Winehouse’s untimely demise sees her join other substance-abusing musos in The 27 Club, such as The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors’ Jim Morrison and Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, all of whom died aged 27.

Of course, musicians die at many different ages, but according to Hendrix and Cobain biographer Charles R Cross, there is a "statistical spike" of musicians dying three years short of their 30th.

What fueled The 27 Club myth was Jones, Hendrix, Joplin and Morrison kicking the bucket within exactly two years of each other (Jones died July 3, 1969 - Morrison went on July 3, 1971). The fact Cobain was one of the biggest rock stars on the planet when he died added to the legend.

And while you probably know all about those revered musicians, there are quite a few other talented artists who died at 27. Here are just five who haven’t received as much press as Brian, Jimi, Janis, Jim and Kurt.

Robert Johnson

THE life and legacy of Johnson is near-mythological, so it’s probably fitting that he’s seen as the first member of The 27 Club, inadvertantly joining before the club even existed. Details about his short life are scant and his recording career boasted just 29 songs, leaving plenty of room for a legend to emerge to fill in the gaps. There are only two verified photos of him, he has three grave sites, his exact cause of death is unknown, and he’s said to have gained his guitar-playing skills through a deal with the devil at a crossroads in America’s Deep South. What is known is his influence on blues, rock and guitar-playing is profound, leading him to be one of the first "early influences" inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986. Johnson's cause of death is generally attributed to poisoning by a jilted lover or the husband of a woman Johnson had slept with, but its his Faustian deal at the crossroads that is most intriguing. While it sounds like the kind of hype an artist had in the days before artists had hype (and isn't the sort of thing to take literally) the legend of Johnson's pact with the devil adds an intriguing spin to the whole 27 Club thing - what if Johnson didn't read the fine print on the devil's deal, and the devil is still collecting the souls of 27-year-old musicians to this day?

Here's one of his most famous song, Sweet Home Chicago:

Chris Bell

AS a founding member of much-loved '70s power-pop band Big Star, Chris Bell began forging a career that never quite got off the ground during his lifetime. He was a major part of the band's debut #1 Record, which was a critical success but not a commercial one and he left soon after, apparently because he either felt overshadowed by Big Star's other key vocalist/songwriter Alex Chilton or because he was devastated by the album's failure. Bell contributed to a handful of songs on Big Star's follow-up Radio City but decided to focus on his solo work. Unfortunately only two songs would be released by Bell between his leaving Big Star in '72 and his death in '78. One of them - I Am The Cosmos - would become the title track to his posthumous solo album, which finally came out in 1992 to rapturous reviews. Bell had troubles with drug use and depression but his death was an unfortunate accident that came just as his career was set to rise again. The single for I Am The Cosmos had just been released and he was in the process of putting a new band together when he crashed into a tree while driving too fast, just two days after Christmas, 1978. Bell didn't live to see his album released or his work with Big Star to be re-appraised and hailed by a new generation of indie pop bands.

With Big Star he helped write this classic which became the theme song for That '70s Show:

And here is the spine-tingling I Am The Cosmos:

D. Boon

MINUTEMEN were a fascinating band, proving to be greatly influential and gaining a large cult following before and after the band's end in 1985. Across four albums and a number of EPs, Minutemen covered a lot of territory, mixing an off-kilter funk style and a jazzy approach with a punk rock attitude that often incorporate spoken word, blues or hints of country to create a truly unique form of alternative rock (before such a term was fashionable). Their crowning glory was the epic 45-track double album Double Nickels On The Dime - a record now regarded as one of the greatest of the '80s. Sadly it all came to an end with the death of guitarist D Boon, just as the band had completed a tour with the then-up-and-coming REM and had started planning their fifth record. Boon was recovering from a fever and lying in the back of a van as it was being driven through Arizona just two days before Christmas, 1985, when the van ran off the road, causing the unseatbelted Boon to be thrown from the van and breaking his neck. It was an unfortunate end to an innovative and talented guitarist, who was later named by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. His Minutemen bandmate Mike Watt still dedicates every record he makes to his mate D.

The one, the only... Minutemen, and their closest thing to a hit single, This Ain't No Picnic:

Richey Edwards

THE rhythm guitarist for Welsh rockers Manic Street Preachers, Richey Edwards has the distinction of being the only member of The 27 Club who may not be dead. Edwards was a major force in shaping the Manics as their star began to rise, influencing their style and writing many of their lyrics, despite having little musical knowledge or ability. He also helped stir controversy around the band, famously carving "4REAL" into his arm with a razor blade in response to an NME journalist's query about the Manics legitimacy. He also talked openly about his depression and mental problems - something that was almost unheard of at the time. During his stint with the band, the Manics released their first three albums - Generation Terrorists, Gold Against The Soul and The Holy Bible - which were all received well and helped the band make a name for itself. And then Edwards disappeared on February 1, 1995 - the day he was supposed to fly to the US to promote The Holy Bible. Two weeks later, his car was found at service station near a bridge in Wales that is a known suicide spot, leading to theories that Edwards had taken his own life. A body was never found, and sightings of Edwards persisted for years. His family only had him declared "presumed dead" in 2008.

Here's the Richey-era Manics track Motorcycle Emptiness:

Kristen Pfaff

A CLASSICALLY trained pianist and cellist, Pfaff eventually took up bass guitar and started a band called Janitor Joe in the early '90s. Impressed with her playing, Hole member Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson pursued Pfaff to join their band, with Pfaff finally agreeing and moving to Seattle to help the band record Live Through This - an album that would be seen as Hole's defining moment. It's release was marred by tragedy, coming out just a matter of days after Love's husband Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Pfaff, who had become close friends with Cobain, was deeply upset by his death and moved back home to Minneapolis, quitting Hole and aiming to rejoin Janitor Joe. Leaving Seattle also meant Pfaff was getting away from her drug connections in the north-west city - she had developed a heroin addiction during her time there. It would unfortunately be her undoing - just two months after Cobain's death, Pfaff was dead too from an accidental heroin overdose.

One of the killer tracks from Live Through This, here's Violet:

*Anyone in need of help and support or considering harming themself can phone Lifeline 24 hours a day on 131 114. Young people can call the Kids' Help Line 1800 551 800.