Society's Child: My Autobiography

by Janis Ian

Book Overview

The inspiration for the documentary film Janis Ian: Breaking Silence

Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at the age of fifteen, when her soul-wrenching song Society's Child became a hit. An intimate portrait of an interracial relationship, Society's Child climbed the charts despite the fact that many radio stations across the country refused to play it because of its controversial subject matter...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1585427497
• ISBN13: 9781585427499
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Tarcherperigee
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Surviving Her Life

When you are 15 years old, what do you do for an encore when Leonard Bernstein features you on national television, your first single charts in the top ten garnering a Grammy nomination, and The New York Times anoints you "a new boldness in popular music" and "radiant new talent?" Most child prodigies fade quickly from view, but Janis Ian is thriving some forty years later, though not without immense struggle as detailed in her just released autobiography. Born a red diaper baby on a chicken farm in New Jersey, Ian began playing the piano at three, wrote her first song at twelve, and was performing at hootenannies in New York's Greenwich Village one year later. At fourteen, this wunderkind walked into pop producer Shadow Morton's office and the very next week recorded her controversial folk ballad about interracial dating, Society's Child. It was 1967. David Geffen was her agent, The Byrds opened for her on tour, she shopped with Janis Joplin, did cocaine with Jimi Hendrix, and performed on the Johnny Carson, Mike Douglas, and Smothers Brothers television programs. Life Magazine followed her around, wanting photos of her "acting like a teenager" to intersperse with pictures of her on stage and in TV studios. Perplexing times for this woman child, who in a few short years, crashes and burns, sequestering herself in Philadelphia to recover from emotional exhaustion. Three years later, after lots of "intensive therapy," Roberta Flack has a hit with her Jesse and Ian returns to the music business, eventually selling over ten million records and earning multiple Grammy awards, with such songs as the iconic lament, At Seventeen, disco hit, Fly Too High, and jazz duet with Mel Torme, Silly Habits. The autobiography catapults the reader along her career trajectory. When At Seventeen begins to get radio play, initially she and the band drive a station wagon from one 200-seat club to another. Then a month later, they play 2,000-seat theaters, and a month after that, are playing 5,000-seat auditoriums being shuttled around in tour buses and limousines. In this mid `70s period, she lived openly with girlfriends, and was "outed" by The Village Voice to the consternation of her record label. The glory, drugs, sex, and isolation on the road are intimately captured with unvarnished clarity and insight. Throughout, Ian entertains with marvelous gossipy bits about Donovan, Laura Nyro, Frank Zappa, James Brown, and Nina Simone, but more powerful are her poignant observations about surviving her own life. She walked away from music again in the early `80s, thinking she had enough money and wanting to settle down and start a family with a man. However, the idyll spiraled into tragedy: her husband became psychotic, financial malfeasance by her bookkeeper left her penniless - owing $1.3 million to the IRS, and two emergency surgeries sapped her of her health. Ian's writing about this later bottoming out period is particularly compelling, as she hel

Triumph over adversity

Janis and I were both 15 when this waif of a girl came on stage in NYC, after being introduced by Murray The K, and, standing alone in the spotlight, sang Society's Child. We were stunned, and I admit, I had an adolescent crush on Janis for years. Honestly, along the way, I lost her music, but always felt a kinship to her. Then, when the book came out, I couldn't wait to read it. I had no idea how much adversity this beautiful woman overcame. I don't want to reveal "spoilers", but, suffice to say, I don't think 4 people could have overcome what this one person has. She walked through hell, and out the exit door. This book should be required reading for today's "instant celebrities" that don't appreciate what they have, and how fast they can lose it all. I have nothing but respect (and still love her)for her courage and her talent. I am reacquainting myself to her music, and feel like I've found an old friend. I am totally inspired. The book unfolds, and each chapter tells another story well. It's unreal; just when you think Janis is back on the road to happiness and success, something new detours her journey. Janis learned that success and happiness are not the same, and happiness is not dependent upon success. PLEASE read this book. Thanks you, Janis, for sharing your innermost feelings, providing inspiration, and for hanging in. As you said, they can take away anything BUT your talent. May the sun shine on you forever.

Best Read All Year

A page turner I couldn't put down. For Janis Ian to continue being a creative and engaging performer despite all that she's been through is a testament to her true talent as an artist. Her stories of other performers, good and bad, her family, her childhood all make this a non-stop, hugely readable book.

$1550.00 at Auction and Worth Every Page-turning Penny!!!

This is the long awaited story of the life of Janis Ian. The work spans her entire career as a grammy winning singer, songwriter, musician and author. Janis penned this extraordinarily candid work herself. It begins with her birth, family issues and hardships, her struggles as a teenage star, relationships, friendships with icons like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and ends in Janis' present life, still performing after four decades. She shares rare insights into the writing and recording of her various albums, including songs "Society's Child" and "At Seventeen". She also shares bravely about her too long marriage to a brilliant, yet addicted and abusive ex-husband, and her very happy Canadian marriage to her current partner. An alias is used here and there, but those of us who have followed Janis' career will probably know who everyone is. I had the honor of auctioning a rare galley copy on Ebay (the "Pearl Foundation" getting 100% of the proceeds),with Janis' blessing back in late May, 2008. That paperback, even without the picture insert went for $1550.00. There were 30 bids, with 10 of them well over $1,000.00. You will be wise to add a copy of this stunning book to your Janis Ian, or singer songwriter biography collection! There is also a new 2 cd set that is available. Each song is a book chapter! B001B0H7AY, check it out!!!

Up all night read

I stayed up all night to read Janis' book. What a life she had! What a life she is still having! From her teens to the present, Janis has shown that talent and guts will keep you in the business. Her story both personally and professionally is told with honesty and she pulls no punches. Ian talks candidly about the music business with all the good and the bad. Anyone who reads her story will be fascinated by an extraordinary woman and her career.