(January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970)
was an
American singer
and songwriter.
One of the most
iconic and successful
rock performers
of her era,
she was noted for her
powerful
mezzo-soprano
vocals
and her
"electric"
stage presence.
In 1967, Joplin rose to
prominence following
an appearance at
the Monterey Pop Festival,
where she was
the lead singer
of the then
little-known
San Francisco
psychedelic rock band
Big Brother
and
the Holding Company.
After releasing
two albums
with the band,
she left Big Brother
to continue as a
solo artist
with her
own backing groups,
first the
Kozmic Blues Band
and then the
Full Tilt Boogie Band.
She performed at
the 1969 Woodstock Festival
and on the
Festival Express train tour.
Five singles
by Joplin
reached the US
Billboard Hot 100,
including a cover of
the Kris Kristofferson song
"Me and Bobby McGee",
which posthumously
reached number one
in March 1971.
Her most popular songs
include her
cover versions of
"Piece of My Heart",
"Cry Baby",
"Down on Me",
"Ball and Chain",
and
"Summertime",
as well as her
original song
"Mercedes Benz",
which was her
final recording.
Joplin died of a
heroin overdose
in 1970,
at the age of 27,
after releasing
three albums
two with
Big Brother and the Holding Company
and one
solo album
A second
solo album,
Pearl,
was released in
January 1971,
three months after
her death.
It reached number one
on the
Billboard 200.
She was posthumously
inducted into the
Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame
in 1995.
Rolling Stone
ranked Joplin
number 28
on its 2008 list
of the
"200 Greatest Singers
of All Time",
dropping to number 78
in the 2023 list.
As of 2013,
she remains one
of the top-selling
vocalists in the
United States,
with Recording Industry
Association of America
(RIAA)
certifications of
18.5 million
albums sold.
Farewell Song
is a
1982 collection
of nine
previously
unreleased recordings
of
with
Big Brother and the Holding Company,
the Kozmic Blues Band,
and
Full Tilt Boogie Band.
Tracks include
Cheap Thrills-era outtakes
and
live performances;
"Misery 'N",
"Farewell Song",
and
"Catch Me Daddy".
Production
The recordings were
enhanced through
the use of devices such
as the Lexicon 224
and the
ADR Scamp Rack
by producer
Elliot Mazer
and the original bass
by Peter Albin
on
"Farewell Song"
was replaced with
bass work
by Mazer.
Some members
of Big Brother and the Holding Company
were unhappy
about some
of these changes.
The original versions
can be found on the
subsequent compilation
Janis.
One Night Stand
was produced by
Todd Rundgren
and performed
with the
Paul Butterfield Blues Band
and became a
minor hit upon release.
Tell Mama is the only
Full Tilt Boogie Band track
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