Janis grew up in a conservative environment in Texas, often feeling like an outsider. As a teenager, she became increasingly drawn to music, finding solace in the blues, folk, and rock genres. Her early influences included legendary artists like Bessie Smith and Odetta, whose emotional delivery inspired Joplin to pursue her own musical path. In 1963, she moved to San Francisco, a city at the forefront of the counterculture movement, where she joined the vibrant music scene and eventually became the lead singer of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company.