about janis joplin

hello all,
i was just wondering if any of the 60's hippies ever met janis joplin in person. i have enjoyed reading about the haight asbury scene back then. i loved haight asbury and janis joplin is my favorite female singer. thanks for any info on her.
hippiewise

 

The first time I met Janis was in a doorway sitting on the stairs next to Love Bugers on Haiight St. cira 66'67. She just walk,well swayed right up to me and ploped herself down and handed me a bottle of wine in a bag, she was decked out in long skirt, peasent blouse with tassles and a huge smile on her face.
Her voice was low and raspy, her manner was kind but slightly qurkie, her head cocked to one side and her eyez crinkled at the corners as she laughed at some inside joke. Her bangled wrist was thin as she wiped her tangled hair from her face.
She pushed me playfully as she asked me where I was from, I told her I was from Texas and she gave out a reble yell and and pronounced that she too was a Texan and grabbed me and huged me up.
I had not been in the Haight long and I had no Idea of who she was. I just hugged her back and we laughed and contenued drinking the wine in the paper bag. Every now n then one of the bikers would step over from Love's and hand us a doobie, they called her Pearl, she would flash her tits at them and moan something suductive taunting them playfully. She was very caring in nature untill she got too drunk and she became hardend and her pain started leaking out.
After a couple of hours a dude pulls up to Love's on a harley and she gets up and goes jumps on the back waves a good-bye to me and they ride down Haight towards Market St. I later found out that the dude was Sonny Barger, prez of the Oakland Chapter of the Hell's Angels.
I later saw Pearl at GG Park and around the neighborhood many times. We sat in a few circles together and she would sing with the jams that was happening around the Hill.
She was absolutly amazing. Her rough exteirer and wild behaivor masking a tender heart, like a diamond in the rough or Pearl as it were. Pearl hung with a rough crowd. Heavy into drinking and drugs, bikers and people that played in the local bands mostly. She seemed to have a lot of hangups from her southern upbringing, conflicting with her free spirit and found a voice in her music. She said it was a place she could cry out her pain and not be weak. To say all the things that was built up inside and let them out.
It was a great loss when she left us. I hope she found her peace for she did not have it here.
sh

 

Good recall once again Shameless-Did you ever make it up to Sonoma County to Morningstar orWheelers Ranch?-You should have got your old man and headed on up-nice break from the city-Shit we may have danced together at the Avalon-Was Chet Helms a fantastic spirit or what?-His role in the whole music scene and Janis Joplins friend and college buddy from Texas-Having both of them move to San Francisco was one of the best things to happen to that city-they will be missed-

 

Good recall once again Shameless-Did you ever make it up to Sonoma County to Morningstar orWheelers Ranch?-You should have got your old man and headed on up-nice break from the city-Shit we may have danced together at the Avalon-Was Chet Helms a fantastic spirit or what?-His role in the whole music scene and Janis Joplins friend and college buddy from Texas-Having both of them move to San Francisco was one of the best things to happen to that city-they will be missed-

 

I was told by a close friend that I was at Wheeler's at one time, but I don't remember it. I stayed mostly in the Haight. I left my ole man in SF somewhere in 71 and moved to the Good Earth Commune at 406 Cole St. He got off into some bad company so I had to take our baby and go somewhere a little safer.
We may have danced or shared a bottle Rob, it wouldn't suprize me at all. I was at the Avalon, The Filmore and the Carosel on many ocations through the 11 yrs I was there. Here's to crossing paths'.
Brightest Blessings Rob
sh

 

