Gene Simmons’ ’27 Club’ Book Has a Publication Date
Gene Simmons announced his new book, 27: The Legend & Mythology of the 27 Club, will be published on Oct. 2.
It’s the first publication in a new series called "Simmons Books." The Kiss star previously said he’d been working on the 27 project for release sometime this year.
In a statement, the publishers call the book his “witty, insightful and no-B.S. take on the myth, and the actual people, that make up the ’27 club’ — the groundbreaking musicians, artists and celebrities who died at the age of 27, frozen in the collective consciousness at the zenith of their creative output.”
Simmons will explore how the myth of the curse began with the death of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones in 1969, followed soon afterward by the deaths of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix ... all of whom were just 27 years old. Simmons traces the “dastardly lineage” back to blues icon Robert Johnson’s death in 1938, and forward to the loss of Amy Winehouse in 2011.
“Simmons takes a deep dive into the life stories of these legendary figures, without giving credence to the romanticized idea that being in the ‘club’ is somehow a perverse privilege,” the statement notes. “Simmons wills us to acknowledge the extraordinary lives, not the sensational deaths, of the musicians and artists who left an indelible mark on the world.”
27: The Legend & Mythology of the 27 Club runs 250 pages and is available for pre-order now. Simmons recently discussed the possibility of the surviving former members of Kiss taking part in what's speculated to be their final tour in 2019.
"We talked about it," he confirmed. "But we have not decided anything. The problem is, if you bring out special guests, they come on without makeup. … You cannot put on the makeup. You’ve been out of the band 20 years. It’s not going to happen.”
Meet the Members of Rock's Tragic '27 Club'