Joplin, Janis (1943-1970), was an American blues and rock music singer of the 1960’s. Her husky, screaming voice and her wild manner onstage added great excitement to her performances. Joplin’s career was cut short on Oct. 4, 1970, when she died from an overdose of heroin.
Joplin was born on Jan. 19, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas, and began to sing professionally while in her teens. In the mid-1960’s, she settled in the San Francisco area and joined a rock band called Big Brother and the Holding Company. She won national fame after her performance with this group at the Monterey Pop Festival in California in 1967. From 1968 to 1970, Joplin sang with her own bands, Full Tilt Boogie and the Kozmic Blues Band. Her performances drew sellout crowds in many cities of the world. She recorded four albums, but none of them captures the excitement of her live performances. Joplin’s best-known recording, “Me and Bobbie McGee,” was released after her death. Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
