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Janis Joplin 1943 - 1970

Janis Lyn Joplin of 7047 Franklin Ave, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States was born on January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, TX, and died at age 27 years old on October 4, 1970 at Landmark Motor Hotel 7047 Franklin Ave, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, CA. Janis Joplin was buried at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary 1218 Glendon Ave, in Los Angeles.

Janis Lyn Joplin
Pearl, The Queen of Psychedelic Soul, George
Name
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Landmark Motor Hotel (now Highland Gardens Hotel) 7047 Franklin Ave, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California 90028, United States
Last residence
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January 19, 1943
Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas, United States
Birth
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October 4, 1970
Landmark Motor Hotel 7047 Franklin Ave, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, 90028, United States
Death
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Female
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Updated: August 20, 2023
Biography ID: 598308 What's this
Janis Joplin Janis Joplin (1943 - 1970)
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Janis Lyn Joplin's History: 1943 - 1970

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  • Introduction

    Janis Lyn Joplin (aka Pearl, The Queen of Psychedelic Soul, and "George" when checking into hotels) was a trailblazing musician whose raw, powerful voice and unique style helped redefine the sound of rock and roll in the 1960s. Born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1943 to Seth Joplin and Dorothy Bonita East, Joplin was a rebel from a young age, struggling to fit in with the traditional norms of her conservative hometown. Seth Joplin worked as an engineer for the Texas Pipe Line Company, while Dorothy East was a registrar at a business college in Port Arthur, Texas. Joplin's parents were both middle-class and valued education, but they had a difficult relationship with their daughter due to her rebellious nature and unconventional lifestyle. Janis found solace in music and the arts, which she pursued with a passion that would eventually lead her to become one of the most celebrated and iconic musicians of her generation. With her soulful, bluesy voice and electrifying stage presence, Joplin blazed a trail for women in rock and roll, challenging the male-dominated industry with her talent, charisma, and uncompromising spirit. However, her personal life was marked by struggle and tragedy, as she battled addiction, insecurities, and the pressures of fame. Despite her untimely death at the age of 27, Joplin's legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans, cementing her place as one of the greatest icons in rock history. Janis had one brother Michael Joplin who was born in 1948 and was also involved with the music industry, working as a talent manager and producing music festivals. He played a key role in preserving his sister's legacy after her death, working with her estate to release posthumous albums and other projects.
  • 01/19
    1943

    Birthday

    January 19, 1943
    Birthdate
    Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas United States
    Birthplace
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  • Ethnicity & Family History

    Janis Joplin's family history reveals a mix of ethnicities. Her father, Seth Joplin, was of English and Welsh descent, while her mother, Dorothy East, was of mostly Dutch, English, and Irish ancestry. Janis Joplin had one younger brother, Michael Joplin.

  • Nationality & Locations

    She lived and traveled extensively throughout her career as a musician. In the early years of her career, she lived in San Francisco, where she became a part of the city's vibrant counterculture scene. She also spent time in New York City, where she performed at the Fillmore East and other iconic venues. Joplin toured extensively throughout the United States, performing in cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles, as well as at major music festivals such as Woodstock in 1969. She also traveled abroad, performing in countries such as England, Germany, and Denmark.

  • Early Life & Education

    Janis attended several schools during her childhood and adolescence, including Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas, and Lamar State College of Technology in nearby Beaumont. However, Joplin's academic performance was not a strong focus in her life, and she often struggled with the traditional education system. Instead, Joplin was more interested in pursuing her passion for music and the arts, which led her to move to San Francisco in the mid-1960s to immerse herself in the vibrant counterculture scene of the time. Joplin's unique voice and talent soon gained her a following, and she went on to become one of the most influential and celebrated musicians of the era, despite not having a formal education in music.

  • Religious Beliefs

    Joplin was raised in a middle-class family in Texas, where religion was a significant part of the culture. Her parents were Protestant Christians, and Joplin attended church regularly during her childhood. However, as she grew older and became more immersed in the counterculture movement of the 1960s, Joplin became more interested in exploring alternative spiritual and philosophical beliefs. She was known to have been influenced by writers such as Hermann Hesse and Alan Watts, who espoused non-traditional spiritual beliefs. Joplin's interest in spirituality and philosophy was reflected in her music, which often touched on themes of self-discovery, personal freedom, and the search for meaning.

  • Military Service

    There is no evidence that Janis Joplin or any member of her immediate family served in the military. During the 1960s, the United States was engaged in the Vietnam War, and many young men were drafted to serve in the military.

