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Is Benjamin Keough the latest member of the 27 Club? After Lisa Marie Presley’s son died by suicide before he reached his 28th birthday, some fans are linking his death to the so-called “27 Club.” But what is it exactly? More than a few famous musicians, actors and artists have tragically died at the young age of 27, and the coincidence became something of a cultural phenomenon known as the 27 Club.
Keough, the grandson of Elvis Presley, was found “suffering from one gunshot wound” at a Calabasas, California, home on Sunday, July 12. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shared in a press release that he was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy report later confirmed his cause of death was suicide.
Presley’s son was famously the spitting image of his maternal grandfather. “Ben does look so much like Elvis,” the To Whom It May Concern singer told CMT in 2012. “He was at the [Grand Ole Opry] and was the quiet storm behind the stage. … Everybody turned around and looked when he was over there. Everybody was grabbing him for a photo because it is just uncanny.”
An insider closer to the family told In Touch Presley and Keough were particularly close. The mother-son duo even got matching tattoos that showed just how strong their bond was. On Mother’s Day in 2009, they were inked with twin “Celtic eternity knots,” which represent “eternal love and connection.”
In the wake of her son’s passing, a source says Presley is “devastated” — and so is the whole family. However, they’re keeping a particularly close eye on the mother of four, who also lost her own father when the “Heartbreak Hotel” singer died of an accidental overdose at the age of 42. “Lisa was very close to Ben,” the source told In Touch. “The family is … all worried about Lisa now. … [They’re] gathering together.”
Fans are also sending major love the family’s way, but many can’t help but make the comparison between Keough’s death and those of other celebrities who came before him. Check out the gallery below to see the most famous stars who are members of the devastating “27 Club.”
The founder and original leader of the Rollings Stones, Brian Jones died in 1969. The musician was only 27 when he was found at the bottom of his swimming pool. Some conspiracy theories state that he was murdered, but the coroner’s report determined he drowned, listing his official cause of death as “death by misadventure.”
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Marc Sharratt/Shutterstock
Jimi Hendrix
One of the most famous musicians of his time, Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 at age 27. After his girlfriend found him unconscious and unresponsive, he was brought to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. An inquest determined he died of asphyxia after taking barbiturates.
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Peter Larsen/Shutterstock
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin was found dead in her hotel room in 1970. Coroners found the “Me and Bobby McGee” singer had accidentally overdosed on heroin at age 27.
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ITV/Shutterstock
Jim Morrison
The lead vocalist of The Doors, Jim Morrison was found dead in his bathtub in 1971 at age 27. Though no official autopsy was performed, his cause of death was listed as heart failure while many believe he, like Joplin, accidentally overdosed on heroin.
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Stephen Sweet/Shutterstock
Kurt Cobain
The Nirvana frontman was only 27 when he died by suicide in 1994. Despite leaving behind a suicide note and making several previous attempts, Kurt Cobain’s death is the subject of many different conspiracy theories.
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James Mccauley/Shutterstock
Amy Winehouse
The “Rehab” singer publicly struggled with addiction before her death in 2011. At the age of 27, Amy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at her home in England.
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Brian Patterson/Shutterstock
Anton Yelchin
Anton Yelchin died in a tragic accident in 2016. While checking his mail at home, the then-27-year-old Star Trek actor was killed after his car seemingly rolled down the driveway and hit him.
