Janis Her Life and Music
Author: Holly George-Warren
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2019)
You had me at Introduction! To see the impact that Janis Joplin had on so many women in music is profound, actually across genders. She was a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry and faced sexism from the press and MI professionals. Famed author Holly George-Warren has written a new autobiography about the life and music of one of the most talented musicians that faced many challenges in her short life.
I was fortunate enough to attend this year’s AMERICANAFEST where George-Warren was on a panel discussing her new book about Joplin’s life and the many challenges she faced from her family, her community where she was raised in Texas, and from fellow classmates in high school and at college. She was influenced by the Beatnik style, so she dressed differently. Becoming more defiant at home and engaging more in the blues and rock ‘n’ roll scene, she eventually left home and hitchhiked her way across the country, ending up in San Francisco.
There are many fascinating details in the book including excerpts of Joplin’s letters to her parents. Stories of depression, drugs, and her insatiable sexual appetite with Leonard Cohen even writing “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” about her. Fans of Joplin know her story, and George-Warren does an excellent job bringing more interesting details to light in this well-researched autobiography.
Adult reading – Explicit