Looking Back On The Anniversary Of Janis Joplin’s Death – October 4th, 1970 [VIDEO]

It was 41 years ago - October 4th, 1970 - that Janis Joplin died of an accidental overdose of heroin. She was one of the most powerful singers of all time, bringing incredible intensity to her blues based material.

Janis was a Texan, hailing from Port Arthur. She rose to fame very quickly with her band 'Big Brother & The Holding Company', and later 'The Kozmic Blues Band'. Finally in 1970, Janis handpicked her final band lineup dubbing them 'The Full Tilt Boogie Band'. She was working on the album 'Pearl' just before her death. It was to be her epitaph and her masterpiece.

In 2008, the city of Port Arthur erected a monument on what would have been Janis' 65th birthday. Her music remains a timeless statement of genius. She was arguably the first female 'hard rock' singer, and the model for many to follow. Check out this explosive version of 'Try Just A Little Bit Harder' from the Dick Cavett Show in 1969: (via wikipedia.org)