Just 16 days after the death of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin was found dead of a heroin overdose today in 1970. Like Hendrix, she was just 27 years old. A biopic on Joplin’s life is finally in the works after years of almosts that included an array of stars to play the powerhouse singer, from Pink and Zooey Deschanel to Martha Plimpton and Amy Adams. The role is now in the hands of a virtual unknown, broadway star Nina Arianda. And while this song will be one of the highlights of the movie, we doubt that you’ll learn that her tortured high school years had her graduating with Fox football analyst and Super Bowl Champion Jimmie Johnson.

Today in 1996, “That Thing You Do!” made us all wish we had started a band in high school.

In 1991, “The Man in the Moon” hit the big screen and it was mostly forgettable, but for the debut performance of this 14-year old girl, who’d walked on to an audition hoping for a bit part and got cast as the lead.

In other deaths, it was today in 1996 that Van Halen announced that Gary Cherone would be taking over as lead singer, replacing Sammy Hagar.

— Bill Hubbell