As a musician, band leader and disruptive fashion icon, Janis Joplin paved the way for a new way of thinking about femininity. She was a true trailblazer—an earth-shattering tidal wave of talent, vision and emotion—inspiring future artists like Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, Alicia Keys, Joan Jett, Madonna and Beyonce to follow in her wake. With her wild gypsy style and free-flowing hair she helped pioneer the contemporary idea of “big-tent beauty.” One in which everyone was welcome, and everyone was attractive as long as they were honest and natural. But despite her hippie bravado, she was exceedingly sensitive, vulnerable and, yes, insecure. It was the genuine ache and emotion in her phenomenal jagged bluesy singing voice that ultimately made her relatable and her artistry universal. But it was also her sensitivity that lead to her tragic early death at the age of 27. As the 50th anniversary of her passing comes this fall, we celebrate Joplin’s complex and fascinating life by telling her important story the best we can. We hope it’s a reminder of how ahead of the cultural curve she was as an individual and how fantastic she was as a musician and singer. Her legacy is as long-lasting as her music and we bring fans inside to read an inspiring story whose songs and message are with us today as much as they were when they were first written.
JANIS JOPLIN • REMEMBERING A CLASSIC ROCK ICON
A Piece of Her Heart • WHY JANIS JOPLIN MEANS MORE NOW THAN EVER.
She’s a Rebel • AS A YOUNGSTER, JANIS MARCHED TO THE BEAT OF HER OWN DRUM. AS SHE MATURED, THE BEAT ONLY GOT LOUDER.
YOU’RE MY THRILL • Janis Joplin fell in love with blues and folk music while in high school. Here are the singers she worshipped.
Band of Brothers • JANIS JOINS BIG BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY AND BECOMES THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL QUEEN OF THE COUNTERCULTURE.
HIPPIE SHAKE • The beginning of the San Francisco counterculture.
Top of the Pop • THE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED FOR INTRODUCING AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION OF BRILLIANT ROCK ARTISTS—AMONG THEM THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, THE WHO AND THE GRATEFUL DEAD—TO FANS, INDUSTRY BIGWIGS AND THE MEDIA. BUT JANIS UPSTAGED THEM ALL.
BIG BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY • Recorded hastily on an independent label, the band’s debut only hinted at its raw power.
Cheap Thrills (1968/Columbia) • INSIDE THE MAKING OF BIG BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANY’S MAJOR LABEL DEBUT.
DRAWN TOGETHER • Underground cartoonist R. Crumb and Janis Joplin were a match made in heaven.
Wild Style Thing • JANIS WAS THE BELLE OF THE PSYCHEDELIC BALL. HERE IS A GUIDE TO HER INFLUENTIAL LOOK AND COSMIC FLAIR.
IN VOGUE • The onetime “ugly duckling” is celebrated in the high-fashion pages of Vogue magazine.
Come Blow Your Horn • JANIS LEAVES THE HARD-ROCKING BIG BROTHER FOR SOME KOZMIC HORN-DRIVEN RHYTHM AND BLUES.
BALL AND CHAIN • Janis fights a losing battle with heroin.
I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! (1969/Columbia) • JANIS SHAKES THINGS UP WITH A NEW BAND THAT BLENDS ROCK AND R&B.
Raise Your Hands • SHE WOKE UP 400,000 HIPPIES AT TWO IN THE MORNING AND THEN KNOCKED ’EM DEAD. HOW JANIS AND THE KOZMIC BLUES BAND TOOK WOODSTOCK BY STORM.
WOODSTOCK BY THE NUMBERS • Ten facts and figures that sum up the original three days of peace and music.
WOODSTOCK TOO • Fifty years after the festival, Rhino Records revisited Janis Joplin’s underappreciated performance at Max Yasgur’s farm.
The Many Loves of Janis Joplin • DURING HER LIFE, SHE HAD DOZENS OF PARTNERS. HERE ARE A FEW OF HER MOST FAMOUS BEDFELLOWS.
New Boys in Town • JANIS SHEDS HER KOZMIC BLUES IN FAVOR OF SOME FULL TILT BOOGIE.
REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD • Janis takes the stage with Big...