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· 30 Jan 2022

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When did Janis Joplin die

According to the coroner's report, Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose. On October 4, 1970, the rock 'n' roll legend was found dead in her hotel room in Hollywood, clutching her cigarettes and money. She died at the age of 27. Let us have a close look at Janis Joplin’s life, career and achievements.  

Early life and career
Janis Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1943 to Texaco engineer Seth Ward Joplin and Dorothy Bonita East. Michael and Laura were her younger siblings. The family used to attend the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) First Christian Church of Port Arthur.  
In 1966, she moved to San Francisco and joined a local group called Big Brother and Holding Company. It was with the group, that she first became famous for her legendary performance of her "Ball And Chain" in Monterrey and then her 1968 album Cheap Thrills. She soon broke up for her solo career, but her character and voice were too good to be part of the group. She rose to fame after a cover version of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" reached number one in 1971. Her most well-known songs include cover versions of "Piece of My Heart," and "Down on Me".
She was an icon not just for her music but for the gusto with which she lived her life. The series of her romantic conquests ranged from Chris Kristofferson to Dick Cavett. When comparing herself to one of her musical idols, she once quipped, "I'd rather not sing than sing quietly." "Billie Holliday was a sophisticated and elegant performer. I'm going to slam that power down your throat, right through you, and you won't be able to resist." Janis Joplin's vocal signature was total recklessness, but she always combined it with musicality and genuineness that gave her music far more soul than much of what came out of the psychedelic age.

Death story
Janis Joplin was in Los Angeles in the fall of 1970 to finalise work on Pearl, the biggest hit of her career. However, she did not live to see her album release. As on Sunday, October 4, 1970, Joplin's manager and close friend John Byrne Cooke found her dead on the floor of her hotel room, holding money and cigarettes. There was a liquor smell all around the room. When Noguchi investigated other fatal drug overdoses in Los Angeles before Joplin died, he found evidence of narcotic use removed by friends who thought they were doing the deceased favours, then returned to put it back after "thinking things over." However Joplin’s close friend Bonnie Caserta's in her new book, "I Ran Into Some Trouble," challenges the established narrative of Janis Joplin's death. She says she saw a cigarette vending machine run and that her friend died of asphyxiation due to a broken nose sustained in a tumble on a shag carpet while wearing sandals with a "tiny hourglass heel".

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