Gone Before Their Time - Janis Joplin

This is the fifth in a series of articles memorializing musicians who died before their time:

Janis Lyn Joplin, January 19, 1943 - October 4, 1970, is an American rock icon. She was a singer, composer and music arranger. She was first recognized as the lead singer for Big Brother & the Holding Company. She left the group and started the backup group Kozmic Blues Band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004. In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked her 28th of 100 greatest singers of all time.

Janis was born in Port Arthur, Texas. Her parents were Seth and Dorothy Joplin. She had a younger brother and sister, Michael and Laura. Janis sang in the local choir and focused her music interest towards the blues by listening to artists like Bessie Smith and Leadbelly.

Janis graduated from high school in 1960 and attended Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont, Texas. Later she attended later the University of Texas at Austin.

Janis became addicted to heroin. In 1970 she formed the Full Tilt Boogie Band. The band performed with artists like the Grateful Dead, Delaney and Bonnie, Rick Danko and The Band, Eric Andersen and Ian and Sylvia.

Two of her best albums, in my opinion, were "Cheap Thrills" and "Pearl". A few of my favorite songs are "Piece Of My Heart", "Bye, Bye Baby", and "Me and Bobby McGee".

Janis Joplin died at the young age of 27 on October 4, 1970. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin.