How old was Janis Joplin when she died?

Janis Joplin was 27 years old when she died.

The blues-rock singer died on October 4, 1970, in Los Angeles, during a period when she was working on the album that became Pearl. Her death was ruled an accidental heroin overdose. Joplin had been born on January 19, 1943, so she was 27 at the time.

Joplin first gained major attention as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company after joining the San Francisco psychedelic-rock scene in 1966. The band’s album Cheap Thrills became a major success, powered by her raw, blues-influenced voice. She later performed with the Kozmic Blues Band and formed the Full Tilt Boogie Band.

Her age has made Joplin one of the best-known members of the so-called “27 Club,” a popular label for musicians who died at 27, including Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain. The label is cultural shorthand rather than an official organization, and it should not obscure Joplin’s musical achievements. Her posthumous album Pearl reached number one, and “Me and Bobby McGee” became her only U.S. number-one single.