Avicii was 28 years old—barely a year older than the members of the notorious ‘27 club’. This ‘club’has seen many iconic musicians succumb to death by drugs, suicide or other mysterious causes at the age of 27. Another such figure “gone too soon” is Swedish DJ and producer, known as DJ Avicii to the world and Tim Bergling to his family. The EDM artist died on 20 April 2018, reportedly by suicide. He “could not go on any longer,” his family said.

The drug and alcohol fixation is mostly found to be the reason behind the untimely demises of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Kobain, Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin – the greatest rock & roll artists to join the tragic 27-club. What can really be blamed for the similar pattern of deaths? Evidently the lifestyle habits have a common high-risk factor associated with it.

Does fame beget a sense of vulnerability due to the constant pressure of being the musical genius of their time? It is likely that to deliver power-packed stage performances, mainstream musicians come under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Sometimes this trend may be followed, simply to be cool and make a statement. While this may be just a theory, it cannot be denied that guitarists strumming to Led Zepellin or Pink Floyd are stereotypically imagined to be marijuana smokers with a hipster-like personality.

Avicii had confessed that the EDM scene had taken a toll on him and his health. It is shocking that someone who had a net worth of $85 million, went to glamorous parties, drove posh cars and led a life ideally around which tabloid contests are designed, where the winner gets to live a day in the life of a celebrity, could be so sad.

Contrary to the activities of a person who shuns the spotlight, Avicii spent all his time touring, when finally in 2017 he retired from doing live performances. He did so with the aim of concentrating on making music.

It is indeed sad when artists compromise their art to embrace the expectations of the world. Kurt Cobain, Nirvana singer and songwriter of, ‘Smells like Teen Spirit’, put a gun to his head at 27. He is survived by his daughter Frances Bean Cobain, who believes that she knows the true cause behind his action. She told the Rolling Stone her theory about Kurt’s death in 2015. “Kurt got to the point where he eventually had to sacrifice every bit of who he was to his art, because the world demanded it of him,” she said.

Perhaps the clamour of screaming fans at concerts drowns out the music at one point and the artist is no longer able to pursue his creative interests in making music. It prevents someone struggling with mental health disorders from having their peace of mind.

Avicii was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis from excessive drinking. It had affected his mental health enormously and being constantly under public scrutiny had troubled the introvert in him. The spotlight highlighted all of his existential questions about the meaning of life and happiness.

American musician Jimi Hendrix died of oxygen deficiency in his sleep due to the effects of nervous system depressants. It baffles one to think what led to inarguably one of the greatest musicians of all time, to depend on drugs to sleep.

The primary and common cause includes either alcohol poisoning or drug abuse. Were they so intoxicated by fame that they never realized the fatal consequences that drug addiction would lead to?

Amy Winehouse’s album Back to Black was a massive musical success however the lyrics were borne out of her dark background. Her history of drug abuse wrecked her romantic life and her consequently, her career.

As goes the saying, the grass is always greener on the other side; similarly except for the person battling their demons, nobody is aware of the inner turmoil because the audience only pays to watch their favourite DJ pumped-up on stage, playing the electric beats on the console. The probability of this highly demanding job draining an artist of his/ her talent is not entirely inconceivable.

The tendency of doing drugs is greater among people, in general who struggle with family life, health hazards and relationships. In the various stages of body development, men too experience emotional upheavals. According to studies, it was found that people in their late 20s experience a sharp increase in stress levels.

If it is not addressed properly stress causes people to resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms. “I just got into a habit, because you rely on that encouragement and self-confidence you get from alcohol, and then you get dependent on it,” Avicii said in an interview. This is a clear indication that he was walking down the path of self-destruction. Taking care of mental health and well-being is essential to survive the intoxicating effects of fame.