Twist of Fate
In a cruel twist of fate, Janis Joplin’s famous and critically acclaimed version of the song was recorded a few days before her unfortunate passing in 1970. While gearing up for the release of her second album “Pearl”, Joplin died from a heroin overdose.
Janis Joplin and Big Brother & The Holding Company. (Photo by Malcolm Lubliner/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Ironically, her inadvertent death led to the album receiving worldwide attention, propelling it to the top position in the charts. Notably, it became the second song ever in the US to peak at number one after the singer had died, the first being Otis Redding’s “ Dock of the Bay “.
While the tragedy undoubtedly boosted radio plays and sales, Joplin’s performance in the song was unquestionably beautiful, and it touched the hearts of many around the world, especially those that knew her personally.