Janis Ian

The author and singer of the song At Seventeen, which has withstood the test of time to be the greatest song ever written about teen angst.

Well, that may be too generous. It is really only about the teen angst of teen girls who do not fit in with the in-crowd. But it's still a great song that should be required listening in any high school; just to let them know that they weren't the first ones to encounter this period of uncertainty.

Born Janis Eddy Fink on April 7, 1951, Janis Ian is one of the few child stars to succeed as an adult.

At the age of fifteen she surprised the music scene with here controversial hit Society's Child. This story of an inter-racial couple,written by the young performer, showed early that Janis Ian would be a songwriter to take notice of.

After her fourth album in 1969 she retired from music to settle down. She returned in 1971 with the three albums that would forever etch her name in the annals of 20th century music. The middle album, Between the Lines, could rightfully be considered her masterpiece. Not only does it include the hit At Seventeen, but every song on the album is at or near the level that At Seventeen sets. After personal problems, and a dance record, Janis weathered the 80's well, considering she lost most of her wealth to the IRS in a case not to dissimilarr to that of Willie Nelson.

The third stage of her career came with the album Breaking Silence. Not only did Janis release her best album in almost two decades, but it appeared she was breaking the silence about the fact that she is a lesbian as well. Her latest album God & the FBI continues her previous acoustic vein and adds some interesting sonic textures, proving once again that she is a true and lasting musician.

Discography
Janis Ian (1967)
For All the Seasons of Your Mind (1967)
The Secret Life of J. Eddie Fink (1968)
Who Really Cares (1969)
Present Company (1971)
Stars (1974)
Between the Lines (1975)
Aftertones (1975)
Miracle Row (1977)
Janis Ian (1978)
Night Rains (1979)
Restless Eyes (1981)
Uncle Wonderful (1983)
Breaking Silence (1993)
Revenge (1995)
Hunger (1997)
God & the FBI (2000)

Janis Ian has also offered live (and rare) material through her own Rude Girl label in an albums entitled Unreleased X, where X is a numerical variable <= 3.