I was familiar with Janis Ian from her hits Society’s Child and At Seventeen. The former raised controversy in the 1960s as it considered interracial dating. She gave an in-depth interview to Cousin Bruce Morrow on his show on December 16, 2023. Listening to this interview motivated me to read her Autobiography which I obtained from the Queens Library.
She was very forthcoming as she discussed how she was born in New Jersey, moved to New York City, and years later to Nashville. She related some personal issues such as her parents’ divorce and her sexuality. Her career took off after she appeared on TV with Leonard Bernstein. After that many radio stations including WABC that originally banned that song played it.
She was very active in the music business even though she had only two big hits. She was acquainted with many pop stars. She discussed her financial problems and medical issues that she confronted. She moved around quite a bit and finally settled in Nashville. The autobiography ended in 2003 when she married her partner, Pat.
You can read about many developments in her recent life by consulting her website.
