Society's Child: My Autobiography
by Janis Ian
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Book Summary Information
Author: Janis IanEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-24
ISBN: 158542675X
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: Tarcher
Book Reviews of Society's Child: My Autobiography
Book Review: Society's Child: Soundtrack for my Life
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember a dark night in the early sixties, the day after Thanksgiving. I was 8 or ten years old, lying in be with a high fever,the tinny sounds of a transistor radio my only companion as I alternated between sweating and freezing. The top-40 station I was listening to went silent for a moment, then began to play a young girl singing a song that would stay with me my entire life.
I didn't hear much of Janis on the radio for the next several years, but every time I heard Society's Child, I shut out everything else, and listened to that song. I would understand the lyrics years later.
In 1974-75, I was a senior in high school. I'd been on one date. I was a victim of hormones, and terrified of asking a girl out. I had no self-confidence, but acted totally self-assured whenever I was around others. I was in agony - how could I explain what was going on to anyone? No one else felt this way!
Then I heard "At Seventeen".
Janis had reestablished herself in my life, and actually made it possible to finish high school. She gave me my life back, by explaining that I wasn't alone.
Years later, I was introduced to Janis by Mike Resnick. Initially a blithering idiot, I couldn't talk as tears ran down my face. My wife translated; idiot-to-English is a valuable tool. When I was finally able to talk, Janis and I had a conversation, and I was able to thank her for everything she'd done. She simply smiled, and said that she hadn't done anything, just told the truth.
It was a Universal Truth.
A conversation with Janis Ian is never one-sided. While she may talk about herself, she is more interested in you. The stage persona is great, but the person is incredible. Conversations are about anything and everything, and altogether too short (regardless of how long they last), and you always want more.
Janis' autobiography, "Society's Child" is just like a conversation with Janis Ian. when I read it, I heard her voice, saw her gestures and mannerisms, felt how genuine she really is. And I couldn't put it down.
I felt I was sitting in a room with Janis, and she was speaking directly to me. Mutual acquaintances were captured truly, as were events I had direct knowledge of. I finished the book in a single day. I know that there is more to come, and I can't wait for what the future brings.
Janis Ian is funny, serious, witty, smart, charming, beautiful, self-deprecating, and has one of the biggest hearts there is. Read her autobiography, listen to her music, see her concerts. You will be glad you did.
Summary of Society's Child: My Autobiography
Grammy Award?winning singer and songwriter Janis Ian?s memoir of her more than forty years in the music business.Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at the age of fifteen when her soul-wrenching song ?Society?s Child? became a national 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. But this was only the beginning of a long and illustrious career. In this fascinating memoir of her life in the music business, Ian chronicles how she did drugs with Jimi Hendrix, went shopping for Grammy clothes with Janis Joplin, and sang with Mel Tormé ?all the while never ceasing to create unforgettable music.
In Society?s Child, Ian shares with readers what it felt like to move in and out of the public eye. In 1975 her legendary song ?At Seventeen? earned two Grammy awards and five nominations. But during the 1980s she made a conscious decision to walk away from the often grueling music business to study ballet and acting. She also struggled through a difficult marriage that ended with her then husband?s threat to kill her. The hiatus from music lasted for nearly a decade until, in 1993, Ian returned with the release of Breaking Silence. Rather than risk losing artistic control, she took out a second mortgage on her home to fund the record. It paid off as Breaking Silence gained Ian her ninth Grammy nomination. Now in her fifth decade, Ian continues to draw large audiences around the globe.
Janis Ian has inspired generations of fans and in this moving book she shares the fascinating story of her life in music.
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