Janis Joplin is one of the most respected and iconic rock & roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who captivated millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1970 at age 27. Director Amy Berg explored Joplin's story in depth. A portrait of a complicated, driven and often beleaguered artist. Joplin's own words recount a series of letters she wrote to her family over the years. Janis was a vessel of energy when she sang. Her rapid rise and untimely death changed music forever.

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Cast

Janis Joplin

Herself (archive footage)

Cat Power

Narrator (voice)

D. A. Pennebaker

Himself

Dick Cavett

Himself

Peter Albin

Himself

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Karleen Bennett

Herself - Janis Joplin's childhood friend

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Laura Joplin

Herself - Janis Joplin's sister

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Michael Joplin

Himself - Janis Joplin's brother

Janis Joplin — Herself (archive footage)

Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer considered the premier female blues vocalist of the Sixties; her raw, powerful and uninhibited singing style, combined with her turbulent and emotional lifestyle, made her one of the biggest female stars in her lifetime. She died of a drug overdose in 1970, aged 27, after releasing three albums. A fourth album, Pearl, was released a little more than three mo

D. A. Pennebaker — Himself

Donn Alan Pennebaker (/ˈpɛniːbeɪkər/; July 15, 1925 – August 1, 2019) was an American documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of direct cinema. Performing arts and politics were his primary subjects. In 2013, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award. Pennebaker was called by The Independent as "arguably the pre-eminent chronic