The White Lighter: Conspiracy Theory and the 27 Club

  With all that’s been said in this blog over the last couple of weeks, I’d like to finish with a final post about my intrigue with modern-day conspiracy theories around the music industry in general, and how they develop as time passes and the idea of fame changes. Extending beyond those who have died, the conspiracies of the deeply rich and famous being controlled by upper echelons has connection as far back as Mozart and Freemasonry. Prior to the 21 Club, and post-the majority of the 27 Club, major pop stars such as Lady Gaga and Beyoncé have been linked to the same dark conspiracies as their contemporaries, especially in the early 2010s. In a similar manner to what has been discussed with the 21 Club, these pop stars have been ‘caught’ referencing the Eye of Horus, CIA’s MK Ultra programme and many others, as written by many respected outlets, such as the Guardian – going so far as to write an article titled ‘Lady Gaga and the New World Order’ where these points are discussed. ...

In continuation with my last post, I’d like to explore the development and merging of conspiracy theories using this case study. The 27 Club has a modern-day legacy and development in the continuation of the conspiracy. As the popular genres have developed since the deaths of Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse, the shift in popular music has moved from rock and roll inspired music to rap and hip-hop. Along with this has come the development of musical conspiracy, as well as the development of the so called ’21 Club’ – a modern day continuation of conspiracy regarding a certain age of death of celebrities and the reasoning behind it. The 21 Club, composed of several rappers whose death, tragically, involved in homicide and drug abuse, has begun to garner attention online in forums and on blogs in a similar vein to their rock and roll counterparts – seemingly, with more force. The tragic deaths of popular rappers such as Lil Peep, Juice Wrld and Mac Miller have huge similarities to the like...

Now that I have hopefully painted the general idea of what the ‘Club’ really is for you, dear reader, let’s discuss the extent of the conspiracy and the media surrounding it. The conspiracy of the 27 Club begins with Robert Johnson, as previously mentioned in my last post. As told by Amber Clark in Medium Magazine, the ‘members’ began ‘s elling their soul(s) to the devil in return for talent, fame and fortune’ with Johnson, exchanging short-lived fame and immense talent with the ultimate price of death at 27, and creating art with their experience. Clark writes: ‘ Two very notable songs Robert wrote: "Cross Road Blues" (or just "Crossroads") and "Me and the Devil Blues," have both contributed to the myth of Johnson's pact with Lucifer, including the part about the dark angel coming to collect his debt. In the latter song, Satan comes knocking on the singer's door early in the morning. "Hello Satan," says Johnson, "I believe it's ...

The 27 Club wall art in Tel Aviv I’m sure, if you have spent any time observing popular culture or listening to good music, dear reader, that you will be familiar with the ’27 Club’. Despite being associated with many forms of fame, such as professional sports players and actors, most widely, the 27 Club is associated with talented musicians, who have ‘lived too fast’ and notoriously struggled with addiction before their untimely deaths. Described by Rolling Stone as ‘one of the most elusive and remarkably tragic coincidences in rock and roll history’, the ‘coincidence’ has led to much discussion and conspiracy theory, notably regarding white lighters and mystery around celebrity death. Some of the most notable members of the club include Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin. All the deaths within the club seemed to have contained some level of foul play or mystery, notably Kurt Cobain’s suicide (which, within itself, contains a conspiracy theory r...