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The Rock Hall's American Music Masters Series looks at Janis Joplin's legacy
Cleveland Scene ^ | Nov. 11, 2009 | Anastasia Pantsios

Posted on 11/12/2009 1:20:04 PM PST by smokingfrog

Janis Joplin has an indelible image as a swaggering, boozing rock 'n' roll mama whose blues-based music was a raw outpouring of her angst. The 1979 Bette Midler film The Rose, which depicts a Joplin-like singer, strengthened that view. Very likely it's why a lengthy list of actresses — including Renee Zellweger, Brittany Murphy, Pink, Lili Taylor, Zooey Deschanel and Vanessa Hudgens (!) — have expressed interest in playing her onscreen.

But it's an image that Lauren Onkey and Mary Davis hope to dispel, or at least replace with a new respect for her key role in the crossbreeding of rock and blues. Onkey, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's vice president of education and public programs, and Davis, associate director of Case Western Reserve's Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, are the organizers of this year's 14th edition of the Rock Hall's American Music Masters series, Kozmic Blues: the Life and Music of Janis Joplin. It takes place all this week at the Rock Hall, Case and other venues around town, culminating with the usual gala tribute concert on November 14 at PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre, featuring Lucinda Williams, Nona Hendryx, Roky Erickson, Guy Clark, Susan Tedeschi and others.

Davis acknowledges the enduring fascination with Joplin as a hard-living figure who died in 1970 at the age of 27, saying that in a class she and Onkey are teaching, the students are fixated on it. "The drugs and death part of the story engage them the most," she says. "We've had a really hard time moving them off that story and onto the story of Janis Joplin the serious artist and why she matters."

(Excerpt) Read more at clevescene.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: blues; halloffame; janisjoplin; rnrhof; rockandroll
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If they made a movie about Janis Joplin today, who would you pick to play her?
1 posted on 11/12/2009 1:20:05 PM PST by smokingfrog
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To: smokingfrog

Someone with no singing talent whatsoever. Man she is the worst sounding singer I’ve ever heard. Awful. No talent.


2 posted on 11/12/2009 1:22:00 PM PST by Huck (The Constitution--a big government boondoggle.)
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To: smokingfrog

whats a zooey?


3 posted on 11/12/2009 1:24:32 PM PST by CharlieOK1 (Capitalism = Freedom)
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To: smokingfrog; Revolting cat!; 537cant be wrong; Aeronaut; bassmaner; Bella_Bru; ...
Powell St. John will be playing this too. He played with Janis Jopin in Austin in the early 1960s and then wrote some songs for the 13th Floor Elevators (I see that Roky Erickson will also be performing) and then moved to California to form Mother Earth.

http://www.rockhall.com/janisjoplinamm

. Artists performing at the tribute concert include Ray Benson, Michael Carabello, Guy Clark, Roky Erickson, Nick Gravenites, Nona Hendryx, Powell St. John, Bettye Lavette, Country Joe McDonald, Bob Neuwirth, Gregg Rolie, Susan Tedeschi, Lucinda Williams and Carolyn Wonderland. Additional surprise guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

A number of Texas artists in this list.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 5 p.m. -Big Brother and the Holding Company to Launch 14th American Music Masters honoring Janis Joplin in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor
Original members of Janis Joplin’s band Big Brother and the Holding Company including Peter Albin, Sam Andrew and Dave Getz will tell their story through an intimate live interview. Immediately following, Big Brother will participate in an autograph signing. This interview is FREE and open to the public. Please email edu@rockhall.org or call (216) 515-8426 to RSVP. Click here for more information.

Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 7 p.m. -Big Brother and the Holding Company perform live at the Beachland Ballroom
Big Brother and the Holding Company will perform live at the Beachland Ballroom as part of the kickoff to the 14th Annual American Music Masters series honoring Janis Joplin. Big Brother will be joined by Cleveland’s own Mary Bridget Davies, the actress and vocalist who played Joplin in the Cleveland stage production “Love, Janis” inspired by Janis’ sister Laura’s best-selling book of the same name. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 18 and are $18 in advance and $20 day of show. Visit http://www.ticketweb.com.

Monday, October 26, 2009 at 7 p.m. - Public Library Collaboration
For the second consecutive year, the Rock Hall has partnered with the Cuyahoga County Public Library to deliver special American Music Masters-related content. Rock Hall educators will host a special “Rock and Roll Night School” at the library’s Solon branch. On Wednesday, November 4 at 7 p.m., Rock Hall educators will conduct an interactive videoconference entitled Ball of Confusion: Rock Music and Social Change in the 1960s and 1970s. This class will be held simultaneously at the library’s Solon and Brooklyn branches. Both events will highlight Janis Joplin’s extraordinary music, life and impact on popular culture.

Monday, November 9 at 7 p.m. - Rock and Roll Night School: A Spotlight on Janis Joplin at the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University, 11130 Bellflower Road, Clark Hall Room 309
Rock Hall educators Dr. Lauren Onkey and Jason Hanley will introduce the life and career of Janis Joplin with a multimedia presentation. This event is free with a reservation. Email education@rockhall.org or call 216.515.8426 to RSVP.

