Which Woodstock 1969 performer was known for the song “Piece of My Heart”?

Janis Joplin was the Woodstock 1969 performer associated with “Piece of My Heart.” She performed with the Kozmic Blues Band during the festival’s second day, August 16, 1969.

The song had first been recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967, but Joplin’s impassioned version with Big Brother and the Holding Company became the best-known recording associated with her. At Woodstock, she was already recognized for her blues-influenced voice and emotionally intense stage presence.

Joplin’s appearance came during a lineup that included folk, rock, soul, and psychedelic performers. Her performance is often discussed alongside her earlier work with Big Brother and the Holding Company, even though Woodstock’s billing involved the Kozmic Blues Band.

Joplin died in October 1970, only a little more than a year after Woodstock. Her festival appearance therefore forms part of the final period of her career and remains a key document of her importance to late-1960s rock music.