  • Professional Career

    Janis Joplin's career began in the mid-1960s when she moved to San Francisco and joined the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. With Joplin's powerful and soulful voice, the band gained a reputation for their electrifying live performances and soon became one of the most popular acts of the San Francisco music scene. Joplin's dynamic and passionate singing style quickly caught the attention of the music industry, and she soon embarked on a solo career, releasing her first album, "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" in 1969. The album featured Joplin's unique blend of blues, soul, and rock and spawned hits such as "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)" and "Kozmic Blues." Later that year, Joplin released her second album, "Pearl," which is widely considered her masterpiece. The album included some of her most iconic songs, including "Me and Bobby McGee," "Mercedes Benz," and "Cry Baby." Tragically, Joplin died of a drug overdose just months before the album's release. Despite her short career, Janis Joplin's impact on music and popular culture has been immense. Her powerful voice, raw emotion, and rebellious spirit have inspired generations of musicians, and her legacy continues to live on.

  • Personal Life & Family

    Janis is well remembered as the leader vocalist and singer of the Big Brother and the Holding Company. Janis Joplin had a tumultuous personal life, marked by drug and alcohol abuse, as well as romantic relationships that were often volatile and short-lived. Joplin struggled with substance abuse throughout her adult life and was known to use drugs such as heroin and amphetamines. Her addiction was often fueled by the stress of her career and her insecurities about her appearance and personal life. Joplin also had a number of intense and passionate romantic relationships, many of which were with other musicians and artists. Some of her most notable relationships were with guitarist Jorma Kaukonen of the band Jefferson Airplane and country musician Kris Kristofferson. However, these relationships were often marked by infidelity, jealousy, and emotional instability. In addition to her work as a musician, Joplin was also known for her advocacy for civil rights and social justice. She was a vocal supporter of the Black Panther Party and participated in protests and demonstrations to support their cause. Joplin's travels and experiences as a musician and activist helped shape her worldview and inspired much of her music. Joplin was known for her warm and generous personality, as well as her devotion to her friends and fellow musicians. She was known to be a loyal and supportive friend, and many of her contemporaries have spoken of her kindness and generosity.
  • 10/4
    1970

    Death

    October 4, 1970
    Death date
    drug overdose
    Cause of death
    Landmark Motor Hotel 7047 Franklin Ave, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California 90028, United States
    Death location
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  • Gravesite & Burial

    mm/dd/yyyy
    Funeral date
    Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary 1218 Glendon Ave, in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California 90024, United States
    Burial location

  • Obituary

    Janis Joplin Dies; Rock Star Was 27 HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 4 -- Janis Joplin, the rock singer, was found dead in her Hollywood apartment tonight. She was 27 years old. The cause of death was not immediately determined, but the police said she apparently died of an overdose of drugs. They said she had been dead for about two hours when she was found shortly after 10 P.M. Miss Joplin was the second noted pop singer to die in less than three weeks. Jimi Hendrix, 27, died in London Sept. 18 after taking nine strong sleeping tablets. She would stand before her audience, microphone in hand, long red hair flailing, her raspy voice shrieking in rock mutations of black country blues. Pellets of sweat flew from her contorted face and glittered in the beam of footlights. Janis Joplin sang with more than her voice. Her involvement was total. She lived that way, too. The girl from Port Arthur, Tex., who moved to stardom by way of the San Francisco rock upsurge, talked openly of the Southern Comfort she drank and of the joys of being inebriated. With the same abandon that she sang, she drove her Porsche through the hills of San Francisco, a fast looking car, decorated with psychedelic butterflies. "When I get scared and worried," she said at the time, "I tell myself, 'Janis, just have a good time.' So I juice up real good and that's just what I have." By the time she was riding the crest of rock popularity, having soared into prominence with her rendition of "Love is Like a Ball and Chain" and the 1967 Monterey Rock Festival. The song, said one critic, "was wrenched out of some deep dark nether region of her Texas soul." Back home in Port Arthur she had been a misfit. "I read, I painted, I didn't hate n******," she once recalled. "Man, those people back home hurt me. It make me happy to know I'm making it and they're back there, plumbers just like they were." She tried college several times, and a job as a computer programmer. She collected Leadbelly and Bessie Smith records, but she never really sang professionally until June of 1966. An old friend, Travis Rivers, had formed a band in San Francisco called Big Brother and the Holding Company. He sent for her and once again she left Port Arthur, this time for the Haight Ashbury section of San Francisco. It was June of that year and the band was playing the Avalon, a ballroom. She had just arrived and the ambiance of the flailing, gyrating, burgeoning "youth scene" of San Francisco was heady. "I couldn't believe it, all that rhythm and power," she said. "I got stoned just feeling it, like it was the best dope in the world. It was so sensual, so vibrant, loud, crazy. I couldn't stay still; I had never danced when I sang, but there I was moving and jumping. I couldn't hear myself, so I sang louder and louder. By the end I was wild ..." There followed performances at the Psychedelic Supermarket in Boston, the Kinetic Playground in Chicago, the Whisky A-Go-Go in Los Angeles and the Fillmore East in New York. There was Cheap Thrills, the album that sold more than a million copies. And there was Miss Joplin screaming, "Take another piece of my heart, baby." There were big money and rock festivals. And the tempo of her private life kept pace with the driving songs. The Southern Comfort distillery gave her a fur coat in recognition of the publicity she gave the company by drinking from a bottle at her concerts. Her home in San Francisco was decorated in Rococo bordello style. She shared it with dog named George and a Siamese fighting fish named Charley whose aquarium was a wine bottle. Her behavior was explosive. In November, 1969, she was arrested after a concert in Tampa, Fla., for screaming obscenities at a policeman in the audience. She was temperamental and demanded the same dedication of her backup musicians as she herself gave. She split from the Holding Company and formed her own band, the Janis Joplin Full Tilt Boogie Band. And there were those who said that neither her voice nor her health could stand the demands she made upon them, on stage and off. Her answer: "Maybe I won't last as long as other singers, but I think you can destroy your now worrying about tomorrow." - The New York Times, October 5th 1970
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3 Memories, Stories & Photos about Janis

