OCTOBER 13, 1970 – Janis Joplin’s ashes were scattered by plane into the Pacific Ocean at Stinson Beach in Marin County, California. The singer had been found dead on the floor beside her bed at the Landmark Hotel (now the Highland Gardens Hotel) in Hollywood, California after an accidental heroin overdose on October 4th, becoming one of the more notable members of the so-called “27 Club”. The official cause of death was an overdose of heroin, possibly combined with the effects of alcohol. Road manager John Cooke believed that Joplin had accidentally been given heroin that was much more potent than normal, as several of her dealer’s other customers also overdosed that week. Joplin was cremated in the Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Mortuary in Los Angeles.Joplin’s will funded $2,500 to throw a wake party in the event of her demise. The party, which took place October 26, 1970 at the Lion’s Share in San Anselmo, California, was attended by Cooke, Joplin’s sister Laura, fiancé Seth Morgan, and close friends, including tattoo artist Lyle Tuttle, Bob Gordon, and Jack Penty. Brownies laced with hashish were unknowingly passed around among the guests.In 1987 the Janis Joplin Memorial was dedicated in her hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, and included an original gold, multi-image sculpture of Joplin by Douglas Clark.
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