Piece of My Heart: Janis Joplin

[appalachiablue]

- Janis Lyn Joplin (1943 – 1970) was an American singer-songwriter who sang rock, soul and blues music. One of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence. In 1967, Joplin rose to fame following an appearance at Monterey Pop Festival, where she was the lead singer of the then little-known San Francisco psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company.

After releasing two albums with the band, she left Big Brother to continue as a solo artist with her own backing groups, first the Kozmic Blues Band and then the Full Tilt Boogie Band. She appeared at the Woodstock festival and the Festival Express train tour. Five singles by Joplin reached the Billboard Hot 100... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_Joplin

[Kath2]

1. Love her still.

I used ti get so high listening to the Joplin In Concert album. And I still do.

[appalachiablue]

4. Janis is terrific, 'high' is the word! Powerful

[murielm99]

2. I love Janis.

She is my all-time favorite. I was lucky to see her in concert during her all too brief life.

I listen to her music often.

[appalachiablue]

3. How great you saw her perform, what

a unique artist, legend and powerhouse. In HS my older brother used to call me and my sister 'Janis' because of our hair. Lol.

[Kath2]

5. So do I.

I need to listen to that album again this weekend.

[stopdiggin]

6. 'THE' blues/rock anthem

much later on (I wasn't much for bios in those days) I came to find out that rather than being (what we perceived as) a rather whimsical, utterly charming, hippie chick -- Janis was a dead serious artist from the very beginning. Gained a new level of respect ...

[lark]

7. Wow, she was such an original.

No one could sing the blues from deep in her soul the way Janis could. Such power and pain in her voice, so sad she killed herself. I identify strongly with her and fought suicidal thoughts in my youth, tendencies to go too far. Wish she could have hung in and overcame them, like I did.

On a happier note, she was also at West Palm Bay Pop Festival, one of the headliners and she was ON! I never knew how smart and funny she was until that night. She was telling us about a run in with the polizia in the area that day and it was hysterically funny. This was obviously just off the top of her head because it had just happened. The whole crowd was LOLing. What a national treasure she was. Another one gone way too soon, to our sad loss.

[thucythucy]

8. This is by far the most kick ass version of this song ever recorded.

It puts all the others so far into the shade.

And I love "Turtle Blues" from the same album.

One of a kind, and then some.