Janis Joplin at Woodstock, 1969
Photo of Kathy Pinna Kathy Pinna
2.74k+ favorites
08/22/2011
Janis Joplin at Woodstock, 1969
Janis Joplin at Woodstock, probably waiting to go. A singer who smokes . . .and reputedly drank Southern Comfort in copious amounts! She was the singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company.

I don't know who the woman on the left is - but I remember being that thin and wearing a dress like that!

Photo courtesy of hipgallery.com
Date & Place: at Max Yasgur's Farm in Woodstock, New York USA
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Photo of Annabella Bray Annabella Bray
4 favorites
12/13/2019
The woman on Janis's left is Peggy Caserta, her live-in lover/girlfriend of several years on and off. She was gorgeous ;) And still alive. Here is a recent interview:
[external link]
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Janis Joplin
Photo of Daniel Pinna Daniel Pinna
620 favorites
04/19/2023
Janis Joplin
1970s publicity photo of the famous Janis Joplin who is best remembered for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals
Date & Place:
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Singers Janis Joplin & Gracie Slick, 1968
Photo of Kathy Pinna Kathy Pinna
2.74k+ favorites
08/22/2011
Singers Janis Joplin & Gracie Slick, 1968
Janis Joplin (Big Brother & The Holding Company) and Gracie Slick (Jefferson Airplane) laughing in the 1960's.

Photo courtesy of hipgallery.com
Date & Place: in USA
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Janis Joplin's Family Tree & Friends

Janis Joplin's Family Tree

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Other Biographies

Other Janis Joplin Biographies

Joplin, Janis (Born circa 1951)

Other Joplin Family Biographies

Joplin, Robert (Jul 4, 1901 - May 1983) Joplin, Mary (Mar 15, 1907 - Mar 1974) Joplin, Ann (Nov 5, 1923 - Jun 9, 1988) Joplin, Dock (Apr 22, 1923 - Nov 22, 1988) Joplin, Edward (Jun 27, 1903 - Jan 1979) Joplin, Cecilia M (Nov 22, 1903 - Nov 6, 1999) Joplin, Bertha (Feb 28, 1893 - Nov 1964) Bravo Joplin, Minerva (Feb 4, 1956 - Mar 4, 1996) Joplin, Frederick (Nov 26, 1921 - Sep 1976) Joplin, Frances (Oct 24, 1924 - Apr 3, 2011)
Joplin, Robert (Jul 26, 1905 - Dec 1971) Joplin, Mildred (Jan 24, 1929 - Oct 20, 2005) Joplin, Cecelia (Sep 28, 1922 - Jan 23, 2009) Joplin, Clarence (Mar 23, 1902 - Mar 1986) Joplin, Vivian (May 31, 1924 - Aug 15, 2008) Joplin, Julia (Dec 28, 1907 - Sep 10, 2004) Joplin, Dewey (Dec 17, 1946 - Jan 1981) Joplin, John (May 19, 1952 - Aug 23, 2007) Joplin, Vivian (Oct 19, 1924 - Mar 1, 1998) Joplin, Almond (Jan 10, 1916 - Feb 1986)
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