A Little Slice of History

When Patti Smith sang to Janis Joplin

There are certain times that you wish you could be a fly on the wall…

The moment I would die to witness would be an encounter with two of the most influential women in rock. The story appeared in “Just Kids,” a must read for any Patti Smith fan. Patti Smith writes of her life with Robert Mapplethorpe as a young person in New York City.

She recounts when she was introduced to Janis Joplin by Bobby Neuwirth in 1970. Most of their interactions took place at the infamous Hotel Chelsea including Patti Smith being present when Kris Kristofferson taught Janis “Me and Bobby McGee.”

One night after a show, a guy whom Janis fancied chose to leave with a pretty “hanger-on” instead of going home with her. Janis was devastated so Bobby Neuwirth asked Patti to take Janis back to the Hotel Chelsea and keep an eye on her. Patti sang Janis a song she’d written and said it was for her…

Lyrics

 

Janis Joplin died two months later.

An avid rock musician and enthusiast as well as a rock history buff.

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