Tuesday, November 10 at 4:30 p.m. - Teachers Rock: Girls Rock! Helping Girls (and Boys) Find Their Voice in the K-12 Classroom in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor
Featuring selected scenes from Girls Rock!, the acclaimed documentary about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, this special Teachers Rock workshop explores learning difference and multiple intelligences in the K-12 classroom. Nancy Boutilier, a local educator and active musician featured in the film, will share her experiences at camp and in the classroom. This workshop is designed for music teachers and interested educators around Northeast Ohio. This event is free with a reservation. Email education@rockhall.org or call 216.515.8426 to RSVP.

Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. – Film Screening: Festival Express (2003) in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor
Festival Express is a documentary exploring the 1970 Canadian tour in which some of the greatest performers of the time (including Inductees Janis Joplin, The Band, The Grateful Dead, and Buddy Guy) traveled by train together for five days, giving concerts where and when they stopped. This event is free with a reservation. Email education@rockhall.org or call 216.515.8426 to RSVP.

Wednesday, November 11 at 7 p.m. – Hall of Fame Series with Jorma Kaukonen of the Jefferson Airplane in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor
In a career that has spanned a half-century, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Jorma Kaukonen is the leading practitioner and teacher of fingerstyle guitar. He is one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and Americana. The Grammy-nominated musician was a founding member of two legendary bands, The Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna. He met Janis Joplin during her first stay in San Francisco in the early 1960s, and they recorded the legendary “Typewriter Tapes” together in 1965. The event will also feature intimate performances interspersed throughout the interview. This event is free with a reservation. Email education@rockhall.org or call 216.515.8426 to RSVP.

Thursday, November 12 at 7 p.m.– From Songwriters to Soundmen featuring John Byrne Cooke, Janis Joplin’s former road manager in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater on the 4th floor
John Byrne Cooke was Janis Joplin’s road manager from December 1967 until her death in October 1970. A writer, photographer and filmmaker, Cooke contributed ten essays on Janis Joplin and her music to Janis Joplin, A Performance Diary (1997). In June 1967, John was a member of the D.A. Pennebaker film crew that filmed the Monterey International Pop Festival. He will screen his 8mm films of Janis Joplin, shot throughout years on the road with her. They offer a unique and intimate view of this too-often misunderstood rock icon. This event is free with a reservation. Email education@rockhall.org or call 216.515.8426 to RSVP.

Friday, November 13 at 8 p.m. - Concert by Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel at Wilbert’s in Cleveland, 812 Huron Avenue – Hailed as the post-modern King of Western Swing, Ray Benson is the nine-time Grammy-winning leader of Asleep at the Wheel. Having won Grammys in each of the last four decades, Asleep at the Wheel has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, George Strait and the Dixie Chicks. Tickets are $15 and will be available at the door or in advance at Wilbert’s. Rock Hall members can purchase two-for-one tickets by showing member ID at time of purchase.

Saturday, November 14 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Rock and Roll Retrospective at Case Western Reserve’s Wolstein Auditorium, 2103 Cornell Road, in the Wolstein Research Building
A reflection on the career of Janis Joplin and her impact on rock and roll music. Participants will include Laura and Michael Joplin, Janis’ sister and brother; songwriter Jerry Ragovoy (“Piece of my Heart,” “Get It While You Can,” “Cry Baby,” “Time is on My Side”); singer and songwriter Country Joe McDonald (“The “Fish” Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag”); celebrated authors and journalists Ann Powers, Holly George-Warren, and Lucy O’Brien; former San Francisco and current Sirius Radio disc jockey Dusty Street; and David Barnett from Cleveland’s WVIZ/PBS ideastream®. Tickets are $30 (Continental breakfast and lunch included) and are available through Ticketmaster and the Museum box office. Click here for a schedule and more ticket info.

-->TRAFFIC ADVISORY
The Case Western Reserve University Police Department would like to advise members of the campus community that the Adelbert Road bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic from 7:00 p.m on Friday, November 13th until 6:00 a.m on Monday, November 16th. Detours will be posted, the bridge will remain open for pedestrian traffic while maintenance work is being performed.

Saturday, November 14 at 8 p.m. Tribute Concert at PlayhouseSquare’s State Theatre The concert will feature Ray Benson, Michael Carabello, Guy Clark, Roky Erickson, Nick Gravenites, Nona Hendryx, Bettye Lavette, Country Joe McDonald, Bob Neuwirth, Gregg Rolie, Susan Tedeschi, Lucinda Williams and Carolyn Wonderland. Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks. This event also tells the story of Joplin’s life and legacy through video and special tributes. Tickets are $30, $40 and $50 and can be purchased at playhousesquare.org and at the PlayhouseSquare box office (216) 241-6000 or by visiting http://www.rockhall.com.

