Janis Joplin's Biography
Janis Joplin's Biography
Janis Joplin's Biography
4. In 1962, Joplin attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied art. In Austin,
Joplin began performing at folksings—casual musical gatherings where anyone can perform—
on campus and at Threadgill's with the Waller Creek Boys, a musical trio, friends of her. With
her forceful singing style, Joplin amazed many audience members. She was completely
different to any other white female vocalist at the time (folk icons like Joan Baez and Judy Collins
were known for their soft sound). However, she wouldn’t make it into the industry until 4 years
later.
5. In May 1966, Joplin was recruited by friend Travis Rivers to audition for a new psychedelic rock
called Big Brother and the Holding Company. Joplin blew the band away during her audition,
so she was offered membership into the group. In her early days with Big Brother, she sang
only a few songs and played the tambourine in the background. But it wasn't long before Joplin
assumed a bigger role in the band, as Big Brother developed quite a following in the Bay Area.
6. Their appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967—specifically their version of "Ball and
Chain" (originally made famous by R&B legend Big Mama Thornton) increased greatly the
group’s popularity. Two years later, Big Brother's album Cheap Thrills was a huge hit. While
the album was wildly successful— featuring songs like "Piece of My Heart" and
"Summertime"—creating it had been a challenging process, causing a lot of problems between
Joplin and band's other members. Joplin’s bandmates had been like a family to her, but she
eventually decided to part ways with the group. She played with Big Brother for the last time in
December 1968.
8. Despite her untimely death, Janis Joplin's songs continue to attract new fans and inspire
performers. Numerous collections of her songs have been released over the years, including
In Concert (1971) and Box of Pearls (1999). In recognition of her significant accomplishments,
Joplin was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and honored
with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards in 2005.
TASKS:
1. There are some words found on the text 3. Find three (3) different phrasal verbs (two- part
in the section below. Write an appropriate verbs) in the text. Write them and write down
synonym for them: where you found them.