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| JANIS JOPLIN By Tom Wills, April 2014 |
She and her three bands made rock, folk, soul and blues music during their brief time between 1967 and 1970.
It was after some listening that I chose to file her records with the blues singers.
The voice is the reason.
It is a pained voice.
For Janis' music it is the only, perfect voice.
And, in this drawing, I think she looks so sad.
And a little beautiful.
I never really spent much time playing those records, until this spring. I liked "Piece of My Heart," "Cry Baby" and "Try." She made "Me and Bobby McGee" her own but it's become tiresome for me to hear.
But then I had an occasion to draw Janis, and to pull out those records.
It was just a remark someone had made to me, out of the blue: "Love Janis."
As is my practice, I had to play her music to get into my work.
Turns out that I did enjoy my three Joplin vinyls: "Cheap Thrills" (with Big Brother and the Holding Company), "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama" (Kozmic Blues Band) and the unfinished "Pearl" (Full Tilt Boogie Band).
Each record is a progression toward where she wanted to be, musically. The musicianship was always good and got better, and the songs became more soulful. Freed from the radio hits formula, the music stretched, turned up and spread out.
But at the core it is still the blues.
And I listened as I drew her, thinking about how she's been dead for 43 years.
Just 27.
She was sad, then.
Maybe more than a little beautiful.
Those records are filed away again.
Janis rests between John Lee Hooker and Albert King.
They welcome her company, as she is home among them.
About this drawing:
There is an insane amount of lead on this sheet of poster board.
To keep it from smearing and going all gray during the two-week process, there also is a volatile amount of Krylon workable fixatif applied. Draw, spray, dry, draw. Inhale, repeat.
This drawing, with the following eyes, is not for sale.
It too has found a home.
Emil Leo Perunko Jr., Aug. 31, 1945 - April 14, 2014
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