Janis Joplin
at Woodstock 1969
The most powerful voice of her generation, Janis Joplin headlined Saturday night at Woodstock backed by the Kozmic Blues Band.
Janis Joplin — Woodstock 1969
Janis Joplin was born on January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, Texas. Notoriously bullied and ostracized during her youth, she found acceptance in the San Francisco music scene of the mid-1960s when she joined Big Brother and the Holding Company.
Her breakthrough came with the 1968 album "Cheap Thrills" with Big Brother, which reached #1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for eight weeks. Songs like "Piece of My Heart" and "Summertime" announced a voice unlike any other in rock music — raw, bluesy, and emotionally devastating.
At Woodstock, Joplin performed with her new backing band, the Kozmic Blues Band, after splitting from Big Brother and the Holding Company. Her Woodstock set is notable for being absent from the original Woodstock documentary, though footage was later included in the 1994 director's cut. The omission may be partly explained by Joplin's own dissatisfaction with the performance — she reportedly felt she was too intoxicated to perform at her best.
Her setlist at Woodstock included her signature songs "Piece of My Heart" and "Ball and Chain," along with extended blues workouts that showcased her extraordinary vocal power. She commanded the stage with an intensity that electrified even the sleep-deprived Woodstock crowd.
After Woodstock, Joplin recorded her finest album, "Pearl," which included her biggest hit "Me and Bobby McGee." Tragically, she died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, before "Pearl" was released. She was 27 years old.
Janis Joplin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. She remains one of the greatest vocalists in the history of rock and roll.