The Little Slice of History below is provided courtesy of our special guest contributor, Francis Pospisil, a rocker himself with deep roots in the D.I.Y. scene and in promoting work by the women he admires. -Roxie The other day some of the ladies from Women In Rock were having coffee and working on the blog in our kitchen. Izzi had on a Gang of Four T-shirt and I felt compelled to ask her if she’d heard of Delta 5. She hadn’t, but luckily I own a copy of their only LP. I threw it on the turntable and it was then that they asked me to write for them. Delta…
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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,…
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The Mother of Punk
Last week I posted on facebook: “If Patti Smith is the godmother of punk, who is the mother?” This truly stumped me because I always see Patti Smith referred to as the “godmother of punk” but I can’t think of anyone who came before her that is more inspiring to the punk world. My post on facebook was serious but in return I got a mix of responses both serious and shitty. The strangest thing was that all but one response were from men. Where were the girls in this conversation? Don’t they want to know who their punk mother is?? Below are the responses I recieved and my personal…
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Wanda Jackson Live: Man, We Had a Party!
When Wanda Jackson entered the Taft Ballroom on Saturday night, I’m not going to lie, I had my doubts. She was on the arms of two men and looked so tiny! Of course, whom I’m assuming to be her significant other held her purse and escorted her both on and off stage. But when she got on that stage… man, was she alive! The backing band, all very attractive young men, played “Rumble” as Ms. Jackson made her way on to stage, a very fitting entrance. Decked out in her white fringe shirt and diamonds, she told us she was going to take us on a musical journey. And really,…
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A Little Slice of History: Grace Slick
Before Grace Slick joined Jefferson Airplane and sang some of the most popular songs of a generation, she was a typical woman growing up in the late ’50s and early ’60s. She even got married to Jerry Slick at age 20. The best thing that came out of the short-lived marriage was the song “Somebody to Love” written by her brother-in-law for their band, The Great Society. The Great Society broke up after about a year because two band members were enthralled with tablas and sitars and were ready to move to India to be closer to that sound they loved. Around the same time, Jefferson Airplane’s singer left the band and…
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A Little Slice of History: Joan Jett
Joan Jett, a Queen of Rock n’ Roll got her start as one of the founding members of the Runaways. As just a young thing in the band she sang backing vocals, played rhythm guitar and co-wrote many of their songs. When the band broke up in 1979 she decided to pursue a solo career. The most astounding thing about Joan Jett as a musician is that once her solo album was recorded it was rejected by 23 labels in the US. But she didn’t give up. She created her own label, Blackheart Records and “I Love Rock n’ Roll” became a number one hit. What does this tell musicians?…
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A Little Slice of History: Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin, born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1943, was a legendary singer who caught the attention of the world originally in the band Big Brother and the Holding Company. Joplin went on as a solo act and became one of the most important women to ever exist in the rock world. What you may not know: Kris Kristofferson, lover and friend of Janis’s, first sang her “Me and Bobby McGee” in the Chelsea Hotel. Janis Joplin’s version went on to be a number one hit and appeared on her famous album, Pearl. Fun fact: Patti Smith was present for this amazing experience.
