We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Janis Joplin, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the singer and musician that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: She Owned a Really Cool Car. Joplin owned a Porsche convertible – specifically, a 1965 Porsche Cabriolet. It had designs all over it, and today you can see it at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
Number Seven: She Was the Ugliest Man on Campus. As a mean joke, the fraternities at Texas University voted Joplin the “Ugliest Man on Campus.” Because of this and other related incidents, Joplin constantly struggled with her own self-confidence.
Number Six: She Recorded a Birthday Song for John Lennon. And it was one of the last recordings she would ever make.
Number Five: She Was Not Interested in Money. Not as it related to music, anyway. In an interview, Joplin said that she didn’t believe music should have anything to do with money. She revealed this on the Dick Cavett show in 1969.
Number Four: She Tried to Hurt Jim Morrison. Specifically, Joplin smashed a bottle of Southern Comfort over Morrison’s head. Morrison passed out as a result, and the next day, he reportedly said, “What a great woman! She’s terrific!”
Number Three: She Was a Singer, Not a Star. In an interview Joplin did with Dick Cavett, when he tried to call her a “star,” she retorted by saying “Call me a singer.” Clearly, her priorities were on her work as a singer rather than pursuing fame.
Number Two: She Paid for Her Idol’s Tombstone. Though this sounds rather morbid, it is actually quite endearing. Joplin’s idol was Bessie Smith, and after Smith died in a car accident and was subsequently buried in an unmarked grave, Joplin paid for her to have an official tombstone.
Number One: Her Ashes Were Scattered Around the Pacific Ocean. She truly was a free woman, and she remains that way to this day.