I know very little about her despite having worn her name at the top of my t-shirt since I was a right-on idealistic mid-twenties type.
She was on a TV programme a few months back, about Divas. There was her, and Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Billie Holliday and Judy Garland, all of whom appeal to the inner me*. And I thought, I can appreciate all those other divas, even though they don't figure highly in my listening, so I shall try and like Janis Joplin.
And I can't. I suppose if I lived with someone who really liked her, I could train myself. But, no...
Wikipedia has the skinny on her life. It says "While at Thomas Jefferson High School, she was mostly shunned." That sounds gruesome and brutal.
She was a heavy drug user, mainly speed and occasionally heroin, with large doses of Southern Comfort. She died aged 27 from a heroin overdose.
Wikipedia says
Joplin is now remembered best for her powerful, sexy and distinctive voice her rasping, overtone-rich sound was significantly divergent from the soft folk and jazz-influenced styles that were common among many white artists at the time as well as for her lyrical themes of pain and loss
so I decided to click over to YouTube and I found Piece of my heart. It really doesn't do anything for me. Her voice is tuneless, with some screaming. And I don't like that use of screaming guitar. In fact, the performance is demented. Which is fine if you like demented. I don't. I have a recording of this by Dusty Springfield, which I much prefer. Now, Dusty, I do like, what a Diva.
Then I click onto Ball and Chain. The commenters are going crazy for her, which is fair enough: one doesn't leave comments saying "yeah, that's mediocre" or "not bad but I wouldn't watch it again." My comments on YouTube are either unadulterated praise, orgiastic derision, or seeking or providing further info.
I suppose back then there were not very many female figures in Mainstream Rock, and therefore she has to be admired for being in that seemingly male-dominated field. But I've already mentioned Maria, Edith, Judy, Billie, Dusty, all of whom had carved decentish careers as singers in various genres. I could add in Diana and Cilla, and Dana** didn't come much afterwards. Only one of those others is mentioned on the t-shirt. and it isn't Dana.
So when I order the replacement t-shirt, it won't have Janis Joplin's name on it...
* which seems at times to suspiciously similar to a gay man
** Dana Provincial, of course***
*** old blogging joke. You had to be there...
