A truly remarkable & thoroughly researched biography about Janis Joplin! The author leaves no stone unturned and captures Janis is all the phases of her young, successful & troubled life.

I would like to thank Netgalley for sharing a copy of this book with me in exchange for a fair review. This wonderful book could easily become the definitive account of the life and experiences of Janis Joplin. It's strength comes in capturing the many conflicts and contradictions that seemed to have lied at the core of who Janis Joplin was as both an artist and, more importantly, as a person. It is one thing to have access to a great deal of personal information, it is quite another to be able to present this information to paint a picture of who the person truly WAS (and without having to be so obvious and state it directly). For example, no surprise to anyone, Janis broke every (or almost every) social norm or convention imaginable. Indeed, she seemed almost driven to do so. And yet, at same time that all of this defiance is happening, she asks her mother for a Betty Crocker cookbook for Christmas.. Similarly, Ms George-Warren captures the tension between Janis' longing for love and connection to others with her equally powerful drive to separate and move away from others. The reader can almost feel these conflicts and the toll it takes on this young girl. I found myself reading faster as the book progressed; knowing how the story ends I wanted to get it over with -----not the book mind you, but the feelings elicited by Ms George-Warren's accounts. Finally, I think there is one thing missing from the book; or, more accurately, one thing that I strongly urge every reader to do ----- watch Janis, experience the power seen in her live performances. Go to Youtube, watch her at the Monterrey Pop Festival, see for yourself everything that the book describes. Sure, I know that it isn't fair to say that a book is lacking video ---but wouldn't it be great???

I wasn't sure that there was anything about Janis Joplin that might be new to say, but this bio was exhilarating. Fresh, different, it gets at the soul of Janis herself, from childhood to stardom. Plus, the writing is so great, so immersive, it gives you this you-are-there feeling.

A thorough and comprehensive look at the rise of the wildly talented Janis Joplin. From baby to adult, Janis' life is superbly chronicled along with that of her family, friends, and acquaintances. I was fortunate enough to see Janis on the stage once, in Chicago.

Unfortunately, Janis' star still shines but without her. A must read for fans of Janis and those who have interest in the 60's.

Recommend!

Many Thanks to Simon a& Schuster and NetGalley for a gem of a read!

Every time I hear that silty give singing Bobby McGee I often wonder, what if? The latest biography of Janis Joplin is an insightful and objective look at the life of the famed singer. I enjoyed reading about her family history and the environment that shaped her personality. Joplin was a major voice in the counter culture era and is even more legendary today. She will always be included in the changing music and culture of the late 1960s, earning her spot of remembrance.

Welcome to the late 1960s, the time of Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Jim Morrison and others. As a nervous Janis Joplin is trying to make a go of it with the band called Big Brother and the Holding Company. They start playing gigs all over and learning to mesh together and get better as they do. Janis really starts to come into her own with her singing and stage presence and the audiences go wild for her. Word spreads and she begins to get some good reviews. They finally get a great manager who will get them going places; and find a way to get their old contract squashed that’s been holding them back. Follow her career as she finally finds the fame she’s wanted. If only she could have the rest of what she dreams of, her own home and family.

This is an excellent book about Janis Joplin and that era of music. I love the cover picture. It’s well researched and well written and if you have an interest in Joplin or the music of that era you shouldn’t miss it, for sure. I found it very enjoyable to learn so much about this wonderful, yet troubled artist who passed so young as several did. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Holly George-Warren, and the publisher.

Wow, I found this book very fascinating. This is the first biography I have ever read. The author wrote this book very well. By the end of the book I felt like I hung out with Janis for years of her life. The author started out with Janis's grandparents and gave you an idea where she came from. Then she went on to explain what her parents were like and how she was being raised. The author used genuine material she received from Janis's family and interviewed many of her friends and family to write the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt like I got to know Janis. The author also included a lot of information about the people Janis hung out with and met through the years of her life and included what it was like to live in that era. I really learned a lot from this book and would say if you want to read a biography about Janis Joplin this is the one to read. I give it 4 1/2 stars!

Wow, a lot of Janis info. I had read a bit about Janis but there was a lot here that I did not know. Her family was a mixed bag and ver y interesting. She was quite young, by most accounts, when she died but think about what she could have accomplished!

I had read several articles on Janis Joplin, but this book really was well written. I always thought she was just a free spirit who wanted to do her own thing. Actually, she was very smart, intelligent and witty. It proves that looks are not everything. She really was a gentle soul who just was looking for approval in a lot of areas of her life. It makes me wonder how her life would have unfolded if she did not overdose. This was a very interesting book, I really recommend it.

More is generally made of Janis Joplin being outrageous and provocative in order to draw attention to herself. A smart, but troubled child, who could never overcome her need to be loved. Contrary to Bob Dylan’s great song, "She Belongs to Me", Joplin was an artist who did look back. What is not made enough of was Joplin’s personal style, her acceptance of her inadequate body, and the courage she displayed in posing nude.

"...Just four days before her death on October 4, 1970, she told journalist Howard Smith, “You are only as much as you settle for.”"

Unfortunately, Janis did settle for heroin and booze, and they both did her in. As grateful as she seemed to be for her earned success and popularity in certain circles, she was a helpless defeatist when it came to love. Nothing ever worked out long-term for this intense and dedicated artist.

