Death Comes In Threes!

The folklore holding that “death comes in threes” dates back centuries. Rooted in old European and Scots‑Irish traditions and carried to Appalachia by early settlers, the superstition insists that once two notable deaths occur, a third will soon follow. Modern psychology calls it pattern‑seeking; our brains latch onto clusters of loss to make sense of randomness, but culturally, the myth persists, whispered in obituary columns and late‑night talk shows.

This week, that old belief seemed to take shape in headlines:

1. Ozzy Osbourne (d. July 22, 2025)
   The Prince of Darkness passed away at 76, closing the final chapter on a career that began with Black Sabbath’s thunderous riffs in 1968 and evolved through smash solo anthems like “Crazy Train”.
2. Malcolm‑Jamal Warner (d. July 20, 2025)
   Beloved for playing Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, Warner tragically drowned at 54 while swimming with his daughter off Costa Rica’s Limón coast.
3. Hulk Hogan (d. July 24, 2025)
   The “Real American” himself died at 71. With Rick Derringer’s riff‑driven anthem echoing through arenas, Hogan’s muscle‑bound charisma and “Hulkamania” catchphrases turned pro wrestling into a rock‑and‑roll spectacle.

In just three days, metal’s godfather, a beloved ’80s TV star, and wrestling’s champion all exited stage left, seeming to fulfill the superstition. Yet what truly binds them is not myth but their indelible impact on culture: Ozzy’s dark theatrics, Warner’s youthful optimism, and Hogan’s show‑stopping fusion of rock swagger and athletic drama.

If death indeed comes in threes, perhaps it’s our collective narratives, not supernatural forces, that orchestrate the final curtain call.

Doug O’Brien