Celebrating the Life of Janis Joplin

Remembering rocker Janis Joplin who would have been 74 today (Jan. 19).

Janis Joplin was known for her raw, powerful vocals and she was one of the premier female vocalists of the 60’s. She first garnered attention in 1967 at the Monterey Pop Festival while performing with the band Big Brother and the Holding Company. The band’s album Cheap Thrills featured the hit single “Piece of My Heart”. After leaving Big Brother and the Holding Company, Joplin went on as a solo artist with her own backing band including the Kozmick Blues Band and then the Full Tilt Boogie Band. She also performed at Woodstock in 1969. Janis was found dead at the Landmark Hotel in Hollywood of an accidental heroin overdose on October 4, 1970. She was 27. After her death, she hit number 1 on the U.S. charts with the album Pearl and the single “Me and Bobby McGee”.

Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Loudwire named Janis Joplin number 1 on their list of the Top 50 hard Hard Rock and Metal Singers of All Time list where she ranked alongside rockers like Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Amy Lee, Lzzy Hale and others. I saw Janis' old band Big Brother and the Holding Company perform at the 40th anniversary Woodstock Festival back in 2009 in Bethel, NY. See video below of the band performing "Piece of My Heart". We celebrate the life today of a woman who by all means helped pave the way for future female singers in the rock business. R.I.P. Janis