"...She would later give the Swindle her own name: the kozmic blues, which to her “means no matter what you do, you get shot down anyway.”"

Janis, and one of her early bands, suffered a bit of trouble in West Hollywood with a night of broken strings, guitars out of tune, and too much Southern Comfort. But still, Janis and the band "... managed to “permanently alter...the emotional atmosphere of the city, ...according to Ron Koslow in the music paper KYA Beat, “We won’t be the same until Janis and her voice come back to us. She’s a cross between Besse Smith, Joan of Arc, and a Bengal tiger, a very, very beautiful animal who all at once makes you want to laugh and cry and shriek with terror.”"

To be liked and appreciated was pretty much all Joplin wanted. Only in her music and stage performance did she achieve her goals. All else failed for her. Desiring love, relationships, sobriety, and one day having a family of her own all fell short and unrequited. Hers is a sad story, and no matter how hard we try to rewrite it, or put a better spin on it, the results remain the same.

"...She again wowed the audience: “Kids surround the stage, spilling over with the joy of being reached,” Goldstein reported. “Because to hear Janis once is to have been laid, lovingly and well.”"

There is more in this book to ponder and learn than any movie or documentary that features Janis Joplin has achieved thus far. Holly George-Warren did a great job showing us the life behind an always rising star. But then Janis burned. And still, we, who cannot tolerate or understand a person different from us, pour more water on her, begrudgingly trying to put an eternal flame away. In contrast, it is Holly George-Warren who gracefully throws more fuel on her iconic flame.

Fascinating!! I've long been a fan of Janis Joplin's music, but can honestly say I have never read anything, or stumbled across anything, about her life and times before - at least The Life and Times that resulted in her turning into the musical genius she was on the whole. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The writing was excellent, written in an engaging narrative style that flowed beautifully and held my attention from the opening pages. Holly George - Warren is definitely on my to-be-watched biographer list now. I see she has several other rock and roll books, and I'm definitely going to be checking them out...

I was lucky enough to see Janis Joplin in concert once in my life and I will never forget it. She was a woman with SO much talent, charisma and energy. My heart was broken when we lost her, and broken all over again when I read this book.

This is the first biography of Janis Joplin that I have read. I found this book an informative read as I only knew a little about her and her music. The author does a very good job of describing Joplin's struggles in life, what motivated her and her development into the first female lead in a rock group who evolved beyond the group. The author's writing style makes this an engaging book and it is a fairly quick read despite the length.

I recommend this book for those looking for an engaging read on the life of Janis Joplin.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook  page.

Comprehensive coverage of a person so far ahead of her times that it's a wonder she survived as long as she did. I was always a fan of her vocals, and that's when she first hit the airwaves with Big Brother. She was a mess personally, but her renditions of her songs were her heart laid bare.
I found this to be meticulous in detail, the author is a fan, but didn't whitewash those details. Just the reference notes at the end shows the thorough research of her family and life. Her off the cuff comments about her childhood and family were shown to be all talk and that they did indeed love her, they just couldn't provide all that she needed. The ups and downs of her life were intelligently told and helped to explain those around her dealing with her as well as herself. One has to wonder if she had stayed on Lithium would she have needed the drugs and alcohol as much. It's a sad story of waste of talent and a life, but it's not presented as a sad story. It's a chronological unsympathetic telling of the facts of her life from start to finish. I only wish there had been more. The completed published book appears to have photographs, which I will like to check out, as the ARC from NetGalley did not include them, thanks to the ability to read this pre publishing.

Holly George-Warren has written the definitive bio with Janis. She brings Janis to life with insights that are stunning

What a poignant and touching read. I've long been a fan of Janis and this title gave me insight I've not read or heard before. She was truly born before her time and I can only imagine what she would have done had she lived. Seeing this picture of her just makes me a bigger fan.

This book outlines the life and career of Janis Joplin. Born into a conservative Texas town, Janis always stood out as different from her peers. Her parents, typically conservative, struggled with Janis drug use, liberal views and unconventional lifestyle. Janis forged a new life and family with the Holding Company. However, as she grew into herself, she outgrew her new family.

This was a well written and engaging story. I knew very little about Janis before reading this book - Wow, what a wild and crazy ride. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

I enjoy a good rock-n-roll biography and this certainly is one. Well-researched and conversationally told.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved this cover! I’ve always been fascinated and shocked by the stories from icons of the 70’s who did tons of sex, drugs and rock n roll. And I wonder how did not more people die during this reckless over sexed time in history? Janis was intense and troubled as she peruses her purpose and goals. She was basically a social outcast at school and didn’t seem to have anyone she was close to growing up. She loved both men and women in her life and never fit in. She was parents of a musical Christian mother and closeted cannabis smoking Atheist which had to be confusing.

This story was told well and at times it was breaking my heart. It will bring you up close and personal with her life and it was reckless!

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions were my own.

I was greatly surprised, and delighted, to begin reading a new, and exhaustively researched, biography on Janis Joplin ( cleverly entitled, "Janis." The good news for prospective readers is that author Holly George- Warren has composed a well-known structured, breezy and eminently readable story; the bad news is that if one strips away the admiration the author has for Joplin's indiscriminate sexual hook ups and monstrous drug and alcohol abuse the book becomes decidedly less interesting. I am glad that Net Galley have me the chance to read this biography at no charge. I wish that the star of this narrative was found to be worthy of this well written book.