One of the most revered and influential rock ’n’ roll singers of all time, Janis Joplin (Jan. 19, 1943 – Oct. 4, 1970) thrilled audiences and blazed new creative trails before her death at age 27. Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis, Prophet’s Prey) examines Joplin’s story in depth, for the first time on film, presenting an intimate portrait of a complicated and driven artist.
American Masters – Janis: Little Girl Blue premieres nationwide Tuesday, May 3, at 8pm on KQED as part of the 30th anniversary season of THIRTEEN’s American Masters series. The broadcast features a never-before-seen extended film cut with additional archival performance footage and new interviews with Joplin’s sister Laura Joplin and musicians influenced by Janis: Alecia Moore (a.k.a. Pink), Juliette Lewis, Melissa Etheridge and the film’s narrator, Chan Marshall, who is best known as indie rock star Cat Power. In tribute, she performs “A Woman Left Lonely” from Joplin’s final studio album Pearl, released posthumously on Jan. 11, 1971. This year marks the album’s 45th anniversary.
Also, following at 10pm is the KQED production Janis Joplin: San Francisco’s Pearl. Follow Janis Joplin’s career from her rise to fame at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival to her untimely death in Los Angeles in 1970. Narrated by Jefferson Airplane’s Marty Balin, the documentary features interviews with Joplin’s former bandmates and Bay Area journalists and performers.
Watch the trailer for Janis: Little Girl Blue below. Visit KQED.org/tv to find upcoming broadcasts.
