October 4 - The Death of Janis Joplin

This Day in History: 4 October 2020

 

4 October 1970

 

50 years ago, today, Janis Joplin died of an accidental heroin overdose, at 27 years old. She was discovered in her Los Angeles hotel room, where she had been putting the finishing touches on the album that would prove to be the biggest of her career, 'Pearl'. Prior to her death, she had transformed from a complete unknown into a generational icon on the basis of one spectacular performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. She would follow this up with three years of touring and recording that cemented her status as "second only to Bob Dylan."

 

It was never just music, or the passion she displayed while performing, that made Joplin an icon. It was the gusto with which she lived every other aspect of her life, as well. The revolutionary philosophy in the late 1960s of 'sex, drugs, and rock and roll' had Janis Joplin as its leading female exponent. Her string of romantic relationships ranged from Kris Kristofferson to Dick Cavett, and her drug and alcohol consumption was prolific. She was posthumously added into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and remains one of the top-selling musicians in the United States.

 

Want to find out more about Janis Joplin? Click here for more information, or here for a video of her last interview.