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- often referred to as a "white soul singer"
- premier white blues singer of the 60s
- one of the biggest female stars of her time
- developed a taste for blues and folk music early in her life
- born in born in Port Arthur, TX (1943)
- ran away from home at 17
- began singing in clubs (Houston & Austin) to save money for a trip
to CA
- 1965 (5 yrs later) - she was singing folk & blues in SF and Venice,
CA
- 1966 - returned to Austin to sing in C&W band
- after a couple of months learned from promoter friend Chet Helms that
Big Brother & the Holding Company
needed a vocalist
- 1967 - got their big break at Monterey Pop Festival (stopped the show)
- Albert Grossman agreed to manage them and
landed them a Columbia contract ... he also managed Bob Dyla
- their 2nd album (Cheap Thrills, 1968) contained "Piece of My
Heart" (#12)
- this song was Big Brother's only Top 40 single
"Tell Mama"
- raspy, screaming tone quality resulted from
Janet's attempt to overcome the volume level of a powerful rock band
Summertime
w/ Big Brother & the Holding Company
- Janis overshadowed the band
- she left the group within a year after the album's release to form
Kozmic Blues Band, taking only guitarist
Sam Andrew
- she appears (uncredited) on several cuts of Big Brother's Be a Brother
(1971)
- 1969 - released I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again
Try (Just
a Little Bit Harder)
also performed at Woodstock
- soul-like vocal style
- 1970 - Janis put together a truly top-notch band Full-Tilt
Boogie
- they recorded Pearl … Janis' last album (a very strong effort)
- "Pearl" was Janis' nickname
- Pearl contained Janis' only Top 40 hit, "Me and Bobby McGee"
(#1, 1971)
- a cover of former lover Kris Kristofferson's song
Me & Bobby McGee
- album was released with one track ("")
missing the vocals that Janis didn't live to complete
Also during 1970, Janis also participated in the Festival Express tour across Canada. You can view videos of her performances during this tour by clicking on the links below:
- 10/4/70 - found dead in her room at Hollywood's
Landmark Hotel
- fresh needle tracks in her arm
- ruled an "accidental" heroin overdose
listen to soul characteristics in her vocal sound ... not bad for a white girl!!
From Chapter 9 Musical Close-up:
- improvisatory
- blue notes
- vocal interpolations
- melismatic
- wide variety of vocal timbres
from Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits:
Ball
& Chain
ending chorus - blues derivation
from Pearl ... a capella vocal solo
- 1979 - The Rose (starring Bette Midler) was a thinly veiled account
of Joplin's career
Other SF groups whose greatest impact came during the 70s:
The Steve Miller Band
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Carlos Santana
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Creedence Clearwater Revival
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Sly & the Family Stone
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Tower of Power
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