Janis Ian Has Come
A Long Way Since '17'

GARY GRAFF SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

PHOTO BY RANDEE ST. NICHOLAS

es, Janis Ian's main
notoriety has had on Ian. She
occupation is still
walked away from the music in-
singing, songwriting
dustry twice — once in the ear-
and performing. But
ly 1970s and again, for nearly a
today, it's some prose
decade this time, in the early
writing that is atop
'80s. Fearing she was becoming
her agenda.
"an idiot who could only discuss
Before she boards a plane for
music and business," she stud-
a festival in Glasgow, Scotland,
ied acting and traveled to France
Ian has to hunker down in her
to study dance with the Paris
Nashville home and put the fin-
Opera Ballet.
ishing touches on an article for
Ian also survived drug addic-
Performing Musician magazine.
tions, an abusive marriage that
That's in addition to her month-
ended in 1983 and a near-fatal
ly column for The Advocate, a gay
burst intestine in 1986. In the
and lesbian magazine.
mid-'80s, she also slid into a fi-
"I'm looking for more work
nancial abyss after the IRS
along those lines," Ian, 44, says
seized her home and savings be-
of the journalism. "I'm really en-
cause of unpaid taxes.
joying it. It's a whole different
It was a sobering experience
kind of writing; apples and or-
for Ian, who was caring for her
anges, really. It's like Suddenly
sick mother at the time. But,
trying to be a poet. It takes me
she says, she also learned that
longer, that's for sure."
"no matter what your circum-
Be assured that Ian has not
stances are, you can still write
forsaken her music. In fact, she's
a song, you're still an artist.
two albums into the midst of her
That's something they couldn't
third career comeback and will
take away."
be one of the headliners at the
Ian rebounded by immersing
19th Ann Arbor Folk Festival on
herself again in music — only
Saturday, Jan. 27. And, in April, .
this time she began collaborat-
she plans to enter the studio for
ing with other writers.
her next effort.
The new approach shows up
"I'm in a lucky position of hav-
on "Days Like These," the song
ing had a long career and en-
she recorded in 1991 for rock-
during songs like 'Society's Child'
er John Mellencamp's film Fall
and 'Jesse," says Ian, whose
From Grace, and on her two lat-
biggest hit is her 1975 Top 5
est albums, 1993's Breaking Si-
smash, "At Seventeen."
lence — her first release in 12
It's also a career that's seen its
years — and last year's Re-
share of controversy. "Society's
venge.
Child," which came out in 1966
Ian's latest return to record-
when the former Janis Eddy
ing was accompanied by her
Fink was just 15, dealt with the
public coming out as a lesbian,
pressures of an interracial teen-
though she insists that "I try to
age relationship --= hardly a com-
write genderless as much as
ci) mon or safe subject at the time.
possible. I don't want to exclude
Many applauded its bold and
anyone from my songs."
'-`1 forthright commentary — she
,
Besides spending time with
From "Society's Child" to last year's Revenge, Janis Ian's music has been a constant in an otherwise turbulent life.
= hung out with Jimi Hendrix and
her
lover, Pat — "I think my
-`2 Janis Joplin — but it was also
"
mother was real relieved; 'OK,'
banned from dozens of radio
she brought home a girl, but at
Child,'" says Ian, who was raised in a ciety's Child" was also an intimidating
playlists.
least she's Jewish" — Ian has a full
Reform Jewish household in New York. first hit.
5 The pop mainstream didn't fully em- "It gave me credibility right off the bat.
"It was just the expectations," she ex- slate of plans for the near future.
c,E brace the song until Leonard Bernstein I never had to fight for anyone to believe
She'll be doing lots of solo acoustic
plains.
"Half the people expect the next
Lu
D championed the song on a CBS televi- I had something to say. I was never ac-
concerts in the coming year, while her
song
to
be
a
hit
record;
the
other
half
ex-
sion special called "Inside Pop: The Rock cused of being a coward or selling out. I
next album, which she hopes to have
m Revolution." Her debut album wound never really had that option, you know?" pect that you're going to change the out by September, will feature song-
1—
world with it, too."
up earning a Grammy nomination.
At the same time, Ian points out, "So-
It's easy to see the effect that burst of writing and production collaborations
"I'll be forever grateful to 'Society's
with different artists such as Mellen-

ly

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