Janis Joplin
Musician
Janis Joplin was a legendary singer and songwriter from Port Arthur, Texas, who rose to national fame in the 1960s as lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company. Joplin's take-no-prisoners vocal styling, ability to wring every ounce of emotion from a lyric, irresistible stage presence and feathered-psychedelic-chic wardrobe made her the queen of rock and roll's legendary front women. She is ranked 46th on Rolling Stone magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."
Joplin landed in Austin in the early 1960s and briefly attended the University of Texas. Joplin was a popular fixture of the Austin folk music scene and played legendary local venues like Threadgill's. Joplin would eventually move on to San Francisco, perhaps the epicenter of everything hippie and psychedelic. Her 1967 performance with Big Brother and the Holding Company down the coast at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 is considered her breakthrough career moment. Among Joplin's biggest musical hits were "Piece of My Heart" and "Me and Bobby McGee." The latte song was released posthumously on the album Pearl, which she was recording at the time of her death. The album also included "Mercedes Benz."
Janis Joplin was found dead at the Landmark Motor Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, on October 4, 1970. The cause of death was a heroin overdose.
Birth Date: January 19, 1943
Birth Place: Port Arthur, Texas
Official Website: www.officialjanis.com
Latest News: Love, Janis, a musical about Joplin's life began playing off Broadway in the late 1990s. It has received rave reviews from critics across the country and is currently on tour in the U.S.
Awards:
1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
2005 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
Known in Austin for:
Attended UT-Austin
Played at Threadgill's
Part of Austin's 1960s folk-music scene
Albums:
Big Brother and the Holding Company
Label: Mainstream
Released: 1968
Cheap Thrills
Label: Columbia
Date: 1968
I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!
Label: Columbia
Date: 1969
Pearl
Label: Columbia
Date: 1971
Joplin In Concert
Label: Columbia
Date: 1972
Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits
Label: Columbia
Date: 1973
Fun facts: Actress Bette Midler was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in The Rose, a film loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin.
Other External Links:
Visit the official Web site.
Learn a little more about Janis Joplin and other famous Texans here.
