Janis Joplin was not only a female singer in the 1960’s but an icon that influenced music, fashion, women and the overall mark of the 60’s on American culture. Her website describes her as “She claimed the blues, soul, gospel, country and rock with unquestionable authority and verve, fearlessly inhabiting psychedelic guitar jams, back-porch roots and everything in between.” (http://www.janisjoplin.com/janis.php#sthash.d8gH6Oxl.dpuf) Her fluid mix of genres and edgy, psychedelic and passionate performances alongside her unique sense of style , later marked “rock mama” (mix of flower child style, extravagance, burlesque, and odd accessories ex. “granny” glasses”) drew audiences to her.

 

She came to her fame in the late 60’s as the lead in Big Brother in the Holding Company but later on found a new fame in solo work.

 

She was the main attraction for Big Brother in the Holding Company and landed them a record deal and fame with her performance at Monterey Pop Festival in which she empressed the audience and music community alike. The song “Piece of my Heart” hit number one and soon after she broke free and landed huge performances like Woodstock. Fame grew into the 1970’s

 

Famous Songs:

“Down on Me“, “Summertime“, “Piece of My Heart“, “Ball ‘n’ Chain“, “Maybe“, “To Love Somebody“, “Kozmic Blues“, “Work Me, Lord“, “Cry Baby“, “Mercedes Benz“, “Me and Bobby McGee“. (challenge bc country)

 

Back up Bands:

Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band.

 

Performed with bands like:

Grateful Dead; Jimi Hendrix

 

Role Models:

Bessie Smith, Lead Belly and Big Mama Thornton

 

Effect On Culture:

-One of the first women in rock SOMETHING NEW

  • White and singing Jazz
  • oozed confidence and  paved this for women
  • pushed for freedom of expression (hippie movement)
  • Joplin brought the voice of the outcast to San Francisco’s protest culture, says biographer Echols.”Janis in some sense was the great unrecognized protest singer of the 1960s,” she says. “No, Janis was not singing explicit protest songs. But in her voice, what people heard was somebody who was refusing the status quo.” (http://www.npr.org/2010/06/07/127483124/janis-joplin-the-queen-of-rock)
  • Death influence the view of drugs.