Several years back, I watched a Janice Joplin biography on Netflix. I’d stumbled across her legacy to music over my lifetime, but never knew her story. The biography portrayed her creative depth as a product of a child starved of peer acceptance. Her later relationship with drugs and alcohol allowed her to hide from an adult world that offered little solace.
I’ve since read other articles on the musician and her life on and off the stage. There are varying opinions from her being raunchy, dirty and insecure, to creative, imaginative and hard working. Whatever the opinion, despite her insecurities, she found the courage to expose her vulnerability through music, and left a tremendous mark on an unforgettable era. Her rendition of Bobby McGee is a raw release of pure soul, and a favorite in my jar of classics.
Want to hear the music that inspires me? You can visit Spotify.com to hear the playlist, titled “Sunday Mornings by an Average Jill,” and follow me on Facebook to read more on Sunday mornings.