All I can say is WOW~SH~
As I am treading this post over my first cup of coffee on
this Saturday morning I have a strong feeling of pride and envy for all that you and the other brothers and sisters expierenced out in San Francisco
back in the day~
I can only imaging how it was for you~
My 29 year old daughter moved out there 2 yesrs ago~
I went to visit her~
She lives up the blook from the famous street with all the turns~
We took a tour of the Height Asbury area and Gerry Garcias place~
The Gradelli chocolate factory,Sees chocolates and the Fishermans Warft,
Golden Gate Park and the Aquarium.
Passed by as the gay parade was happening,and the Mission District~
Even the thrift shops there are price-y$~
For a lousy Ramones t-shirt they wanted 40 bucks~
What a ripp-off~
Of course I did not buy it~
I left there feeling empty,because it was full of young professionals who could afford those outragous rents~
We also went to see Alkatraz[spelled it wrong] by ferry~
There is nothing that I could relate too from back in the day~
What I found of intrest was outside of every store were doggie bowls filled
with water and tons of Lavander everywhere.
You are lucky to have those memories~
I love Janis,always will~
She really was ~Pearl ~
I hear that her bro and sister are in charge of her estate?
Still accepting awards for her?

 

Im sorry I missed the whole Haight scene. '64 to early '67 would have been heaven on earth to me. I did visit the Haight on a mushroom trip. It was mind blowing.I can see why LSD-25 is illegal.I had to put up with Melbourne Auztralia in the late '70searly '80s. Iwas the only deadhead peacefreak in town or so it seemed.But anyway lots of love peace and freedom.

 

Hi (((Carol))),
I don't think I want to go back. I think it would damage me, my memory of the city I once loved so well. I don't think I'd like to see it Bouswa and my beloved street lose it's love and freedom. I might do something crazy, like protest or something worse. Like forcong everyone out of their building/stores and make them pile up all their money and posessions and burn it all at the intersection of Haight and Ashbury. I would have all the merchants bring out their goods onto the sidewalks and teach them how to barter and trade, like hey man you got corn and I got some moccosins wanna trade.. I would tell them to bring home the homeless and feed the hungry. I would tell them, ' not to look at my bare feet with discust but to bring me some shoes with love and I will sweep you floor in thanks.. for every good deed shall not go unrewarded. I would demand they bring back the Fish and Chips store and The Straight Theater, and I would tell the I wanted my Peroski and The Drough Store Cafe back.
I would stomp my feet and pout. I would knash my teeth and beat my fists against the wall of what use to be Love Bugers.
I think I had better stay on the farm.
sh

 

Yet again SH~
You blow me away~
reminds me of what Janis sang
"Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart Now Baby"
I can understand how it could never work for you to re-visit your old stomping grounds~
It's like one can never go home or back to that special place that lives in their memory for so long,and if you do go back,it is not the same,and a sence of alone~ness and empty~ness fills the heart,of youth gone by~
From what I saw,when I was out there~
There was nothing that you describe left at all~
Some of the places are still there but the faces and the
times are so very different now~
No bare feet,but expensive botiques and young high paid professions~
Even China Town is all geered up for the tourists~
Ah~
What the hell is the point?
Hold on to your percious memories SH~
For they surly are to be treasured and preserved,
in your heart and for the history books~
Would you ever consider writing a book,on your life and expierences
during the time of the 60's -70's?
It would be a best seller!
Love C~

 

Carol,
I did write a book. It's called The Haight In Me. It's not published yet bc I keep adding on to it. I have to break it up into three or four books like a chronical, bc just from 66 to 67 was a book in itself. I have decided however, that I don't like the book at all, it's been done so many times already, saying the same things, seeing the same pix. So I have decided to make myself a fictional character and put a whole new slant on things.. hopfully it will come out as I have it pictured in my mind. I have the first chapter completed and waiting for Divine Inspirition to overcome me and guide me onward to the finish. Perhaps when hard winter sets in I will be force to stay inside and work on it.
Brightest Blessings Carol
sh

 

Oh~SH~
This is the best news ever!
Please finish it and have it published~asap~
I would like to pre-order it ~
There has been so much garbarge from the so called
insiders of the era~that coming from
you would be a gold mine to have~
I will pray for your Divine Inspirition too~
Happiness Always
Carol

