Photo: Grossman Glotzer Management Corporation / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What strikes me most about Janis Joplin is how completely she gave herself to every performance, as if each song might be her last — and tragically, that intensity proved prophetic. A misfit kid from Port Arthur, Texas, she turned her outsider's ache into the most honest voice of her era. I keep returning to her a cappella Mercedes Benz: playful, raw, utterly unguarded. The posthumous honors — the Hall of Fame, the Grammy — feel almost beside the point. Her real monument is that rasp, which still makes polished modern vocals sound like they are holding something back. Few artists burned so briefly yet left so much heat behind.
Overview
Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her electric stage presence.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- ジャニス・ジョプリン
- Name (Japanese)
- ジャニス・ジョプリン
- Reading
- じゃにす・じょぷりん
- Born
- January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Goat
- Origin
- Port Arthur, Texas, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / singer-songwriter / composer / guitarist / recording artist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Thomas Jefferson High School
- University
- University of Texas at Austin
Awards & achievements
- 2005 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1995 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
- 2013 star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Me and Bobby McGee | — | |
| Notable work | Mercedes Benz | — |
6. Links
Singer — see all → · Singer-songwriter — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.