Janis Joplin: Stories And Life Of The Woodstock Generation's Queen

By | January 18, 2020

test article image
Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company perform onstage at the Fillmore East circa 1968 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Julie Snow/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

When it comes to Janis Joplin, stories about about the one-of-a-kind singer's freewheeling life and personal struggles. She was a kind of hippie goddess of the Woodstock era, a hard-partying gypsy with a raw voice and the best wardrobe this side of a New Orleans cathouse. But she was also a severe addict, an extremely lonely person who turned to drugs to fill the void in her life. Joplin saw triumph and abuse -- she was teased by frat boys at the University of Texas, then wowed Mama Cass at the Newport Folk Festival. Throughout the ups and downs, she channeled her feelings into her music, leaving us with songs that are somehow painful and joyous at the same time.

Joplin Did Her Own Thing In High School

test article image
Source: (reddit)

Janis Joplin was born in 1943 in Port Arthur, Texas, the town that houses the largest oil refinery in the U.S. Her rebellion began in high school, where she eschewed feminine fashion, choosing instead to wear men’s shirts with tights or short skirts.

While she was in high school, she became friends with a group of boys who shared an interest in music with her. They listened to musicians like Leadbelly and Bessie Smith, showing an interest mainly in jazz and blues. She was a brash and bold tough-talking drinker by the time she left high school. During her time in high school, she struggled with her weight, a struggle that she would face throughout her life. She dropped down to a mere 88 pounds in 1965.