'Me & Bobby McGee': The Story Behind Crystal Bowersox's Cover. On 'American Idol,' Bowersox earned big praise for singing Janis Joplin's posthumous hit. Once again, one of the highlights of Tuesday night's episode of American Idol — which was focused on songs that had hit No. 1 on the pop charts — was Crystal Bowersox's performance. Armed with her trusty guitar and her disarming voice, the rocker sang Me and Bobby McGee, which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. There's a bittersweet feeling within the lyrics of Bobby, as well as in the story surrounding it.