​​Janis Lyn Joplin January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970 - an American rock, soul, and blues singer and songwriter, one of the most successful and widely known female rock stars of her era. After releasing three albums, she died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27. A fourth album, Pearl, was released in January 1971, just over three months after her death. It reached number one on the Billboard charts.