July 14, 2000

At Seventeen's lan still going strong at 49

by Janet Macoska

Janis lan has been described as one of America's great troubadours. She has been creating personal and provocative music since 1967, when she burst on the scene at the age of 15 with the controversial hit "Society's Child."

As a singer, composer and virtuoso guitarist, lan's music and talent endures, as she recently demonstrated at the Tangiers in Ak-

ron.

The evening before the performance, this writer had the opportunity to speak to lan, on a rare night off for her.

Janet Macoska: What are you doing on your night off in Akron?

Janis lan: Laundry.

So much for the glamorous life of a musician.

Well, that's why we're all in it.

For the glamour? For the laundry? Absolutely.

You've been out there, touring, working hard for your entire life.

For 35 years, since I was fourteen. You've influenced a lot of people with your music. Many gay women have said that your music hit a particular nerve with them. "Society's Child," "At Seventeen" and others gave voice to the struggles that they were going through when they were awkward teenagers trying to discover who they were. What is your reaction when people tell you their personal coming-out stories and how your music has impacted their lives?

I say, "Thank you." I think that its a privilege that you can affect somebody's life positively at anytime, much less affect it at such a distance. Not a lot of performers meet as many fans as I do. I always take the time after a show. I think they feel free to be themselves with me. My music is pretty intimate. People tend to feel like I've been in their bedroom and living room, so they react as though they know me or as though I know them. And that's fine. That's the kind of career path I've chosen.

Are the songs that mean the most to your fans the songs that mean the most to you?

It's always the most recent one that mean

the most to me; so, no.

You came out in your twenties, but you didn't choose the time or

moment. You were outed.

The press did that in 1976.

I wouldn't have done it

the way they did it,

but I was always out to my fam-

ily, to my friends, to the music industry. I just wasn't out in the press.

Initially, I really didn't want it to be seized on. I felt like it was a private issue. Then I didn't want everybody bothering me and saying that the song “Jesse" was really about a woman. I didn't want to ram any kind of interpretations down peoples' throats. I just wanted to have some element of control over the way I came out.

How were you outed?

A reporter from the Village Voice attached himself to me to do a cover story. He outed Elton John and David Bowie that same year. He was just on a rampage.

After you got over your anger about that...

I wasn't angry.

What was your reaction?

It was more a resignation that it was now out of my hands. He was press. I should have known better.

Did the revelation change your audience, and how your audience felt about you?

No, I don't think so. At least, I haven't noticed it. I feel like my politics is in my music, so I do a pretty apolitical show, given that. I like that my show is comfortable for all kinds of people. That is really important to me. I wouldn't want any segment of the audience to feel like they were being marginalized, whether they were gay or straight, black or white, young or old. It's really important to me to keep those doors open.

If someone has been following your career over the years, they pretty much know you from the content of your music.

They might not know who I am, but they certainly know what I write about. Tell me about your newest CD, god and the fbi.

It's got Willie Nelson on it. It's got Chet Atkins on it. It's got me on it. There are only four musicians on the album. We cut it in a house, and lived together while we were recording. I'd never done that before. It's a lot more interesting than what I've been doing lately.

Because? It's braver.

Braver because of your health problems you were suffering while your were recording? [Ian had tumor on her liver that required surgery. The tumor was benign.]

Well, I become pretty mono-directional when I'm recording. Nothing much exists except for the project.

So why were you braver?

Just because of the circumstance. Because there were only four of us, and we were living together, there was a lot more input from everyone, a lot more time to try things that they wanted that I didn't necessarily agree with or think would work that turned out to work.

Is the content of the material on god and the fbi braver for you as well?

I don't know. I don't think that you can get much braver than "Society's Child" was in the '60s. The reaction to the new material has been great, I must say. We've been selling out of the new album at every gig.

You're coming up on the age of fifty next year. What personal or career goal is foremost in your mind and heart right now?

(Laughs) I want time. That's about the only thing I want at this point.

Do you feel that time is escaping from

you?

I have no time these days. It's always what you don't have that you want.

Because of the touring schedule? There's touring, press, TV, radio, business, writing for projects. It's a pretty full schedule. We're booked till next April.

Have you scheduled a break for yourself?

I'm taking a vacation at the end of August [with her partner of 11 years, Pat Snyder]. We're going to the Northeast. It will be the first vacation I've had in a year and a half.

Janet Macoska is a Chronicle contributing writer and photographer living in Cleveland.

Tan's 17th album keen

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the song, the first on Ian's

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but the government was opening our mail," said Janis lan,

ful eye of the FBI, when she finally gained access to the sely, and interfered with her father's ability to get tenure as

to get, that I had to hide, but no matter what I did, they were Miles appears correct."

with a jazzy vibe, the lyrics are edgy, continuing the political tradition

's second track "On the Other Side is slower and more expansive, allowing lan more room to stretch out vocally. ollaboration with Willie Nelson, follows. Nelson's rough voice is an interesting contrast to lan's more smooth

the personal political with the country-flavored “Play Like a Girl," while “Boots Like Emmy Lou's” omen singers including Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and of course Emmy Lou Harris. and "She Must Be Beautiful" are wonderfully tender songs vintage lan.

insightful songwriter, lan is one of the few artists to receive Grammy nominations in four decades, the '60s, 90% God and the for" is her 17th album.

Hurrier L. Schwartz is a Chronicle contributing writer living in Pittsburgh.

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