On Johnny Burnette, it's unbelievable on some of the tragedy that visited some of these stars....
Johnny Burnette---drowned in a boating collision.
Johnny Ace---Dead in a game of Russian roulette.
Eddie Cochrane---Killed in the same car crash that crippled Gene Vincent.
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper---plane crash.
Danny Cedrone, who winged the classic guitar solo on Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock"---Fell down stairs, broke his neck fatally. 1954, before "Rock Around the Clock" was released.
Chuck Willis, the "King of the Stroll"---peritonitis.
Tiny Bradshaw, who created "The Train Kept A-Rollin"---stroke at 51.
Guitar Slim (Eddie Jones), creator of the blues standards "The Things I Used to Do" and "I Done Got Over It"---pneumonia in 1959, at 32.
Jesse Belvin---auto accident.
Sam Cooke---shot to death.
Alan Freed, the DJ who coined the phrase "rock and roll" to make rhythm and blues more palatable to middle American whites---uremia, at 43.
Bobby Fuller---death never solved, suspected to have been murdered, as "I Fought the Law" became his monster hit. 23.
Johnny Kidd, the English kid who sent "Shakin' All Over" into rock and roll's language---road accident, 1966. 30.
Bill Black, Elvis's early bassist---brain tumour. 39.
Rockin' Robin Roberts, Seattle rock and roll legend---road accident at 27. Arguably the first member of the 27-club who wasn't named Robert Johnson.
Frankie Lymon---Drug overdose at 25.
Little Willie John (the originator of "Fever")---heart attack at 30.
Luther Perkins, the original guitarist for Johnny Cash's Tennessee Two/Tennessee Three---smoke inhalation in a home fire.
Benny Benjamin, the first drummer for the Funk Brothers at Motown---stroke after years of alcohol abuse. 43.
. . . and that's before the infamous 27 club began taking on such members as Brian Jones, Alan Wilson (Canned Heat), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison . . .
