My Connection to Janis Joplin

Janis Joplin was a one of a kind singer. Many singers, such as people like Melissa Etheridge, aspired to be like her, the raspy voice, the effortless passion, the 'being in the moment' kind of singer. I love to sing, but I'm a different kind of singer. I sing in a pure and simple way. I'm not into the current craze for curlicue. Sometimes I just wish some of the singers nowadays would just calm down and sing. But, maybe that's just me. I'm guess I'm an old-fashioned throwback kind of singer. Sure I wouldn't mind being able to sing like Janis, but truthfully, I never wanted to sound like that. Singing is a very personal kind of activity and I'd rather just sing like me.

Back to Janis. At one point, she did have a vocal coach. And here is my connection to Janis Joplin. Her coach was MY vocal coach. OF course, Janis was long gone by the time I studied with said coach. Judy Davis was her name. Judy was famous for the litany of singers she'd trained, including Judy Garland (yes, Judy Davis was already really old when I met her), Barbara Streisand, Steve Perry and other very well known singers. She didn't accept just anyone to train with her. I remember she told us that she had one requirement in accepting singers. She said that they had to be able to sing on key because there was no way that singers with bad intonation could be trained to sing on key. And if there was one thing she couldn't stand was singers who sang off key. She said she tried one time and discovered it was an exercise in futility. Judy is up there in heaven with Janis now. I'm sure she'd be horrified to hear the excessive use of auto-tune on today's recordings from people who pass themselves off as 'singers.' I say that word with sarcasm because these folks truly can't sing better than a box full of yowling cats.

I remember her talking about Janis Joplin. The way she related her story was tinged with sadness and regret, so I could tell she cared about Janis. Judy said she studied with her for three years. And in all those years, there was nothing she could do to 'save' her. She was alluding to Janis' tendency for self-destruction. Guess we'll just have to continue to curse alcohol and the drug laden lifestyle that burdened young people back then for taking her away from us too early.