About the Author

Holly George-Warren is a two-time Grammy nominee and the award-winning author of sixteen books, including the New York Times bestseller The Road to Woodstock (with Michael Lang) and the biographies Janis: Her Life and Music, A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, and Public Cowboy No. 1: The Life and Times of Gene Autry. She has written for a variety of publications, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Village Voice, and Entertainment Weekly. George-Warren teaches at the State University of New York in New Palt

Reviews

"By far and away the most comprehensive and best-researched Joplin biography. It's an extraordinary life, set to a legendary rock death arc, but the triumph of Janis is that George-Warren understands that the evolution of Joplin's artistry is what matters most. Janis blossoms as she finds her voice onstage, and her act becomes something of great beauty. So too does George-Warren's book."
-- Charles R. Cross, New York Times bestselling author of Room Full of Mirrors: A Biography of Jimi Hendrix

"Masterfully researched...the significance-establishing project Joplin appreciators have been waiting for."
-- New York Times Book Review

"An amazing piece of work."
-- HOUSTON PRESS

"Exceptional."
-- No Depression

"Gripping."
-- Vanity Fair

"Impressive... Like Joplin herself, Janis delivers the most thrilling sort of pathos."
-- Texas Observer

"Performs a service by stripping away a lot of the noise around Joplin... telling her story simply and well, with some of the tone and flavor of a good novel."
-- New York Times Book Review

"Revelatory."
-- Bustle

"The definitive portrait of one of pop culture's most misunderstood martyrs... In dwelling so sympathetically on her tangle of talents, contradictions, and mythology, Janis brings one of rock's most enduring legends down to earth while holding her justly up to the light."
-- NPR.org

"Empathetic and thrilling. Like an investigative reporter, George-Warren has tracked down every detail of Janis's young life and influences, and with loving care she has given us rare insight into this genius musician."
-- Kate Pierson, The B-52s

"I've been waiting for the right person to write the definitive biography of Janis Joplin! All fans should be grateful it's finally here. Janis lives and breathes freedom and soul, and Holly George-Warren captures that spirit perfectly."
-- Rosanne Cash, four-time Grammy Award winner

"Illuminating... A top-notch biography of one of the greatest performers to emerge from a brilliant era."
-- Kirkus (starred review)

"This superb biography captures singer Janis Joplin's complex essence... Anyone who enjoys a good biography will appreciate this exceptional work."
-- Library Journal (starred review)