Tag Archives: Janis Joplin

Folk Singer Odetta Holmes Dies at 77

Folk singer and civil rights activist Odetta Holmes, known professionally as Odetta, died this week of heart disease at the age of 77. Odetta influenced a generation of singers such as Janis Joplin, Tracy Chapman, Janis Ian, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez with her folk, blues, and gospel classics. Dylan was quoted as saying, “The first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta. From Odetta, I went to Harry Belafonte, the Kingston Trio, little by little uncovering more as I went along.” By the way, I missed my change to blog about the October 1, 2008 passing … Continue reading →

Infamous Hotel Rooms – Part 3

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Here are even more hotel rooms that are known for their notorious reputations: Room 1220 – Westin Hotel, San Francisco, CA Room 1220 was the scene of one of the saddest Hollywood downfalls ever – that of comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Back in the 20’s, Arbuckle was raking in a million a year at Paramount, making him one of the biggest stars of the day. However, on September 3, 1921, actress Virginia Rappe became ill in his hotel room, eventually dying of peritonitis. Arbuckle was charged with rape and although he was acquitted, the media grabbed a hold of the … Continue reading →

Forever 27: Janis Joplin

In October 1970, the world was still reeling over the death of Jimi Hendrix. How such a wonderfully talented guitarist could be taken so suddenly was shocking. But, by the end of the month, the country would be mourning the death of another great rock icon. Janis Joplin was shunned by the others in high school. While it may have bothered her, she had more on her mind. She was already listening to blues greats like Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, Odetta, and Big Mama Thornton. Soon, Janis began to sing both blues and folk music, playing small coffee houses and bars … Continue reading →

Perhaps Finally, a Biopic on Janis Joplin

It seems to me like I have heard for years that a film was going to be made on the life of one of my favorite singers from the 60s, Janis Joplin. For the longest, we heard Melissa Etheridge (who I think would have been an excellent choice) was going to star as Janis. Then I remember reading somewhere that she had done a screen test and frankly, just was not a good enough actor to play the role. I found it sad that Melissa could not act because she had both the look and the voice. Then singer Pink … Continue reading →