Janis Joplin made official immortal statement” to Bob Dylan when they first met that eventually came to pass even after her death” was like a prophesy” here is just the two simple words..
Janis Joplin was not raised in the most conventional way. She was a resident of a highly conservative Texas oil town with a significant Ku Klux Klan presence. Her opinions were in opposition to it, which was evident from an early age as she would go hippy nightclubs in neighboring towns, talk about black rights in class, and dress differently. She was ridiculed relentlessly because she stood out, and she finally found comfort in the scorching California heat.
Her parents were very aware of art and wanted to make sure her siblings understood the power of music and art to express emotion, even though they worked in the oil sector that supported her hometown’s prosperity.
Their mother would have children sing show tunes and tell them to “support those notes,” while their father would sit the family down to listen to his favorite records. Say those words clearly. You must be heard by your audience!
Joplin learned early on that art should be taken seriously and should not be considered a hobby. She therefore turned to art as a form of expression and support when she found herself to be an outsider in school and as a means of reacting to people who had mistreated her. She was questioned if she attended her school’s prom during an interview at a high school reunion. Joplin retorted, “No, I wasn’t asked, and I still haven’t healed. You’ll want to start singing the blues just from it!
The blues that Joplin would end up singing came from a compassionate and tormented soul, the result of which was some of the best rock music ever to hit the airwaves. But before she skyrocketed to fame, she had to hitchhike to California and get by on scraps.
Joplin took off to California without telling any of her family. Without a support mechanism in place, she didn’t have much money to get by. She moved in with a folk-singing couple who let her live in their basement for free. Every week, she would go upstairs and sing a song, which served as rent. From early on in her career, her remarkable voice stood out, leading to her developing a great sense of belief and a true passion for the road in life she was going down.
It meant that eventually when she was in a nightclub in California and bumped into Bob Dylan, she had a clear enough image of herself and her future that the words that came out now rang immortal. Amongst the haze, she pulled The Bard to the side and said to him, “Bob, I just love you. I’m gonna be famous someday.” After taking in her words, Dylan responded in the only way he ever could, “Yeah, we’re all gonna be famous.”
Her troubled upbringing, being perceived as an outcast, drove Joplin towards a life of music. She could reach into that pain and pull something beautiful out of it. It meant that when she went to California and started singing, all people could do was listen. And now, after five decades, we’re still listening.
