Focus On: Janis Ian

Known as one of the great American troubadors since the 1960s, singer/songwriter Janis Ian is still going strong into the 21st century. Raised on a farm in southern New Jersey, Ian began playing piano at the age of 2. In 1967, at age 16, she released her first album, Janis Ian, and earned the first of nine Grammy nominations. Ian’s star soared in the 70s when her hit single “At Seventeen” sold over one million copies and won two Grammys.

Ian continued to release albums throughs the 80s and 90s. Concerned about the growing loss of artistic control when dealing with major record labels, Ian struck out on her own by self-financing her 1993 album Breaking Silence, which garnered her another Grammy nomination for best folk album. Ian’s latest album, Billie’s Bones, features a duet with one of her musical heroes, Dolly Parton. Showing no sign of slowing down, Ian plans to spend much of 2004 and 2005 on the road performing. She’s also one of the most thoughtful and outspoken critics on the music industry and the current digital downloading controversy.

Ian performs "I Hear You Sing Again" live in the Folk Alley studios. The song grew out of an unfinished lyric by Woody Guthrie at the request of his daughter Nora. The words reflect a lonely longing to hear the voice of a mother who has died.