Janis Joplin
Image No. 69-3-2: Janis with Autoharp London, England, April 1969 Bessie Smith and Leadbelly were among Janis's earliest musical influences, but she also knew the music of traditional white performers like the Carter Family. On her first trip to San Francisco, in 1963. she played the Autoharp and sang Carter Family songs in North Beach coffeehouses.
Image No. 68-6-36: Faster than Sound Janis Joplin and Sam Andrew, Big Brother and the Holding Company performance, Houston, Texas, November 23, 1968
Image No. 69-4-4: Janis Triumphant Frankfurt, West Germany, April 12, 1969, in performance with the Kozmic Blues Band
Image No. 69-4-5 (Detail): Blown Away Frankfurt, West Germany, April 12, 1969, in performance with the Kozmic Blues Band Janis's only European tour took her to Stockholm, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, Copenhagen, and London, where she sold out the Royal Albert Hall and had the staid Brits dancing in the aisles. In Frankfurt, American servicemen and their families made up most of the audience and Janis pulled out all the stops for them. No one was appreciating the note she was hitting at the moment I took this picture more than the bass player, Brad Campbell.
Image No. 68-5B-36a: Janis looking left In performance with Big Brother and the Holding Company, 1968 Newport Folk Festival, Saturday evening, July 27.
Image No. 68-5A-29: Janis standing, in fur hat Columbia Records offices, New York City, February 1968 This photo was taken moments after Janis and the other members of Big Brother and the Holding Company signed their recording contract with Columbia.
Image No. 69-6-4: Janis and Sam rehearsing California motel patio, 1969
Image No. 68-8-10: Janis Rampant In performance with Big Brother and the Holding Company, 1968
Image No. 69-4-11: Janis with lips pursed Frankfurt, West Germany, April 12, 1969, in performance with the Kozmic Blues Band
Image No. 68-5A-15a: Janis Angelic Backstage, Winterland arena, San Francisco, December 31, 1967 Sharing the bill with Big Brother and the Holding Company at Winterland this New Year's eve were Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Freedom Highway.