Born:
Born on May 7, 1951 as Janis Eddy Fink, her mother was a music teacher.
Birthplace:
New York City
Early Years:
She took
piano lessons as a child, moved on to playing the
guitar at 10 years old and began writing her own material at age 12. She later entered Manhattan's High School of Music and Art. Shortly thereafter, she began performing using the stage name Janis Ian.
Becoming Famous:
Her debut LP, "Society's Child", was recorded when she was only 15. It was released amidst controversy (the song was about teen inter-racial relationships) but became a huge hit especially after she appeared on
Leonard Bernstein's show
Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution. Three more LP's followed:
For All the Seasons of Your Mind (1967),
The Secret Life of J. Eddy Fink (1968) and
Who Really Cares (1969).
Selected Albums:
Present Company (1971)Stars (1974)Between the Lines (1975)Miracle Row (1977)Night Rains (1979)Restless Eyes (1981)Breaking Silence (1992)Revenge (1995)Hunger (1997)God & the FBI (2000)Folk is the New Black (2006)Songs She Wrote::
Hit songs she wrote include: "Jesse," "At Seventeen," "In the Winter," "Stars," "When Angels Cry," "I Hear You Sing Again," "This Train Still Runs" and "On the Other Side."Other Accomplishments:
Her song "At Seventeen" earned 5 Grammy nominations.Her album Breaking Silence was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album.She founded the Pearl Foundation (named after her mother) which aid college students through scholarships.Interesting Facts:
Although her initial taste of success came when she was a teenager, Janis Ian's most successful resurgence was during the release of her 1975 album Between the Lines. The said album contained the hit song "At Seventeen" which climbed to Top 3 and earned two Grammys. Janis Ian is known for writing songs dealing with topics that some view as controversial. Her songs touched on subjects like domestic violence, inter-racial relationships and homosexuality.More Information:
For more on Janis Ian, visit her official website. Also see this video of her singing "At Seventeen" from Youtube.