 

Ohh thank you Carol your such a good sister to have around. :-x. I have a brilliant idea as it all unfolds in my mind, the trick is to get it across on paper as my minds eye sees it. To capture the very essence of it's being and grab the audience and keep them wanting more.
It's not easy for me as I tend to ramble or get on my soap box. Some even find me offencive, if you can imagain that (heh heh). But weather it gets published or not I will finish it before Spring.
The first book seemed so egotistical to me.. it was boring. Just an onslaught of parties, love-ins, human be ins, drinking drugs and rock n roll. All old news and been done to death. You can look up anything you want to find on the web, so not as many people read books when all the answers are so handy at the finger tips.. now days ya gotta have a gimmic, and wooohooo.. I found mine. I hope I can manifest it.
Brightest Blessings Carol..
sh

 

Shameless-Did ya ever spend time in North Beach at the Coffee Gallery? or eat dinner in Chinatown at Sam Woes?-That place had the best chinese food ever-It cracked me up-ya walked right through the kitchen to get to your table upstairs-right past these guys choppin the hell out of stuff-then when the food was ready; the used a rope and a dumbwaiter to pull the trays up from the kitchen-hahaa-man-where was the Health Dept. in those days?-When you talk Peroshki-The House Of Peroshki over in the Avenues; was about all I lived on for awhile; thoses and the Haight fish and chip joint-good and greeasy-hmmm-I always felt that Bill Grahamn was never really recognised as being the guy who brought all that fine music to the city-from everywhere-all over the world-He had so many great English groups at the Fillmore besides the local groups-that music was fantastic-I heard so many bands before they ever recorded anything-Cream-Hendrix-Janis-The Dead-Led Zepplin-The Who-Traffic-John Mayall- and on and on-he really did open up peoples eardrums with great stuff for years-Chet Helms did the same thing but more on a local level-Both those guys are owed a lot of gratitude for what they did-pioneers-And all that for 3 bucks-Plus the poster!--The drugs and sex were good; but it;s the music I miss most-

 

Keep it going SH~
You can do it and you are on a roll now!
Finish the book and published or not
I will buy a copy from ya ok?
Happiness Always Carol

 

Shamless-No book from that time would be complete without a chapter on the Plaster Casters-true pioneers of their time!-hahah-those girls went around getting rock stars like Jim Morrison and Frank Zappa to put there penis' in plaster so they could make a copy--truly unique!-those casts would probably be a collecters item by now-Darn-How come I didn;t think of that?-NAAAAA!!!

 

Zappa's manager had some of Cynthia Plaster Caster's castings for a long time, including Jimi Hendrix's casting. There's a movie about Cynthia, she moved up to casting boobs now, her early castings have been on display, you could probaly google her and see her work.

 

The music is was it was all about. It was themessages in the music that moved us into the doing.

Carol, the first ok the second book that come off the printer is yours my friend. I'm bronzing the first one, heh heh.

About the music. I'm working with some folks right now that are in the process of manifesting Goodstock Peace Fest 2007. A gathering of the old garage band of the 60's and 70's era. The Fest is in it's infantcy right now but we already have several bands on the list. It will be a four day musical event with all the trimmings. If your an old 60's band an want to play at Goodstock send me a pm and I will get you on the list.
I didn't know the Plaster Casters but what a great idea. I was more of a Roadie and certinely no groupie..lol..

sh

 

That's a for sure and thanks SH~
On your book~
Can't wait~
Could you please let us know also about this concert~
Whenever it happens,I would like to go~
Stay in touch,
Much Love
Carol

 

Rob, I did spend time in North Beach and Chinia Town I ate alot at Fuie Gooie Louie's. We had to take our shoes off and sit on the floor. I didn't wear shoes back then tho, so I hadda wash my feet...hahahaha..

gabba gabba hey Carol. Love ya too.
sh

 

Sloth Outta Here...