Janis Ian

Janis Ian (born April 7, 1951) is a Grammy-winning American songwriter, singer and multi-instrumental musician. Born Janis Eddy Fink in a Bronx hospital (she was raised in New Jersey), she changed her name while still a child. She h

Janis Ian (born April 7, 1951) is a Grammy-winning American songwriter, singer and multi-instrumental musician. Born Janis Eddy Fink in a Bronx hospital (she was raised in New Jersey), she changed her name while still a child. She had a successful singing career in the 1960s and 1970s. She wrote and sang her first hit single at age 15, the song "Society's Child", which told the story of an interracial romance forbidden by the narrator's parents. The song's lyrical content was too taboo for some radio stations which banned it, but that didn't stop it from becoming a hit, reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also legally emancipated herself from her parents at age 15. Her most successful single was "At Seventeen", released in 1975, a bittersweet commentary on adolescent cruelty and teenage angst, as reflected upon from the maturity of adulthood. "At Seventeen" received acclaim from record buyers - it charted at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart - and critics, as it won the 1975 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, beating out the likes of Olivia Newton-John and Helen Reddy. Its parent album, "Between the Lines," also hit #1. She has also managed a sustained career as a songwriter - her composition "Jesse" was a hit for Roberta Flack in 1973 (Ian's own version is on her 1974 album "Stars").

She is an outspoken critic of the RIAA, a record industry organization which she sees as acting against the interests of musicians and consumers. As such, she has willingly released several of her songs, including the popular "Walking in the Rain," for free download from her website (see below for a link).