Amy Winehouse's death has inspired numerous discursive threads, including speculation about her yet-to-be-revealed cause of death, the paparazzi (and YouTube's) hyperdocumentation of her slow unraveling, and the deep tragedy of the young singer's thorny personal life.
In the face of much morbid, pop culture rumination, a dominant Facebook theme seems to be Amy's induction into rock and roll's Dead at 27 Club, a bizarre hall of fame filled with musicians who kicked the bucket at 27.
After the jump, Crossfade lists ten rock star members of the Dead at 27 Club, plus their cause of death.
10. The Stooges' Dave Alexander vs. Pulmonary Edema
The original bassist for The Stooges, Dave Alexander, died of pulmonary edema, essentially lung failure.
9. The Grateful Dead's Ron "Pig Pen" McKernan vs. Booze
The Grateful Dead bassist died from a gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by alcoholism.
8. Janis Joplin vs. Drugs
While onstage Janis shrieked like no other. But she ultimately met her demise via run-of-the-mill overdose.
7. Jim Morrison vs. "Heart Failure"
The Lizard King's cause of death was determined to be "heart failure" thanks to the mysterious lack of an autopsy. Did Jim Morrison really have a heart attack? Or is he hiding in an igloo with Elvis, Tupac, and Andy Kaufman?
6. Jimi Hendrix vs. Booze, Sleeping Pills, and Vomit
Drugs and alcohol didn't kill Jimi Hendrix. But they did make him puke in his sleep, which was final blow for the guitar virtuoso.
5. Brian Jones vs. Swimming Pool
Brian Jones drowned. But the coroner's snarky report preferred to explain the Rolling Stones founder's demise as "death by misadventure."
4. Kurt Cobain vs. Himself
Despite the oft-controversial details of Nirvana's front man's final hours, the official conclusion is that Kurt Cobain killed himself.
3. Robert Johnson vs. Styrchnine Poisoning and/or The Devil
Now, Wikipedia will tell you that blues hound Robert Johnson died from styrchnine poisoning. But everyone knows that Johnson learned to shred by trading his soul to Satan. So Crossfade believes that ol' Lucy decided it was time to collect.
2. D. Boon vs. the Open Road
D. Boon, guitarist for post-punk outfit The Minutemen, was sleeping in his band's tour van when the vehicle veered off road and threw him to his death. He died like a true road warrior -- on tour, jamming econo with his band.
1. Amy Winehouse vs. ?
Although the autopsy has failed to determine a definitive cause of death, internet vultures gnaw at every possible hypothesis, from the cumulative effects of Winehouse's overpartying to the possibility of suicide.
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