Sad Anniversary Marking the Passage of ‘Pearl’

Another senseless tragedy happened on this date back in 1970. Janis Joplin was found dead in her room at Hollywood's Landmark Hotel from an apparent heroin overdose. She had just finished recording her second solo album, "Pearl"(her nickname). That album featured what many consider to be her quintessential song, Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby Mcgee", which reached #1 on the charts the following March. Janis was only 27 years old when she died, which means she will now forever be a part of the 27 Club.

Are you familiar with this club? There's only one requirement to be eligible for membership. You must be a popular musician, actor, artist, etc. who died at the age of 27 as the result of a violent death or by alcohol and/or drugs. Other members of the 27 Club include Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse.

No telling where Janis Joplin would be if she were alive today with that undeniable singing voice. She continues to be an inspiration to those who knew her when she was alive, but also for younger contemporaries and today's generation. The great songwriter Leonard Cohen penned "Chelsea Hotel No. 2" about an affair with Janis. Don McLean devoted some of the lyrics to "American Pie" to Janis: "I met a girl who sang the blues/And I asked her for some happy news/But she just smiled and turned away...". The Grateful Dead even performed at her funeral. For many, Janis will forever be missed.