Janis Ian was born Janis Eddy Fink in New York on 7 April 1951. Janis learned to play the piano from her father, a music teacher, at the age of three. At 14, she debuted with a self-written song, Society's Child, which immediately made her nationally famous in the United States in 1966 (Top 15 in the Billboard Hot 100). The lyrics were about a relationship between a white girl and a black boy. The debate about whether such a thing was acceptable flared up, and Janis found herself at the centre of attention.
Her career took further shape when she released the album Between the Lines. The song At Seventeen, about the feelings of someone that age who feels lonely, became one of her best-known songs. Other well-known tracks include "Jesse", "Fly too high", "On the Other Side of the Sun", "Between the Lines" and "Stars".
In the seventies she made several records; after that, things quietened down around Ian. She did perform in the Netherlands in the early 80s with Conny Vandenbos, an admirer. She released an album with translated songs by Janis Ian. Together they sing the duet Don't leave tonight on it.
From 1978 until their divorce in 1983, Ian was married to the Portuguese filmmaker Tino Sargo. After a period of silence, during which she was financially ruined due to the deceit of an accountant, she returned with Breaking silence. She also came out as homosexual at that time. She has been in a relationship for many years and married Patricia Snyder in 2003.
Janis Ian lives in Nashville and still performs, including in the Benelux. In recent years she has also ventured into writing science fiction stories. In July 2008 her autobiography was published under the title 'Society's Child'.
Top 2000
In the 23rd edition of the Top 2000, Janis appears with only one entry:
Sunday Morning Classic
On 11 September 2022, the almost forgotten album Between the Lines (1975) by the almost forgotten singer Janis Ian came under the needle with us as Sunday Morning Classic.
What a wonderful album we took out of the sleeve today. Janis Ian's music may not have caught the attention of the general public. In her songs, Janis turns against the superficiality of life and searches for the deeper meaning of existence. She does this not in a rough and harsh way but chooses the melancholic and serious path. Between the Lines is a must for anyone who seeks more in life than appearances offer. She sometimes reminds one of an older version of Norah Jones.
This album contains her biggest hit At Seventeen, but the rest of the album is just as beautiful. The song In The Winter deserves extra attention. This album is a beautiful collage of listening songs, atmospheric and sung with a beautiful voice.
Source: Wikipedia Photo: album covers
Below are just a few albums by Janis. If you are looking for a specific album, please let us know. We enjoy helping you search.
