Gene Simmons and the 27 Club

With so many rock stars writing memoirs, you may think the upcoming book by Gene Simmons of Kiss is going to be much of the same ol' thing. Think again. Gene is delving into the darker side of success and living the life of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. He's exploring death, and what leads so many young rockers to destroy their lives by the age of 27.

The actual title of the book is "27: The Legend and Mythology of the 27 Club". The official synopsis for the book, which will be released in August 2018 reads:


"Beginning in the summer of 1969, a slew of major rock stars all died in quick succession: Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, all hugely influential musicians of their time, passed away, under tragic circumstances, and at exactly 27 years old.

This is how the rumor of the '27 club' — the idea that there is something fateful, myth-worthy, or even cursed about turning 27 — began. Since then, the morbid pantheon has continued to grow, now including art prodigy Basquiat (d. 1988), legendary NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain (d. 1994), and nu-blues heroine Amy Winehouse (d. 2011), among other unforgettable figures. Becoming a member is a perverse privilege, but the cost of entry is dangerously high.

In '27', rock legend Gene Simmons of KISS fame, a man with over 10 million album sales and many a story to his name, will serve as our guide to the enigmatic 27 club, examining sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll from the inside, and answering our enduring questions… Why do we find ourselves obsessed with the untimely deaths of the famous and the infamous? Is the 27 club just a compelling urban legend? What does age 27 really mean for our most beautiful and damned?"

Who would know about decades of stardom, excess and fame better than the original Demon of rock? I'm waiting eagerly for this release!

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