Cat Power Talks About Voicing Janis Joplin’s Letters For PBS Documentary

On Tuesday, May 3, PBS will air Janis: Little Girl Blue, a documentary film about the late legendary vocalist Janis Joplin. Part of the 30th anniversary season of the American Masters series, the film features narrator Chan Marshall reading letters penned by Joplin, which the woman better known as Cat Power discusses in a recently shared clip.

An extended cut of film by Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg will be broadcast with extra archival performance footage and new interviews with Joplin’s sister Laura Joplin and musicians influenced by Janis including Alecia Moore (Pink), Juliette Lewis, Melissa Etheridge and Marshall. Janis: Little Girl Blue also includes appearances by Joplin’s Big Brother and the Holding Company band mates Peter Albin, Sam Andrew and Dave Getz as well as Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish, Kris Kristofferson and Dick Cavett.

In the clip below, Marshall talks about the emotional experience of reading Joplin’s handwritten letters. Watch the behind-the-scenes preview followed by a trailer for the film here:

Tune in to PBS Tuesday, May 3 at 8/7c (check local listings to confirm the air date in your area) to watch the television premiere of Janis: Little Girl Blue.