Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was a psychedelic rock and soul singer/songwriter from Port Arthur, Texas that is generally considered to be one of the greatest musical icons to come out of the 1960s counter-culture movement in the San Francisco Bay Area. Joplin began singing professionally when she was tapped to be lead singer for the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966. Her two year stint with the band brought her national fame and exposure, and did much to revolutionize women's roll in the performance of rock music. Her final album with the band, Cheap Thrills, would solidify her reputation as an artist to be reckoned with, and is considered by many to be the culmination of her art. Although Janis Joplin's life was tragically cut short as a result of a drug overdose, her legendary status as one of the first leading women in rock as well as her substantial contributions to the counter-culture movement of the period will not soon be forgotten.
