The music world lost one of its heavy hitters Saturday as word emerged from London that five-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse had died in her home in Camden, London.

With her death, Winehouse joins the “27 Club,” of famous musicians to die at the age of 27. Fellow music icons on the list include Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain

What does Winehouse have in common with some professional athletes? Aside from joining those who have been arrested for marijuana, her untimely death gives her something in common with a number of athletes who have died before their 28th birthday.

Nick Adenhart, 22, car accident

Anyone with access to a Baseball America handbook knew Adenhart’s name well before 2009, but the nature in which he became a household name to non-baseball fans was tragic. After being ranked the No. 1 high school prospect in America and being drafted by the Angels (he was taken in the 14th round due to his commitment to pitch at the University of North Carolina) in 2004, he rose through the minors before making his major league debut in 2008. The 6-foot-4 right-hander was considered a big part of the Angels’ future, but hours after making an April 8 start in which he tossed six scoreless innings, the car in which Adenhart was a passenger was hit by a drunk driver who had ran a red light, resulting in the deaths of two of Adenhart’s friends and sending the pitcher and another friend to the hospital. Adenhart was pronounced dead on April 9, 2009, with Jon Wilhite, the other passenger, the lone survivor from their car despite needing to have his skull reattached. Andrew Thomas Gallo, the driver of the car who caused the accident, is currently serving a term of 51 years to life for for three counts of the following: murder, felony hit and run, driving under the influence and causing injury and driving with a suspended license.

Len Bias, 22, cocaine overdose

Bias was viewed as a major building block for the Celtics when they selected him second overall, but he became a cautionary tale before he was able to become the star many expected him to be. Two days after being drafted by the C’s on June 17, 1986, the former University of Maryland star died of a cocaine overdose. Bias was a two-time ACC player of the year and earned ACC athlete of the year honors in 1986.

Reggie Lewis, 27, heart failure

Lewis joins Bias as a Celtic to make this list. A native of Baltimore, Lewis got to know Boston well in his playing career, as he played his college ball at Northeastern before being drafted by the Celtics with the 22nd overall pick in 1987. The forward made his lone All-Star team in 1992, but died the next year due to heart failure. He died during practice, suffering cardiac death at 27 years of age.

Steve Prefontaine, 24, car accident

Prefontaine’s story is one that has been told in multiple films, and for good reason. The Oregon native racked up plenty of records on the track in his days as a long-distance runner. His story ended far too early, as a car accident left Prefontaine underneath his convertible, which crushed him to death before help could arrive.

Alexei Cherepanov, 19, heart complications

The New York Rangers had big plans for the Russian winger when they chose him the 17th overall pick of the 2007 draft, and though KHL plans clouded his future, they had every right to think highly of him based on the fact that he put up numbers in the Russiam Superleague unlike anyone — including Alexander Ovechkin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Evgeni Malkin — else had at his age. Cherepanov would never make it to the NHL, as he collapsed on the bench during a KHL game and was delayed in getting to the hospital despite multiple resuscitation’s. It was later determined that Cherepanov should not have even played hockey, as he suffered from an inflammation of the heart.

Sean Taylor, 24, homicide

Taylor was a star at the University of Miami, leading the Redskins to select the safety fifth overall in the 2004 draft. He was no nice guy on the field — he was fined seven times in three seasons for late hits, and was tossed from a game for spitting on Michael Pittman — and he often found himself in the spotlight off the field. He was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and misdemeanor battery for an incident in 2005, with things ultimately ending in a plea bargain. Despite his questionable reputation, Taylor was still feared throughout the league, as he made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and was named the hardest-hitting player in the league by Sports Illustrated before the 2007 season. It was in that very season that Taylor’s career and life would end, as an armed intruder shot him in the leg in his bedroom while his girlfriend and daughter hit under the bed. Taylor died the next day after emergency surgery.

Ernie Davis, 23, Leukemia

Davis figured to have a long professional career ahead of him, as he was selected first overall out of Syracuse by the Redskins in 1961 after becoming the first black athlete to win the Heisman. The Redskins sent him to the Browns upon selecting him, but Davis would not end up playing a down in the NFL due to his diagnosis of Leukemia in 1962. He died on May 18, 1963.

Gaines Adams, 26, cardiac arrest

Ranked by many as the top defensive player in the 2007 NFL draft, Adams did not reach superstar after being selected fourth overall by the Buccaneers. The was traded to the Bears during his third season, and three months after the October trade died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. Making matters worse was the fact that his condition was unknown by Adams or those around him until he died.

Marquise Hill, 24, drowned

The Patriots added a couple of big pieces early in the 2004 draft when they selected Vince Wilfork 21st overall and tabbed Hill, a big defensive end out of LSU, with the final pick of the second round. While Wilfork emerged as one of the premier defensive tackles in the NFL, Hill saw game action sparingly. In the offseason following his third season with the Pats, Hill disappeared while jet-skiing with a friend. His friend, Ashley Blazio, noted that Hill saved her life by keeping her calm until she found a buoy. Hill did not survive, as his body was found the following day. His teammates paid tribute to him by wearing his No. 91 on their helmets. Fellow Pats defensive end Jarvis Green, who played with Hill at LSU, wore his purple and yellow pads for the season.

Chris Henry, 26, car accident

Henry had plenty of talent, which gave the Bengals reason to selected the West Virginia wide receiver in the third round of the 2005 draft. While he was an asset to quarterback Carson Palmer, he was also a problem child off the field. He was arrested multiple times during his career for issues involving drugs, firearms and underage females. He was suspended eight games for violating the personal conduct policy under commissioner Roger Goodell in the 2007 season, and was waived by the Bengals after his 2008 arrest. He would return to the team, but he was killed in 2009 when he fell out of a moving truck while in a dispute with his fiancee.

One Comments for “In wake of Amy Winehouse death, a look at athletes who died young”

1. dolly buster channel Says:
   July 31st, 2011 at 4:08 pm

   I just like the helpful info you supply to your articles. I will bookmark your weblog and test again here frequently. I am quite sure I?ll be informed many new stuff proper here! Good luck for the following!

Leave a Reply