Celebrity Accidental Overdose: Janis Joplin
Sixties rock star Janis Joplin, well known for her bluesy vocals and free-spirited demeanor, died in the 1970’s of what was determined an accidental overdose of heroin. Joplin was only 27 years old at the time. This brings about both a certain amount of shock to myself, being around the same age, and no shock at all, given her untamed lifestyle. A life so full of beloved success was cut short due to the epidemic of opioid usage still plaguing our streets today.
Though Joplin carries somewhat of a criminal record, her drug usage was hidden by a more acceptable addiction: alcohol. It is posited that alcohol contributed to Joplin’s addiction, along with her career as a rock and roll star. Janis Joplin is best known for her raspy rock and roll voice and her groundbreaking music in the late 1960’s. Joplin, born in the early 1940’s was also known for her untimely death at the age of 27. This death was a result of an accidental heroin overdose, a drug common during the era, which Joplin grew up in. At an early time in Janis Joplin’s career, she began her addiction to heroin. It was alleged that she refused rehabilitation efforts and chose a life of drugs and music. According to Myra Friedman (1983), author of Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin, Joplin’s drug use
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It is difficult to think that a 27-year-old’s life was cut so short, having accomplished so much in her young career. The bit of shock that is carried along with her overdose is in fact her age at the time of death. Although, many young rock stars from that era also met their drug-addled fate at tender ages. One such popular rock star was world renowned Jimi Hendrix, who also died at the age of 27. Due to Joplin’s number of previous overdoses, her death likely did not come as a shock to the public, but more of confirmation of her wild and rebellious