Janis Joplin

Janis Lyn Joplin (1943–1970) was an American blues-influenced singer with a highly distinctive voice — her rasping, overtone-rich sound was significantly divergent from the soft folk and jazz-influenced styles that were common among many white artists at the time. Her lyrical themes were of pain and loss. Janis's vocal style, her flamboyant dress, her outspokenness and sense of humour, and her strident, hard-living "one of the boys" image all combined to create an entirely new kind of female persona in rock. Joplin followed the precedent set by her white, male counterparts in adopting the image, repertoire and performance style of African American blues and rhythm and blues artists, both male and female. In so doing, Joplin was pivotal in redefining what was possible for white female singers in mainstream American popular music.