Difficult Woman N°18
Janis Joplin
(1943-1970)
Who: American Blues singer/”Queen of Rock and Roll.” Fashion icon. Southern Comfort aficionado. Tattoo-getter long before it was trendy. Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius.
Signature Difficult Moves: Ridiculed in high school for her weight and bad complexion, she fled her native Texas for California and Haight-Ashbury where she started performing, refusing to be sidelined by her looks. She furthermore refused to compromise her passionate, and often painful sounding vocals in favor of something less emotional and raw: “Why should I hold back and sound mediocre just so I can sound mediocre twenty years from now?”
What People Said About Her: “She would stand before her audience, microphone in hand, long red hair flailing, her raspy voice shrieking in rock mutations of black country blues. Pellets of sweat flew from her contorted face and glittered in the beam of footlights. Janis Joplin sang with more than her voice. Her involvement was total. She lived that way, too.” – New York Times, October 5th, 1970.
Personals: Love the one you’re with.
Feminine Charms: The total psychedelic package: thick hippy mane, blissed out grin, big heart on sleeve.
How She Spoke Truth To Power:
Didn’t I make you feel like you were the only man?
And didn’t I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can?
(Honey, you know I did!)
And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I’ve had enough,
But I’m gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.
Quote To Live By: Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.
