Janis Joplin's brother says he's "still weirded out" by grief as a musical of his sister's life comes to the West End.
Michael Joplin was just 17 in 1970 when his sister was found dead from an overdose in a Los Angeles hotel room, aged 27.
He was in London last week to oversee auditions for the new musical A Night With Janis Joplin which will celebrate her life and influences when it opens on August 20 at the Peacock Theatre.
A special event on June 24 included performances of Janis' music and musical influences from Tony Award nominated lead Mary Bridget Davies, who powerfully sang several of her biggest hits including Piece of My Heart, Me and Bobby McGee and Mercedez Benz.
Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 after appearing at the Monterey Pop Festival as lead singer of the band Big Brother and the Holding Company.
She left to continue as a solo artist and almost overnight, became the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll with her raw, emotive vocals.
Despite her success she struggled with addiction problems and would return to her parents home in Port Arthur, Texas, to detox, but ultimately lost her battle.
Michael said the family "didn't realise how big she was" until the phone started ringing after her death and he was the only one home to pick it up.
"We didn't get to deal with it, we had to deal with it in our own heads," he said.
"It still weirds me out. I don't talk about it at home but I can feel it sneaking up.
"Most of the time when you lose a cherished member of your family, that's it they're gone and you've got nice pictures and fond memories.
"I'm here 50 plus years later and there's this thing, it's amazing that I can reach out and touch her still that way, Mary brings her to life, the audience reacts.
"There's so much familial stuff attached to that."
A Night with Janis Joplin launched in 2011. In October 2013, it opened on Broadway and has continued touring in US ever since.
The show also had a successful run in Japan in 2022 but this is the first time in the UK.
Each performance includes Janis' most iconic songs and also the artists who influenced her life such as Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith.
Michael said he wants people to walk out and have a good time.
"Janis was in touch with the audience, that was her reason for being up there, to reach another person, and that's all we're trying to do," he added.
"We're asking Mary to pull out her inner Janis and let it roll and let that happen."
Mary said she was a "super fan" since childhood.
"My parents are baby boomers and Janis was their contemporary and favourite female rockstar," she said.
"We had a green corduroy couch and and my mum was playing Another Little Piece of My Heart and I was stomping on it when that line 'ah take it'.. and I was scared and completely like someone plugged in a lightbulb and I was 'what was that?'."
She started singing all the songs then came across the 1974 documentary Janis The Way She Was which she watched "over and over".
"I've been accidentally practicing my whole life as a fan," she added.
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