About the American Music Masters® series

The American Music Masters® series, a co-production of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University, celebrates the lives and careers of artists who changed the shape and sound of American culture.

Each year, the series explores the legacy of one of those pioneering figures in a range of events that includes Museum exhibits, lectures, films, a major conference and a tribute concert benefiting the Rock Hall’s education department. Drawing together music experts, artists, fans and friends, these events aim to provide new perspectives on some of the most beloved and influential musicians of the past century.

The American Music Masters® series began in 1996 when the museum paid tribute to Woody Guthrie with a 10-day celebration of his life and legacy. Other honorees include: the father of country music, Jimmie Rodgers in 1997; blues legend, Robert Johnson in 1998; rhythm and blues pioneer, Louis Jordan in 1999; the legendary Muddy Waters in 2000; the “Empress” Bessie Smith in 2001; Hank Williams, the first country western superstar in 2002; Buddy Holly in 2003; folk-blues artist Lead Belly in 2004; soul singer Sam Cooke in 2005; Roy Orbison in 2006; Jerry Lee Lewis in 2007; and Les Paul in 2008.

4 posted on 11/12/2009 1:26:07 PM PST by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: Huck

No accounting for taste...


5 posted on 11/12/2009 1:26:46 PM PST by Help!
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To: Huck

"Hold it hold it hold it, Ijeswannasaysomethin'..."

6 posted on 11/12/2009 1:27:57 PM PST by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: smokingfrog
yowl Pictures, Images and Photos

Just yank Kitty's tail and you'd get the same "singing".

7 posted on 11/12/2009 1:28:17 PM PST by Snickering Hound
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: a fool in paradise

lol. Taylor Swift has a lot more talent than Janis ever had.


9 posted on 11/12/2009 1:30:24 PM PST by Huck (The Constitution--a big government boondoggle.)
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To: smokingfrog
Johnny Winter.

What? They had a woman play Bob Dylan in his biopic.

10 posted on 11/12/2009 1:31:38 PM PST by a fool in paradise (I refuse to "reduce my carbon footprint" all while Lenin remains in an airconditioned shrine)
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To: CharlieOK1
Indie It Girl of the moment. I hope she sticks around.



She is an actress and singer. Her album with M. Ward as She and Him is fantastic. Here they are in action.
11 posted on 11/12/2009 1:31:53 PM PST by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: Huck

That isn’t saying much. :)


12 posted on 11/12/2009 1:31:59 PM PST by manic4organic (Obama shot hoops, America lost troops.)
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To: Black Pope
To appreciate Janis, you'd have to reach back to Black R&B/torch singers from the 1930s. I liked her work, what little there was of it. She had a lousy band in the beginning of her career and a better manager could have made a difference. Her “live in Toronto” gig was her best voice. Later, she'd lost self control and was overwhelmed by alcohol and drugs.
13 posted on 11/12/2009 1:35:35 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: smokingfrog

I don’t watch enough movies to know who could play her, but I thought Janis Joplin was great.

She sang some great songs. She had a country/blues type of voice, with a touch of nightclub, but she had a girl next door face and body and was not somebody who was going to make it as a celebrity. She was what she was.

I saw her once live in Golden Gate Park in SF and she was incredible. When she closed, complete silence fell for a moment. It was stunning.


14 posted on 11/12/2009 1:39:31 PM PST by livius
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To: CharlieOK1

15 posted on 11/12/2009 1:43:03 PM PST by smokingfrog (Well, are you gonna draw those pistols or whistle Dixie? Spit!)
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To: Help!

That’s for sure. How a screeching mess like Janis ever made it as a singer is beyond me, nevermind her amateurish crappy backing bands.


16 posted on 11/12/2009 1:45:07 PM PST by Huck (The Constitution--a big government boondoggle.)
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To: Mr. Blonde

Zooey could definitely star in “The Katy Perry Story.” ;)


17 posted on 11/12/2009 1:48:13 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

The fact that Janis was such a phenom in spite of her lousy back up band says much for her stage charisma (which I understand was nearly super-human). Off stage, she was plain, and even a bit homely, but on stage she somehow could turn into a sexy siren. The transformation was remarkable.


18 posted on 11/12/2009 1:51:33 PM PST by Tar and Feathers (www.tarandfeathers.shugartmedia.com)
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To: Huck; All

Different strokes - I enjoy her work as a solo artist as well as with BBATHC. That being said, is there nothing better to teach college students than comic books and rock n’ roll at $40K/yr? Just how f*d are we, as a nation and an economy, when her students graduate with a “degree”?


19 posted on 11/12/2009 1:53:50 PM PST by bt_dooftlook (ACORN = Another Communist-Overrun Rats-Nest)
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To: smokingfrog

Janis Joplin’s problem is she was ugly as sin. Told to me by a guy who was in her presence a few times. She also was mannish


20 posted on 11/12/2009 1:56:11 PM PST by dennisw (Obama -- our very own loopy, leftist god-thing.)
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