The Scrapbook

Janis Joplin: Days & Summers

'We've had Janis's scrapbook for a long time. It was really important to her. Scrapbooks may sound quaint and old-fashioned today, but by sitting down, cutting these things out, sticking them in place and annotating them, Janis has given us a unique record of the period.' - Michael Joplin

In her handmade scrapbook Janis Joplin created a personal record of her meteoric rise to fame and the flowering of Sixties counterculture in which she was to play a lead role. 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 Featured alongside are previously unpublished items from her personal archive, including letters she wrote home to her family and a preceding scrapbook from her senior high school years, 1956-59.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.

'This is a deeply personal, kaleidoscopic, hippie-vivid portrait of a woman finding her way in the world.' - The Telegraph

The Author

Janis Joplin: Days & Summers

'An amazingly talented human tornado who just whirled her way into our consciousness. We try to describe her but, like being in love, it's difficult telling someone else how stunning the impact is. You know when you feel it, and Janis was probably the best at translating those all-consuming emotions.' - Grace Slick

Janis Joplin was an American singer, songwriter and arranger, from Port Arthur, Texas, who moved to San Francisco in 1966 to join local band Big Brother and the Holding Company and pursue her dream of becoming a musician. She died aged 27 on October 4, 1970. She is one of the most influential icons from the Sixties and considered one of the best female blues singers ever.

'There was just nothing else like her - total rebelliousness, abandon, musical excellence, and connection with everyone in the audience. Pure magic. Everybody just loved her. She gave us a voice that was anti-establishment, and I've lived by it ever since.' - Chrissie Hynde

The Collector Copies

Janis Joplin: Days & Summers

Collector copies are numbered from 351 to 2,000, hand-signed by the contributors, and authenticated with the Janis Joplin estate stamp.