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I don't usually do this but instead of just leaving after the concert, I descended the creaky wooden stairs to the undercroft and shook hands with Janis Ian. She's a small woman. Half my height. With pure white hair. And warm brown eyes. When she thanked me, I leaned forward and said, "you are one of the few singers that make me cry, and I've loved you since I was 15." And this incredibly warm and kind woman, who came up to my bellybutton, took my hand in both of hers and warmly thanked me, her eyes wet. She wore corderoys and a flannel shirt, no makeup. 60 years old.
With a voice that sounded the same as it did at 15. And she sang in my church, looking up at it in awe and a bit of foreboding. I kept wanting to tell her - it's Unitarian, we're pretty much all inclusive - ie. Jewish, all Christian, Buddhist, Cultural Humanist, Atheist, Agnostic, whatever your faith...you are welcome here. But hard to tell by the stained class, and deep mahogany wood.
It's hard to explain why this little woman is my hero, why I have loved her since the age of 15, and yet no one seemed to sing her songs in college, Dylan, yes, or Neil Young or Joni, but Janis Ian...seemed to sit lonely, her tape wedged between Tracey Chapman and Suzanne Vega, listened to until it broke. And the first song that I heard of her's? Taped off the radio at 15. Her voice is quiet like, and her songs pull at my heart. Ella Fitzgerald said Ian is one the best singer's out there, Chet Atkins stated, forget singing, have you heard her on guitar? Her first song? She wrote at the age of twelve. Her first concert at 14. Her first hit at 15. And a has-been at 16. She also has written science fiction short stories and is an avid sci-fi fan. Several Science Fiction Short Stories by Janis Ian and other sci-fi writers were published in 2003.
At the Toronto Sci-Fi Convention - she married her long term partner, Patricia. Then wrote a song about how interesting an experience it was to be treated like a normal couple in Toronto but no in the US. With dry wit and honesty, she made me laugh hard and cry, silently. I think the only other musician that I've seen in person that moved me in that way was Peter Gabriel way back in 1987 at Wembley Field Auditorium in London.
What follows are two songs, written at different time periods and sung at different ages, which explain better than anything else why this woman is a hero of mine and I love her.
The first song is about inter-racial love, the second about same-sex love. Both are about love and both are about society preventing it.
Janis Ian at 15 singing Society's Child on Smother's Brothers and years later in 2008 in the pouring rain at Groversnors Island, NY.
Janis Ian's story about marrying her long-time partner, and the song "Married in London" - regarding Gay Marriage:
I really hope both of these make it to LJ.
With a voice that sounded the same as it did at 15. And she sang in my church, looking up at it in awe and a bit of foreboding. I kept wanting to tell her - it's Unitarian, we're pretty much all inclusive - ie. Jewish, all Christian, Buddhist, Cultural Humanist, Atheist, Agnostic, whatever your faith...you are welcome here. But hard to tell by the stained class, and deep mahogany wood.
It's hard to explain why this little woman is my hero, why I have loved her since the age of 15, and yet no one seemed to sing her songs in college, Dylan, yes, or Neil Young or Joni, but Janis Ian...seemed to sit lonely, her tape wedged between Tracey Chapman and Suzanne Vega, listened to until it broke. And the first song that I heard of her's? Taped off the radio at 15. Her voice is quiet like, and her songs pull at my heart. Ella Fitzgerald said Ian is one the best singer's out there, Chet Atkins stated, forget singing, have you heard her on guitar? Her first song? She wrote at the age of twelve. Her first concert at 14. Her first hit at 15. And a has-been at 16. She also has written science fiction short stories and is an avid sci-fi fan. Several Science Fiction Short Stories by Janis Ian and other sci-fi writers were published in 2003.
At the Toronto Sci-Fi Convention - she married her long term partner, Patricia. Then wrote a song about how interesting an experience it was to be treated like a normal couple in Toronto but no in the US. With dry wit and honesty, she made me laugh hard and cry, silently. I think the only other musician that I've seen in person that moved me in that way was Peter Gabriel way back in 1987 at Wembley Field Auditorium in London.
What follows are two songs, written at different time periods and sung at different ages, which explain better than anything else why this woman is a hero of mine and I love her.
The first song is about inter-racial love, the second about same-sex love. Both are about love and both are about society preventing it.
Janis Ian at 15 singing Society's Child on Smother's Brothers and years later in 2008 in the pouring rain at Groversnors Island, NY.
Janis Ian's story about marrying her long-time partner, and the song "Married in London" - regarding Gay Marriage:
I really hope both of these make it to LJ.