John Till was the lead guitarist for the Full Tilt Boogie Band which was Janis Joplin’s last backing band.
- Died: Sunday, September 4, 2022. (Who else died on September 4?)
- Details of death: Died in Stratford, Ontario at the age of 78.
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Canadian Rock Legend
John Till grew up in Stratford, Ontario and was a close friend of Richard Manuel who would later gain fame as a member of Ronnie Hawkins’ backing band who became known later as the Band, who are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As teenagers, Till and Manuel formed a group called The Revols. Till played with Ronnie Hawkins backing band after Manuel and others left to form the Band. After Janis Joplin left Big Brother and the Holding Company, she played with a new band called the Kozmic Blues Band which included Till and they played behind Janis at Woodstock. Not digging the vibe of that band, Joplin wanted to keep Till and form a new group. Till had a band called Full Tilt Boogie Band and they became Joplin’s last backing band. Full Tilt Boogie toured with Joplin and recorded with her for her last album titled ‘Pearl,’ which was released months after Joplin’s death on October 4, 1970. ‘Pearl’ included Joplin and the Full Tilt Boogie Band’s version of “Me and Bobby McGee, which was a number one hit song. Till moved back to Canada and played with local Stratford band B.W. Pawley & Plum Loco.
Notable Quote
“We lived in the Landmark Motor Hotel together (as a band). We’d go out to movies and restaurants and hang out in bars and there was a lot of sitting around the pool and talking about things like Vietnam and the Kent State massacre. “I can’t describe how happy and what a good friend she was. It wasn’t an employer-employee relationship, because that’s the way Janis wanted it.” – Till said in a 2010 interview with the Record
Tributes to John Till
Full Obituary: Stratford Beacon Herald
