Fans of classic rock icons, have I got a treat for you!
It’s time to celebrate one of music’s greatest talents – the legendary Janis Joplin!
First, listen to this amazing rendition of “Little Girl Blue” on Tom Jones’s TV show from 1969!
Janis Joplin was one of music’s greatest singers, and as part of the 60’s counter-culture revolution, she became a star at the same time as Jimi Hendrix…and now, the true story of her life is coming to theaters!
Director Amy Berg’s documentary about the groundbreaking rock singer, “Janis: Little Girl Blue”, follows Janis Joplin’s humble beginnings in conservative East Texas through her rise to fame with Big Brother and the Holding Company following their triumph at Monterey Pop, and her descent into drugs and booze.
Here is the trailer:
The film tells the entire story, including interviews with her parents, sister, brother, and many of the musicians she performed with.
The Brilliant “Me And Bobby McGee”!
Joplin’s most famous song was “Me And Bobby McGee”, which was written by singer/songwriter/actor Kris Kristofferson, who is also interviewed in the movie…
Janis died on October 4, 1970 in a Hollywood motel – an accidental heroin overdose at age 27 — only two weeks after another rock legend, Jimi Hendrix, also died at age 27.
Finally, Jim Morrison of The Doors died at the age of 27 as well, which has become one of rock music’s strangest coincidences…
This terrific documentary brings her talent and beauty back to life: it tells the story of her growing up in the north Texas town of Port Arthur, to her rise to stardom as the lead singer of the 60’s acid/rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company:
Once Janis went solo, there was no stopping her, except for the personal demons that haunted her, and the excess of rock music at the time…but she was an amazing performer…here is her rendition of “Piece Of My Heart” from a German TV show in 1968:
Janis Rocks Woodstock!
Here’s an anecdote about Joplin’s performance at Woodstock: faced with a ten-hour wait after arriving at the backstage area, she allegedly partied with lots of drugs and alcohol…
By the time she hit the stage, she was “three sheets to the wind”. Pete Townshend, who performed with The Who later in the same morning after Joplin finished, witnessed her performance and said the following in his 2012 memoir: “She had been amazing at Monterey, but tonight she wasn’t at her best, due, probably, to the long delay, and probably, too, to the amount of booze and heroin she’d consumed while she waited. But even Janis on an off-night was incredible.”.
Janis Joplin at Woodstock
no publication after December 31, 2009
Read more about the incredible pop culture phenomenon that was Woodstock by reading my story here:
Of course, the story of Janis Joplin has a tragic ending, but this movie looks at her incredible talent, and that’s the best way to remember her….
It reminded me of a great music documentary I own:
“Festival Express” captures the raucous journey of Joplin and a train load of fellow musicians across Canada….check it out here:
http://johnrieber.com/2012/04/19/rock-docs-forbidden-stones-fighting-dandys-janis-parties/
One other Joplin anecdote involves one of my favorite singers, Laura Nyro:
Joplin apparently was jealous of her, and said mean things about Nyro to legendary Music Mogul Clive Davis:
Read the story here:
Let me know if you plan to see this mazing new documentary!
