Dead rock star memorabilia begins US tour

A collection of rock memorabilia from musicians who died young has been unveiled in the US. The collection features platinum discs, stage clothing and musical instruments from the likes of John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Whitney Houston and Jimi Hendrix. ‘Gone Too Soon’ has been put together by the company behind the Hard Rock Cafe brand. “Through the history of rock and pop music, we’ve had a lot of amazing artists who passed before their time, whether it was from misadventure or just, you know, bad circumstances. “We really wanted to pay tribute to their legacy and their art. We selected some really spectacular artist and some great stuff to share with folks all around the country,” said the firm’s in-house historian Jeff Nolan. Many of the items on show are from the so-called “27 club”, the name given to the group of musicians, such as Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse, who died in their late 20s. The collection will be taken on a travelling tour of Hard Rock Cafes in the US.