Groundbreaking blues-rock singer and songwriter Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970) was born in Port Arthur, Texas. She felt that she was an outcast throughout her youth, overweight and with acne, and she was taunted and bullied. It wasn’t until she went to Austin to go to university there that she began to feel good about herself, and she prided herself on being different. She moved to San Francisco in 1963 where she drank heavily, did drugs, and recorded music. She became famous as the lead singer of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company. She died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27 in West Hollywood.
Recommended Resources
Online since 1998, this fan site dedicated to Janis presents details about her life, her legacy, and her death as well as news about her and quotes from hr during her life. Her music, lyrics, sheet music, and discography are also available here.
http://www.janisjoplin.net/
Offers a profile of the singer, her discography and a photo album and also provides several mp3s for online listening.
http://www.marlenesite.com/music/janis/default.php
Contains the biography of Janis Joplin, a timeline, and the opportunity to buy her music. Also shares graphic images and videos of her and her performances.
http://officialjanis.com/
