Other notable schoolmates of Janis included sports analyst and former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, and actor G.W. Bailey [famous for his roles as Rizzo in "M*A*S*H" and Harris in the "Police Academy" movies].

I have several aunts that attended Thomas Jefferson High School at the time and remember all the personalities well.

Well, we both play guitar, but at very different levels!!!

--Jim

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Janis Joplin and Jimmy Page grew up a mile from each other! Oh, wait--wrong Jimmy Page, huh?

One kid wants to name the dog Linda, the other Susie. Why not both? The dog will still love you and everybody's happy.

Hey, Mvsman--

The Joplins lived in the same neighborhood, but about a mile away, as I remember when I looked it up once. Janis was nine years older than I was and her sister Laura was a couple of years older. I may have known Laura from school but, if so, she made no impression on me at the time.

The Gulf Coast was a fun place to grow up except for the snakes. I have a morbid fear of snakes and they are just everywhere on the Gulf Coast. The people are fun to be around, there are a lot of different styles of food and the music was just amazing.

That's what made the biggest impression on me and it resonates to this day. Folks had fun with music. Many folks down there, at least back then, had little in the way of money so they made their own kind of fun. Plus there was swimming and fishing; we were always playing barefoot outdoors.

--Jim

She was a Port Arthur girl.Her hometown address is listed as
4330 32nd Street.

How was it growing up on the Gulf Coast? From these pictures, there was unstructured play going on; like I enjoyed several hundred miles west of you. Kids could have fun without play dates and such.

Thanks for posting!
Mvsman

Hi, Steven--

I've always been terrible with names; sorry! Here's another kid, standing very straight, in our back yard with my brother and me. Maybe you can identify him. Linda-Susie is also in the photo!

I remember going to the third grade at Tyrrell Elementary and learning to play the melody flute, which was great fun!

I have some other photos of a Cub Scout trip from those days that have a bunch of kids in them. If your brother was a Cub Scout then we probably were in the same pack!

Best regards--

--Jim

Jim,

This is crazy. We only lived a block away from each other. I lived a 4420 Griffing Drive. Did you know my brother Buddy or my sister Sue?

Steven

Hey, stevendm--

Our house was 4533 Griffing Drive. Attached is a comparison grouping of the house when we lived there and a Google street view from last year.

We have quite a few images of that great house and I mailed the current residents that I had buried a time capsule by the driveway; they were welcome to whatever was in it if it was still there. I offered to send them photos of the house from the early 1960s if they wanted them.

Never received a reply!

--Jim

A picture on Shorpy taken not only in my home town, but on the very street that I lived. I was 4 when this was taken. There is not enough context to know exactly where on the street this was taken but the street was only about 10 blocks long. Unfortunately I do not recognize any of the kids here, perhaps my brother would.

There are 4 young boys in the picture which is reason enough for a broken block and brick to be nearby. My dog had pups when I was about the same age. It was one of the best experiences I ha as a boy.

There's nothing like a puppy when you're a kid. I sure wish I could do it over again, don't you?