This seems more apt than ever this year, with David Bowie, Alan Rickman and Rene Angelil all popping their clogs

Celebrities dying at age 27 seems to be more common.

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Actually, dumb people simply can't count past three.

Elvis, Sebastian Cabot and Groucho Marx died within a week of each other.
On a tangent, a couple of summers ago there were a LOT celebrity deaths. In the CNN comments on one of them someone posted "anyone ever notice celebrities die in twelves?"

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However, if you look for records for other deaths of noted people, you'll find them. There is no such thing as "death in threes". I worked at a newspaper office for 10 years, which allowed me to handle obits for local people and celebrities. People always want to pick out a few names, ignoring the others.
So, for a very long time, many decades, people have gone on and on about celebrities dying in threes while ignoring those other deaths.
*** The trouble with reality is there is no background music. ***

And most recently: Laura Ziskin, Clarence Clemons & Ryan Dunn.
I don't mean to impose, but I am the Ocean.

Diana Princess of Wales, Mother Teresa, Burgess Meredith.

Patrick Swayze, Keith Floyd, Mary Travers.

ed mcmahon, michael jackson, farah fawcett

marlon brando,peter barnes,and enrique mederos.

The Big Bopper, Richie Valens and Buddy Holly - in the same 'plane crash.

thank u guys

The Doors's lead singer?

Jim Morrison?! He ain't deadI just talked to him the other day.

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One such example: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison between September 1970 and July 1971.

James Dean died, he was the third, I have the names of the others somewhere