Music fans have been marking the 18th anniversary of the suicide of Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain who put a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger on 5 April, 1994, because he could not cope with the unrelenting pressure of superstardom.
When he died, he joined the mythical 27 Club, which honours the large number of musicians who died at the age of 27, among them Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stone Brian Jones, The Doors' Jim Morrison, singer Robert Johnson, Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse.
We pay tribute to some of them below:
Additional research by Jamie Lewis
Kurt Cobain performing at the 1992 Video Music Awards. Kurt Cobain rocketed to unexpected, and unwanted, fame with Nirvana and their 1991 album, Nevermind. Cobain’s public battle with depression reflected in his music with lyrics such as “I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black”. His suicide on 5 April, 1994 resulted in public outcry, with diehard fans of the grunge-pioneers blaming his wife, Courtney Love of murdering the tortured soul.ReutersAmy Winehouse the Movie? So far, the singer's father has said he will not sell the screen rights to Winehouse's music.ReutersJimi Hendrix died in 1970 from a heroin overdose. Drink and psychedelic drugs led legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix to an early grave, though it was overdosing on high-strength sleeping pills that finally led to his death. Hendrix died from asphyxiation on 18 September, 1970; the coroner concluded that he choked on his own vomit after he passed out from the overdose.ReutersRolling Stones’ guitarist Brian Jones was also the focus of a number of murder conspiracy theories, which were compiled into the 2005 film Stoned. Jones died overnight 2/3 July, 1969 and was found at the bottom of his swimming pool. The coroner recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.Creative CommonDoors lead singer (second left) died in Paris in 1971. The Doors’ frontman Jim Morrison’s death was shrouded in conspiracy theories although the coroner concluded that he died of heart failure after snorting heroin that he thought was cocaine. Conspiracists maintain he is still alive and faked his death to get away from the intense media limelight. Morrison’s body resides in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and is to this day one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.Reuters
