Me and Bobby McGee

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Written by: Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster
Produced by: Paul Rothchild
Released: Jan. '71 on Columbia
Charts: 15 weeks
Top spot: No. 1

Joplin's only number One hit was a posthumous one, and a country, not a blues, song. "Me and Bobby McGee" came from her drinking buddy and occasional crush Kris Kristofferson, but she gave the song its definitive interpretation. (It had already been recorded by "King of the Road" singer Roger Miller.) Joplin's version was "just the tip of the iceberg, showing a whole untapped source of Texas, country and blues that she had at her fingertips," recalled pianist Richard Bell. It was a standout from Pearl, her last solo album, released less than a year after she died of a heroin overdose.

Appears on: Pearl (Sony/Legacy)

Next: Cathy's Clown

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