7 Facts To Relive Janis Joplin’s Memory In Rock n’ Roll

Queen of Rock ‘n Roll

Even with a short-lived career, Janis Joplin’s impact and legacy is so massive and far-reaching that she has continued to influence today’s musicians. In Amy Berg’s 2016 documentary film “Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue”, Berg explored the life and journey of Janis Joplin towards becoming one of the greatest female rockstars of all time.

Here are seven facts you may not know about her:

7. Her road manager John Byrne Cooke was the son of journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster Alistair Cooke who presented the BBC Radio 4 series. John Byrne Cooke worked with Joplin from 1967 until her death. In 2014, he published the book “On the Road with Janis Joplin”.

6. In the documentary, Cat Power read the letters written by Joplin and also served as the film’s narrator. It’s chilling how much Power sounded so much like Joplin. Power shared how she tapped into the late rocker’s mindset when recording, “In high school I had imitated Janis a few times, and when I did the letters, I knew it was going to be difficult because it’s a big responsibility because she’s passed, so it’s not like I could call her and say, ‘Yo, Janis, how were you feeling this day and what did you mean when you said that?'”

5. Months before her death, Joplin went to Brazil and met an American tourist named David Niehaus in Ipanema beach. He had no idea who she was at the time but he helped kick her heroin habit and they fell in love. When they got back in the US, however, Joplin once more indulged in alcohol and heroin. They fell apart and Niehaus continued to travel. The morning after her death, a telegram found at the Landmark Motor Hotel read: “Love you Mama, more than you know…”

4. Janis Joplin’s letters revealed so much about her life including her relationship with her parents. It’s evident on what she wrote to her family in Port Arthur, Texas that she was desperate in impressing them even though they’ve been supportive in her career. Joplin wrote after she left for San Francisco, “Weak as it is, I apologise for being just so plain bad in the family.”

3. She may have been romantically linked with talk show host Dick Cavett as she appeared on his talk show several times. When asked if they had any romantic involvement, Cavett answered: “I would hope so!”

2. Although she had quite a number of solo concerts in the US, her only British gig was at the Royal Albert Hall on April 21, 1969. Her US shows had bad reviews but the one in UK can only be described as spectacular. Joplin noted, “No one’s ever got up and danced there before! No one’s ever done anything there before, and they did it!”

1. Janis Joplin paid tribute to one of her major influences Bessie Smith by paying for Smith’s tombstone when Joplin learned that her idol was buried in an unmarked grave.