The Agony of Janis

Update, 2020. Yes, the deaths of Brian Jones in July 1969, then of Jimi Hendrix in September 1970, then of Janis Joplin a couple of weeks later in October 1970, and then the next year of Jim Morrison in July 1971, curiously all aged 27, did altogether affect the mood of us rock music writers. There wasn't much sign that it changed the hard drug or booze habits of the musicians. For many, drug use had moved from marijuana and opium and then acid, less if at all addictive, to heroin and later crack cocaine, plus often alcohol and pharmaceuticals. Very early deaths happened and continued, also from various immediate causes, for example Robert Johnson in 1938, Kurt Cobain in 1994, and Amy Winehouse in 2011, also all aged 27. If I included other ages from say 25 to 35 the list would be much longer, and lots of musicians over the age say of 50 are gross, wrecked or diseased.