Janis Joplin's siblings reflect on Janis and 'enlightening' new book in PEOPLE Magazine
Laura and Michael Joplin recently revealed to
PEOPLE Magazine their experience growing up alongside budding rock legend Janis Joplin while discussing the upcoming limited edition book,
Janis Joplin: Days & Summers.
'Janis nailed it and she knew it,'
Michael told PEOPLE, speaking of her performance at Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967. 'That little dance is so sweet and innocent. It's like, 'I did it!' I love it because it makes her so human and approachable. Anyone can relate to it, even though she's a stranger from another decade who lived a different lifestyle. You can recognize that emotional moment. It's a beautiful thing.'
In reference to the book, which is comprised of Janis's personal scrapbook compiled between 1966-1968, Michael said: 'You save stuff because it means something to you, and you can share it with somebody special. That's what this was for her.' He continued, 'It's so personal. It's Janis's handwriting and her notations and what she cut out of magazines with her little scissors in her apartment with her Elmer's glue. The personal aspect is one of the reasons we hadn't shared until now.'
From the singer's earliest intimate blues gigs in local coffee houses, to her first appearances with Big Brother and the Holding Company, to the band's breakthrough performance at Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, Janis's story is remarkable. Throughout it all, she collected posters, souvenirs, press clippings, photographs and records, and annotated them with her comments.
More than 50 years later, Janis's scrapbook is revealed for the first time. Featured alongside are previously unpublished items from her personal archive, including letters she wrote home to her family and a preceding scrapbook from her senior high school years, 1956-59. Collectively, they offer a brand new perspective on the Port Arthur girl that transformed into a rock goddess, setting the world on fire with her talent.
Laura Joplin, Janis's younger sister, described the book as 'someone chatting with you about things and sharing stories. It's nice to see what a good time she was having. She had a short life, but at least she was having a really good time.'
PEOPLE's Jordan Runtagh concluded with, 'Like the little skip offstage at Monterey Pop, it's a fleeting moment that reveals an unguarded moment of humanity.
Days & Summers is filled with them.'
