Janis Joplin

Description

Influenced by Bessie Smith, Janis Joplin became a rock star in San Francisco's Big Brother & the Holding Company, and enjoyed a meteoric solo career before her untimely death from a drug overdose in Los Angeles. She was the most compelling female blues singer of the 1960s with a thrilling, emotional depth and a fiery stage presence that dominated albums such as Big Brother's Cheap Thrills (1968) and the posthumous, chart-topping Pearl (1971). She became the voice of a generation with her weary, cynical tone, one that still resonates with the curious and wistful youth of today who are faced with a music scene saturated by rap. This new illustrated book is a timely introduction for the 50th anniversary of Joplin's death in October 2020. It covers her life, recordings, live performances and offers a gallery of powerful images. 60 illustrations

Simon Braund (Author) is a British music writer. He has been a contributing editor to Empire, and his work has appeared in The Sunday Times, the Evening Standard, the Financial Times, Time Out, the Observer, Q and Mojo. He is the co-author of The Greatest Movies You'll Never See: Unseen Masterpieces by the World's Greatest Directors, and author of Orson Welles Portfolio: Sketches and drawings from the Welles Estate. He divides his time between Cambridge, England, and Los Angeles. Joel Selvin (Foreword) has covered pop music for the San Francisco Chronicle since 1970, and has written over 20 books about pop music. His classic, Summer of Love, long considered the definitive account of the 1960s San Francisco rock scene, featured interviews with the surviving members of Big Brother and the Holding Company, among many other Joplin associates. His other books include Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock with Sammy Hagar, Altamont, Here Comes The Night and Hollywood Eden. Stephen King called Selvin 'a rock legend'.