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There are many excellent sites on the web already so instead of trying to improve on these beautifully done sites,
I invite you to learn from these sites the TRUE story and work of Janis.
By the True story I am refering to all the sordid stories that have circulated about her life.
Yes Janis died of a heroin overdose! Her "blues" were all to
much for her, and in a sad way we benifited from her pain and sorrow.
For had she not been the outcast, the un-conventual beauty, the
tormented soul then that VOICE, the voice that came from the depth of her,
a place many of us will never touch upon would not be on record for all
to enjoy.
At her death, at the tender age of 27, Janis left behind a very limited amount
of recorded music and a handful of studio out-takes. So instead the vultures zoomed
in on her private life to make their seedy money. "Was she a lesbian?" "Was she a
junkie?" etc., etc. There are far too many books written about her life for me to tell
you which ones to avoid. Actually, all I will do is say if you are interested in reading
about Janis then read "Love Janis" - this book was written by her sister and is based on
letters and poems Janis sent her family starting from her first days with
"Big Brother"
right thru to her last days.
At the moment there are two movies being filmed about her life - now,
27 years since her death. One stars Melissa Etheridge
and is based on a sleezy book written by Peggy Casata a "supossed" lover of Janis's
(Why Ms. Etheridge would chose this project ..I will never understand...
She (Melissa) claims that Janis was the reason she got into singing. I
guess she is like the other vultures... The money was more important).
The other movie is a proper movie sanctioned by the Joplin Estate and looks to be a more
balanced offering.
So in closing... I say skip the books, skip the gossip, skip the
vultures... Take your money and go purchase all her recordings. In her
short recording career there are only 8 official releases. The absolute
best is the package put together by Legacy Records entitled "JANIS" a 3
CD Box-Set...
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