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Curse of 27

Learn Adverbs

Date: Aug 29 2011

Grammar: Adverbs

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Intro

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The singer Amy Winehouse was the most recent musician to die young, at the age of 27, but she wasn’t the first. In fact, so many famous rockers have mysteriously died at 27 that some believe the number 27 is cursed. Other famous musicians who have died at that age include Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.

Whether or not the curse is real, it’s true that a lot of rockers live hard and, unfortunately, die young. Amy Winehouse was known as a heavy drinker and drug user. For many other famous musicians, dangerous and self-destructive behavior is all a part of living a rock n’ roll lifestyle. Hear more about musicians who die young from Amy and Jason.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Amy

Jason

Amy: Can you believe another rock star is dead at 27?

Jason: No. Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and now, Amy Winehouse.

Amy: It’s pretty wild. I mean, I don’t know if I believe in there being some weird, supernatural thing about the age 27. But it is remarkable how many rock stars have died young, in their twenties.

Jason: Yeah. Well, actually, I forgot that Amy Winehouse was that young, because she’s looked so bad for so long.

Amy: Yeah, I guess even her mom said she wasn’t even really surprised, which is pretty awful.

Jason: Man. That is really sad that the whole world could see that this person was a mess and could do nothing, or didn’t do anything, to stop it.

Amy: Right. I mean, in a way it was part of her fame, you know, that she was a mess. And in a way, that’s true of a lot of rock stars, like they have a reputation for having this wild life. And then sometimes it ends really tragically.

Jason: But sometimes it just goes on forever! Like look at Keith Richards. I don’t know what the difference is, why some burn out and some keep going.

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Discussion

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Amy and Jason were shocked to hear that another famous musician had died at the age of 27. But they were less surprised to hear that the singer Amy Winehouse had died. Before her death, it was well known that she was living a dangerous and unhealthy lifestyle. Jason says thinks it is sad that nobody was able to help her get better.

Amy thinks that a lot of musicians have self-destructive lifestyles. But Jason points out that many of them are still able to live a long life. Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones is one example. At 67 years old, he’s been living hard for a long time.
Do you believe in the Curse of 27? Why do you think so many rock stars have died young?

Comments

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Kotisha

Russian Federation

A lot of rock stars have died young because they had unhealthful and self-distructive lifestyles. Taking lot`s of alchohol and drugs leaded to a bad health and then to a death.

kikii144

Latvia

I don’t believe in “Curse of 27”. These are just consequences of such a lifestyle. That’s all. I don’t think that life role model should be “Live hard and die young”. Every person in the whole world wants to be happy. For each person happiness means different things. Some people have problems in their private life, job, with money etc. These people who are too weak to deal with problems use drugs and alcohol to make themselves feel better. And after a while there is another problem- addiction. I have read that people who use drugs or too much alcohol say that when they do this the whole world seems better place with no problems and sadness.

ana1maria

Romania

A mess?A person simply CAN’T be a mess,only drugs and other toxic substances make him/her that way.There is no such thing as a “curse”,its just a coincidence.Imagine a life style like that,waking up early in the morning,going to another concert in another town/country,different crowds of people,singing practice until you sweat the stress off,then coming tired to a hotel,not to your home.No one but strangers in your life,and seeing ur family only in holidays,i believe.This is just my opinion…but,i think they used drugs as a distraction from their real life.the real curse?its simple:the drugs.

I can’t say that nobody did nothing in Amy’s case and other cases…God did something.

Now,she’s in a far better place,for sure…she finded peace.

Away from the stress,away from the drugs. Its just the way I see this:)

appletree8

China

I don’t think there is a curse of 27. Everyone who lives in the world can meet some troubles. If you are strong enough , you can comeover it. If you are not, you may meet the curse of 27. Everyone should be strong to face the hard world, the hard life.

sayeban

Turkey

ı dont believe in there weird,age 27.ı read article about her die last week.ı thınk,she can be killing illuminate..

Bruce_zhou

China

I m really not believe that curse can be killing someone,i think that is definitely heart funcation,either 27 or 13 ,i totally don’t believe that,from my point of view,those artists were killed by bad lifestay ,drugs and drink a lot of alcohol,all in all ,so many bad habit let to death,not curse.

Eleniya

Russian Federation

The musicians which are over 50 yrs old now, when being young, they also drank too much alcohol and were drugs addicted. In their youth everybody go through it. But somebody can stop it, somebody can not.

Eleniya

Russian Federation

Jason is right. Some rockers are gone in too early age, but some like Keith Richards and Mik Jagger keep going on and even release their albums inspite of their old age.