Singing Stars of the "Forever 27" Club Quiz

Answer: Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas on January 1943 and died in Los Angeles on October 4 1970. Joplin was famous for her drug use and a heroin overdose, some say accidental, claimed her life.
One of the last tracks that Joplin recorded was the Mercedes Benz song:
"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?"
Joplin was something of a non-conformist at school and University and moved to California where she hung out with beat poets and started to write songs.
A growing reputation earned her a place in the band Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966. That lasted just two years and several other bands and solo projects followed. Joplin was a prolific writer and recording artists, but her biggest hit was to be "Me and Bobby McGee" which was co-written by her former lover Kris Kristofferson, and was a posthumous US Number one song on the Billboard charts

Answer: Brian Jones

Brian Jones was born on 28th February 1942 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and was found dead in a swimming pool at Hartfield, Sussex on 3rd July 1969. The death of the multi-instrumentalist came just seven years after he founded the Stones. The original line-up in July 1962 was Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor, and Tony Chapman.

By the following January the band had settled down to comprise Jones, Jagger, Richards, Stewart, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. The band became a success, with eight UK Number one singles and five US number one songs in the 1960s.

Answer: Jimi Hendrix

Hyperbole is common in rock music, but few would argue that Hendrix was probably the best electric guitarist - ever.
Born in Seattle, Washington in November 27 1942, Hendrix was found dead, apparently having choked, on September 18, 1970 at Kensington, London.
Hendrix was revered by peers and fans alike and was a consummate performer. Chart success eluded him, though, with his biggest hit being his cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower". It reached Number 20 in the US in 1968, though Hendrix had five top 10 hits in the UK, including the Number one, "Voodoo Child" in 1967. "Are You Experienced?" was the title of an LP released in 1966.

Answer: Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse was born on September 14, 1983 in London and died in that city on July 23, 2011 of a suspected drugs overdose.
Winehouse packed a lot into a short career, but throughout she was bedeviled with problems of alcohol and drugs abuses. Her 2006 album "Back To Black" was a chart topper in the UK and earned five Grammys.
In 2008, the song "Rehab" earned three Grammys. It had the - perhaps visionary - line "They tried to make me go to rehab but I said no, no, no." (In fact Winehouse did seek treatment for her addictions on several occasions.)

Answer: Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison was born in Florida on December 8, 1943 and died in Paris on July 3, 1971. He formed The Doors in 1965 and the band went on to produce some acclaimed recordings, such as "Riders On The Storm" and "Light My Fire, a US Number one single. Many people were struck by Morrison's poetic approach to lyric writing.

He was found dead in his Paris apartment, but as no post-mortem examination took place, a cause of death was never satisfactorily established. He was buried in Paris and thousands of people visit his grave each year.

Answer: Kurt Cobain

Kurt Cobain was born on February 20, 1967 in Aberdeen, Washington and died on April 5, 1994 in Seattle, Washington.
He was the co-founder and lead singer of the band Nirvana. ("Free from suffering" is one description of the term Nirvana in some Indian religions). The band formed in 1987, but their career took off in 1990. The single "Smells Like Teen Spirits" was a top 10 hit in several countries. Despite being hailed as a spokesman for a new generation, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction and his official cause of death was suicide.

Answer: Robert Johnson

Robert Johnson was born in Mississippi on May 8, 1911 and died in the same state on August 16, 1938.
He was an itinerant singer and guitarist whose techniques were copied by the many who followed. In his lifetime he sold few records, but that changed when they were reissued at the start of the 1960s. In 2008, "Rolling Stone" magazine placed him fifth in a list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".

Answer: Les Harvey

Les Harvey was born in Glasgow on September 13, 1944 and died in Swansea, Wales, on May 3, 1972 when be was electrocuted by a live microphone.
He was a brother of Alex Harvey, frontman of The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Les Harvey was asked by Alan Price to join The Animals in the 1960s. He went on to form Stone The Crows in 1969. The band recorded four albums before breaking up in 1973.

Answer: Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan

Ron McKernan was born on September 8, 1945 in San Bruno, California and died on March 8, 1973 at Corte Madera, California. He was a founder member of The Grateful Dead in 1965. The band played in many styles, including jazz, blues, folk and reggae. He died from medical complications brought about by his alcoholism.

Answer: Manic Street Preachers

Richey Edwards was born on December 22. 1967 and was member of the Welsh band Manic Street Preachers. He started off as their roadie, but through strength of character came to dominate the others and became their spokesman. If truth be told, many of the concerts featured him pretending to play the rhythm guitar.

However, he did become their chief songwriter. He disappeared on February 1, 1995, the day before he was due to fly to the USA on a promotional tour. His car was found 14 days later parked near the Severn Bridge.

Despite rumoured sightings thereafter, no trace was ever found of him.