had rented shortly before. In the following hours, his sister, Kim So-dam, reached out to emergency services with fears that he might be about to kill himself, based on some concerning messages he’d sent to her.

Jonghyun’s Final Text Farewell

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It seems that Jonghyun died from intentionally inhaling carbon monoxide fumes, having heated coal briquettes in a frying pan. Given the circumstances, his family declined to have an autopsy performed and the death was determined to be a probable suicide.

Jonghyun’s Final Text Farewell

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Jonghyun’s text messages to his sister are thought to be his final words. His last message read, “It’s been too hard. Please send me off. Tell everyone I’ve had a hard time. This is my last goodbye.”