The Unique Artifacts Series: “Kozmic Blues” Chord Chart by Janis Joplin, c. 1969
Janis Joplin was a burning star of hope in an uncertain time. The blues-influenced rocker had one of the most powerful voices of the Sixties. With equal parts tough and vulnerable, that voice was a shout into the void that resonated with a generation. However, her effervescent performing ability wasn’t the only thing that made her stand out. From the early stages of her career, she redefined what it meant to be a woman in rock. She rebelled against behavioral norms of women in the ‘50s and ‘60s, and embraced creative expression beyond what anyone could imagine at the time. Upon the 1969 release of her debut solo album, I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, Joplin had fully embraced her raw, transparent style. At this point, she was coming off her historic performance at Woodstock, and had established herself as one of the key figures in the ‘60s rock scene.
Joplin’s time with us was ever-too-short, but her influence is everlasting. This artifact is just one small remnant of her unabashed career, but it gives us a scope into the simple-yet-illustrious process that went into her songcraft.
Come check it out and more in the San Francisco section of our Cities & Sounds Exhibit, located in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall.
