Society's Child: My Autobiography

Janis Ian was catapulted into the spotlight in 1966 at age fifteen, when her soul-wrenching song about an interracial relationship, “Society’s Child,” became a hit. The song 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. Society’s Child is Ian’s fascinating personal account of her more than forty years in the music business. In 1975, Ian’s legendary “At Seventeen” earned two Grammy Awards and five nominations. Her next two albums brought her worldwide platinum hits. But after seven albums in as many years, she made a conscious decision to walk away from the music business and devote herself to writing. During this period, she struggled through a difficult marriage that ended with her then husband’s attempt to destroy her, and a sudden illness that very nearly cost her her life. The hiatus from music lasted for close to a decade until, in 1993, Ian returned with the release of the Grammy-nominated Breaking Silence, and she has been making unforgettable music ever since. In Society’s Child, she provides a relentlessly honest account of the successes and failures, the hopes and dreams, of an extraordinary life.