Janis Ian life and biography

Janis Ian, born Janis Eddy Fink is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. She had a career singing in the 1960s and 1970s, and has continued recording into the 21st century. In 1975, Ian won a Grammy Award for her song, "At Seventeen".

Janis Ian was born on a farm in south Jersey in 1949. By the time she was three, she had begun playing the piano. By the age of ten, she had moved on to guitar. At 15, she released her first single, "Society's Child" (purchase/download)--a song about an inter-racial relationship among teenagers--to incredible controversy and praise. The buzz surrounding her first single not only landed her on several television programs, but also scored a Grammy nomination the following year.

In the 1970s, Ian's career continued as she released three albums in a row that met large critical acclaim. The release of her second most popular single "At Seventeen" (purchase/download) provoked five Grammy nominations, including two Grammy awards.

During the 1980s, she took some time off to study ballet and acting. The break lasted for nearly the entire decade. She returned to music in 1993 with Breaking Silence. Rather than risk losing artistic control to her record company, she took out a second mortgage on her home to fund the record. It paid off as Breaking Silence was nominated for a Grammy for Best Folk Album.

She continues to tour frequently. She has worked with artists including Dolly Parton, Willy Nelson, and Ani Difranco. In 2008, she released her long-awaited biography, Society's Child.

Albums:

Janis Ian (1967) #29 US (Verve)
For All the Seasons of Your Mind (1967) #179 US (Verve)
The Secret Life of J. Eddy Fink (1968) (Verve)
Who Really Cares (1969) (Verve)
Present Company (1971) (Capitol)
Stars (1974) #83 US, #63 (Columbia)
Between the Lines (1975) #1 US, #22 Japan (Columbia, Festival)
Aftertones (1976) #12 US, #1 Japan (Columbia)
Miracle Row (1977) #45 US, #26 Japan (Columbia)
Janis Ian (1978) (Columbia)
Night Rains (1979) (Columbia)
Restless Eyes (1981) #156 US (Columbia)
Uncle Wonderful (1983) (Festival) (Australia only)
Breaking Silence (1993) (Morgan Creek)
Simon Renshaw Presents: Janis Ian Shares Your Pain (1995) ( not released until 12.09 )
Revenge (1995) (Beacon)
Hunger (1997) (Windham Hill)
god & the fbi (2000) (Windham Hill)
god & the fbi (3 Bonus Tracks) (2000) (JVC Japan)
Lost Cuts 1 (2001) (Rude Girl)
Billie's Bones (2004) (Oh Boy, Rude Girl Cooking Vinyl US)
Breaking Silence (Bonus Track) (2003) (Rude Girl, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Hunger (Bonus Track) (2003) (Festival, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Stars (Bonus Track) (2004) (Festival, Cooking Vinyl)
Between the Lines (Bonus Track) (2004) (Festiva, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Aftertones (Bonus Track) (2004) (Festival, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Miracle Row (Bonus Track) (2004) (Festival, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Janis Ian (1978) (Bonus Track) (2004) (Festival, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Night Rains (Bonus Track) (2004) (Festival, Cooking Vinyl UK)
Billie's Bones (Bonus Track) (2004) (JVC Japan)
Folk is the New Black (2006) (Rude Girl)
Folk is the New Black (With DVD) (2006) (Evasound)
Revenge (Bonus Track) (2006)(Cooking Vinyl UK 2003) (WEA)

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