Facts about Janis Joplin you need to know

Humble beginning and a bitter end - Joplin was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on January 19, 1943. She tragically died in a Los Angeles hotel on October 4, 1970, from a heroin overdose.

Family love - Her parents were Seth Ward Joplin, a Texaco engineer, and Dorothy Bonita East, a business college registrar. Joplin also had two younger siblings named Michael and Laura.

One of the guys - Joplin had a wedding planned in 1966, but backed out to join the psychedelic rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company.

Band hopping - After leaving Big Brother and the Holding Company, Joplin went on to pursue a solo career with a backing band.

A lover and a fighter - Joplin always held her own on- and off-stage. She earned a third-degree black belt in Kenpo Karate.

Run-in with the law - In 1969, the singer was arrested during a performance for using "vulgar and indecent language." Tough crowd!

A true visionary - In 1995, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside other legends such as Led Zeppelin, Al Green, and Neil Young.

Hot ride - She had a sweet psychedelic 1965 Porsche Cabriolet!

A real gem - Janis Joplin's last album before her death was entitled 'Pearl,' because that's what her closest friends used to call her.

A tattoo trailblazer - She had a tattoo before they were cool. In fact, during the 1960s, body art was highly controversial. Joplin had a Florentine bracelet tattooed on her left wrist.

Music was her religion - Joplin was known to carry around 'Lady Sings the Blues,' Billie Holiday's biography, everywhere.

Substance abuse - For much of Joplin's young life, she struggled with drug addiction, and was a heavy drinker.

Curtain call - In 1967, she performed two different sets at the Monterey Pop Festival because the first one wasn't taped!

Last call - The final time Joplin was heard on tape was wishing John Lennon a happy birthday just days before her untimely death.

A blues superfan - The same year of her death, the singer-songwriter paid a very special tribute to her personal hero, "The Empress of Blues."

Always the life of the party - In her last will and testament, Joplin set aside US$1,500 for her friends to throw a massive funeral party.

Finals wishes - Another request in her will was that her ashes be scattered in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Marin County, near her beloved San Francisco.