Random Fascinating Stories From Janis Joplin's Personal Life (14 items)

(#1) She Was Arrested For Shoplifting

Celebrities sometimes hit rock bottom before making it big, and Joplin is a perfect example. After dropping out of school and moving to San Francisco in 1963, she was arrested for shoplifting. She'd only lived there for something like two months.

Before she got caught, Joplin made a habit of snagging baskets of damaged produce from the back alleys behind shops. She did whatever was necessary to keep going, and her drug habit further motivated her.
(#5) She Hooked Up With Leonard Cohen After Flirting With Him In An Elevator

In 1968, singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen was living out of hotels. On one particular evening, he was riding the elevator at the Chelsea Hotel and happened to strike up a conversation with Joplin, who was also staying there.

Cohen asked if she was looking for anybody, and she said she was looking for Kris Kristofferson. Cohen said he actually was Kristofferson, and even though she almost definitely knew he was lying or kidding, they still spent the night together.
(#2) Joplin Dated A Black Woman She Met In A San Francisco Gay Bar

The first time Joplin moved to San Francisco in 1963, she found herself in a gay bar playing pool. There she met musician Jae Whitaker, an African American woman. The two hit it off and swiftly became lovers. Joplin and Whitaker ultimately moved in together, and not just as roommates.

But their relationship didn't last long. Joplin continued to sleep with other people, and Whitaker couldn't handle Joplin's hard drug use. They eventually drifted apart.
(#12) Her Handbag's Contents Were Unusual

Many women's handbags contain things they may need throughout the day. It's usually essential things like makeup, lip balm, pens, chewing gum... Joplin's handbag was nothing like that.

A few months before Joplin's death in 1970, a Rolling Stone reporter took a look inside the rocker's personal handbag and found a treasure trove of items: several room keys, an antique cigarette holder, a hip flask, two music cassettes, a corkscrew, an alarm clock, guitar picks, a copy of Time magazine, and two huge books. She was ready for anything.
(#14) Caserta Helped Write A Tell-All Book She Later Regretted

Joplin and Caserta were good friends and had something of a romantic relationship through the years, but that doesn't mean Caserta's book about their time together was entirely truthful. After Joplin's death, Caserta released a book shockingly titled Going Down With Janis in 1980, which claimed to be "a raw and scathing portrait of Janis Joplin by her female lover."

Though some elements of the biography might be true, Caserta has almost entirely disowned the book. She claims she didn't write it - she just tried to sell her access and story for drug money. Caserta says she's sorry she ever did it, but that she also recognizes addicts do terrible things sometimes.
(#9) Joplin Almost Inadvertently Killed Caserta By Leaving Heroin With Her

Joplin is quoted as saying she'd prefer to live crazy and fast for 10 years than to die at age 70 safely in her chair watching TV, but even she realized her drug habit wasn't sustainable. When Joplin left for a carnival gig in Rio de Janeiro in 1970, she decided to leave her vast stash at home in the care of Peggy Caserta.

Caserta wasn't exactly the best caretaker, and she ended up trying a bunch of the substances on her own. It almost ended her life.