Janis Joplin: Rockin' the Blues

Port Arthur may not have thought much of daughter Janis Joplin while she lived, but thousands sang Me and Bobby McGee when a memorial bust was unveiled there 18 years after she died of so much booze, so much heroin, and so little self-esteem.

A child of the '60s, Joplin's meteoric career crashed to earth in 1970 at age 27. She didn't accept too many rules—or laws, either—and the rebellious teenager became an outrageous artist who sought acceptance in an explosion of talent and fame.

Success with the band Big Brother and the Holding Co. opened a road that led through Woodstock, Ed Sullivan, and Europe. "Imagine a white girl singing blues like that!" said somebody early on. McGee was recorded days before Janis died, and became her biggest success.

—Larry Neal