Influences on Janis Joplin

Influences on Janis Joplin

Kris Kristofferson is an important songwriter in the legacy of country music, influenced by Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and Waylon Jennings. While writing this specific song, he was influenced by Mickey Newbury and Frederico Fellini’s film La Strada.

Janis Joplin's career followed on the heels of folk singers like Joan Baez and Judy Collins, but her strongest influences fall into the realm of the blues and soul music. She was influenced by the likes of Etta James, Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner, but Joplin at one point cited the "empress of the blues" Bessie Smith as her greatest influence.

Influenced by Janis Joplin

On the other hand, these days it's hard to find anyone who hasn't been influenced in some way by Janis Joplin. The rock and roll legend has influenced artists as diverse as Stevie Nicks, Joss Stone, Leonard Cohen, Jerry Garcia, and Florence and the Machine.