She was OK. No better or worse than many others. Like Amy, death has improved her status. Never met her but did meet Mama Cass, a far better singer (in my mind) with a magnificent purity of tone and elegant expression. Janis had a better snarl but Cass had purity. Both dead. Both did too much drugs/drink. Both had personal image problems. Me and Bobby McGee - genius but owes more to Kristofferson than to Joplin. And Roger Miller was under rated too.







and Erma Franklin's original was better than Janis' cover

I think a lot of my opinion - as a song writer - comes from a dislike of Yeah and Yes It Did and Right On Baby from singers throwing in ad libs that contradict the lyric and the feel, just to show they are soulful (it doesn't) and often to interrupt the other musicians ("gap for guitar? Hey I'm the singer - notice ME").