60's Bands From San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District: Big Brother & The Holding Company

Big Brother & The Holding Company hit the San Francisco scene in 1965. The original band was formed by Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, James Gurley and Chuck Jones. They lived and rehearsed in a Victorian boarding house at 1090 Page Street in Haight-Ashbury. The house was owned by Peter Albin’s uncle.
Every Wednesday night, the band held jam sessions, to the delight of tripping neighbors. Soon, the band was playing at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, which was founded by music promoter Chet Helms. Helms, who owned Family Dog Productions, was responsible for conjuring up the name Big Brother & The Holding Company.
Helms also knew Janis Joplin from when he attended the University of Texas. Feeling the band needed a strong lead voice, he invited Janis to try out with the band. It was the perfect meld. The band, with Janis, played their first gig at the Avalon Ballroom in 1966. Big Brother & The Holding Company became a legend in music history after performing at the Monterey Pops Festival in June of 1967.
The band had a huge hit with their album "Cheap Thrills." The album featured psychedelic rock, acid rock and blues rock genres. The album boasted the hits "Ball and Chain", "Summertime" and "Piece Of My Heart."Janis Joplin left Big Brother in December 1968. Sam Andrew left with her. Peter Albin and Dave Getz joined Country Joe and the Fish.