Going Solo
Janis Joplin, blazing her own trail, formed a groovy new band called the Kozmic Blues Band, a nod to Kafka with a ‘K’. This eclectic ensemble included talented session musicians like keyboard maestro Stephen Ryder, sax sensation Cornelius ‘Snooky’ Flowers, ex-Big Brother guitarist Sam Andrew, and future Full Tilt Boogie Band’s bassist Brad Campbell. Their sound was a funky fusion of horns, pop, and Stax-Volt R&B, inspired by 60s soul legends like Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays.
On the surface, her life was a symphony of success, but delve a little deeper, and you’d find a chaotic opera of addiction. As 1969 dawned, Joplin was injecting herself with $200 worth of heroin daily, despite valiant efforts to keep her on the straight and narrow. During the June 1969 recording sessions, producer Gabriel Mekler insisted she live in his LA mansion, a strategic move to distance her from her drug-infused entourage.