Five musicians that influenced Janis Joplin
An appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 with Big Brother and the Holding Company brought Janis Joplin instant recognition. In her short career, Joplin stunned listeners with her incredible singing talents, boasting a mezzo-soprano style. She had the ability to deliver vocals straight from her soul, channelling intense passion that felt completely raw and unbridled. Yet, simultaneously, Joplin demonstrated absolute control, allowing herself to linger in softer, quieter moments, giving her performances stunning range.
Since Joplin’s death in 1970, she has become one of the most influential musicians of all time, with nearly every rock vocalist citing her as a vital inspiration. Dynamic and unforgettable, Joplin is remembered through her powerful performances, which included covers of popular standards, such as ‘Summertime’ and Big Mama Thorton’s ‘Ball and Chain’.
Thorton was a major source of inspiration for the singer. Joplin’s cover of ‘Ball and Chain’, which she sang at the Monterey Pop Festival before Thorton had even released the song herself, became one of Joplin’s definitive efforts, transforming it into a slower, bluesier number.
The singer’s love of performing covers reflected her dedication to the artists that came before her and inspired her drive to become a musician. She might be remembered as an icon of rock and roll, but Joplin was heavily indebted to blues. One of her most significant influences was Bessie Smith, often dubbed the ‘Empress of Blues’. Smith found great success in the 1930s, ultimately inspiring Joplin to begin her career. Joplin once explained: “She showed me the air and taught me how to fill it. She’s the reason I started singing, really”.
Alice Echols, Joplin’s biographer, argues that “certainly at times”, the musician “regarded herself almost as Bessie Smith reincarnated”. Although Smith died before Joplin was born, the latter contributed funds to buy a proper headstone for the legendary singer in 1970, writing, ‘The Greatest Blues Singer in the World Will Never Stop Singing’ as the epitaph.
In 1969, Joplin discussed in more detail some of her influences during an interview with Hit Parader. She said: “Back in Port Arthur, I’d heard some Lead Belly records, and, well, if the blues syndrome is true, I guess it’s true about me…So I began listening to blues and folk music. I bought Bessie Smith and Odetta records, and one night, I was at this party and I did an imitation of Odetta. I’d never sung before, and I came out with this huge voice.”
Odetta was an essential figure in the folk revival movement, although she also explored jazz and blues. Not only did she massively inspire Joplin, but Bob Dylan also cites Odetta as the reason he got into folk, and Joan Baez claims to have learnt everything the singer ever performed, describing her as a “goddess”.
As already mentioned, Lead Belly was another great motivation for Joplin, once stating that hearing his music was “like a flash. It mattered to me”. The singer has had a terrific impact on popular music, with George Harrison once stating: “No Lead Belly, no Beatles”. Similarly, Joplin might not have become such a terrific blues-inspired musician if not for the prominence of Lead Belly’s music in her life.
Finally, while Joplin mentioned the importance of plenty of other musicians, from Aretha Franklin to Billie Holliday, it’s hard to ignore the influence of Otis Redding on Joplin’s style. She once said: “I started singing rhythmically, and now I’m learning from Otis Redding to push a song instead of just sliding over it.”
Five musicians that inspired Janis Joplin:
- Big Mama Thorton
- Bessie Smith
- Odessa
- Lead Belly
- Otis Redding
