Quotable Janis Joplin
Port Arthur’s Rock Queen Calls it as She Sees it
Singer Janis Joplin was never accused of being shy. Her raw emotion comes out in her music and her passion for living. She’s still a legend years after her death. Born in Port Arthur, she continued her singing in Austin, and San Francisco’s Height Asbury neighborhood before claiming worldwide fame and an enduring place in rock history.
“Get it while you can” and “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” are some lyrics from her hits. Her own words are just as memorable, and she had plenty to say.
Janis Joplin’s Life and Legacy
The Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau gets Janis Joplin queries on the regular. Her legacy of song and personality continues to captivate. We love that the Museum of the Gulf Coast has a replica of her psychedelic Porsche and a collection of art work she created. Longtime fans, and fans who have just discovered her, flock to the Museum to learn more and “feel” her presence.
Born Jan. 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, one of her childhood homes here features a Texas State Historical Marker and our office has a brochure with a driving guide featuring sites important to her development.
Locals have Joplin stories from “she babysat me” to “we were in the church choir together.” She was active in her church and considered herself an intellectual. This blog will share some of her now-famous quotes.
One of Those Regular Weird People
So many people can identify with how she used her talent to break out and overcome personality clashes. Her colorful, flowing, feathery clothes are all part of the charm, and enduring history. Google searches show her name comes up daily and people from all around the world are still enjoying her music. She would love that she remains globally famous.
Janis had celebrity friends, obviously liked a good party and also shared some deep thoughts about how she mingled her personal life and her fame. Let’s start with some of these:
Janis on life in general:
- You can destroy your now by worrying about your tomorrow.
- Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.
- I’m one of those regular weird people.
- Being an intellectual creates a lot of questions and no answers.
Janis on singing and her audience:
- On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone.
- I have to have the ‘umph.’ I’ve got to feel it, because if it’s not getting through to me, the audience sure as hell aren’t going to feel it either.
- Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable.
Can’t get Enough Janis?
Hit Museum of the Gulf Coast’s famous display, drive by her former home and take our driving tour of some Port Arthur area “haunts.”
The Ben J. Rogers Regional Visitors Bureau features a mural of the colorful character we call Janis, and a jukebox that will play some of her hits. Put on some music and come to Port Arthur and catch her vibe.
Famous Last Words?
Unfortunately, the local girl from Port Arthur became a tragic member of the “27 Club,” a celebrity who died at that age. Allegedly to “reward” herself from being off drugs for a while, she died from an overdose at the Landmark Hotel in Los Angeles, California on Oct. 4, 1970.
No one heard her last words, but her final recorded words were the spoken “That’s it!” followed by her famous cackling laugh at the end of the a cappella “Mercedes Benz,” just days before her death. This song includes Port Arthur references such as a local TV show, “Dialing for Dollars.”
Just a few more Janis gems:
When you visit Port Arthur, you can drive the “drag” on Gulfway, like Janis did as a Thomas Jefferson High School student. Fans, click here for a Port Arthur area self-guided driving tour featuring Janis hot spots, such as her childhood home. It features a Texas Historical Marker.
Like Janis sings, you’ve got to “get it while you can.” So we’re leaving fans with a few more Joplin thoughts to make you feel groovy.
- Guess what, I might be the first hippie pinup girl.
- Who you are is what you settle for, you know?
- Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable.
- If I hold back, I’m no good. I’m no good. I’d rather be good sometimes, than holding back all of the time.
Darragh Castillo, is Experience Manager at Port Arthur Convention & Visitors Bureau. She also has a January birthday, so she feels like she and Janis would be close buddies.
