Breaking Research on Rock Stars

Okay, hold onto your seats for this one…a new study has come out saying that *gasp* rock stars are more likely than others to die a premature death. Yes, yes, I know many of you are shocked by this discovery. The study was conducted by researchers at the Centre for Public Health at John Moores University in Liverpool. The researchers studied more than 1,000 artists, mostly from the North America and the United Kingdom. They discovered that there were 100 deaths among the 1,064 musicians they studied between the years of 1956 and 2005. People such as Elvis, Jim Morrison, … Continue reading

Forever 27: Janis Joplin

In October 1970, the world was still reeling over the death of Jimi Hendrix. How such a wonderfully talented guitarist could be taken so suddenly was shocking. But, by the end of the month, the country would be mourning the death of another great rock icon. Janis Joplin was shunned by the others in high school. While it may have bothered her, she had more on her mind. She was already listening to blues greats like Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, Odetta, and Big Mama Thornton. Soon, Janis began to sing both blues and folk music, playing small coffee houses and bars … Continue reading

Forever 27: Jim Morrison

In July 1971, music fans were still reeling from the deaths of 60s icons Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. But, another hard hit was yet to come. Jim Morrison met Ray Manzarek and they formed the band The Doors in 1965. They were quickly joined by John Densmore on drums and Robby Krieger on guitar. In 1966, they opened for the Northern Irish band Them (featuring lead singer Van Morrison) at the famed Whiskey-A-Go-Go on Sunset Strip in LA. They got their big break when they were signed to Elektra Records in 1967. They released the single “Light My Fire” … Continue reading