Anecdotes

First musical guest (with Billy Preston) to feature on the television premiere of Saturday Night Live (1975) (11 October 1975). George Carlin was host.

Her 1965 song "Society's Child", about a black man dating a white woman, was turned down by 22 record labels because of its subject matter before Verve/Folkways took a chance on it. It eventually sold more than one million copies.

Her real name is Janis Fink. "Ian" is her brother's first name.

Studied acting with Stella Adler in an effort to improve her stage presence.

Recorded the song "My Tennessee Hills" with country legend Dolly Parton for her 2004 album "Billie's Bones".

Her The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967) appearance was censored in several US television markets, when she performed "Society's Child"--her song about the then-controversial issue of interracial dating.

Was considered in some circles to have been a "one-hit wonder" twice--first in 1967 with "Society's Child", then in 1975 with "At Seventeen" (a mid-20s look back at her teen years).

Her prized Martin acoustic guitar was stolen from her home in 1971. She posted its serial number in all the liner notes from the 1980s on.

Divorced her husband in the 1980s because he was verbally, and finally physically, abusive. The abuse was later chronicled in "His Hands", a song from her "comeback album", Grammy-nominated "Breaking Silence".

Considered for the part of Carla in Cheers (1982) (Rhea Perlman later got it).

Suffered a financial crisis from 1986 into the 1990s due to malfeasance on the part of her business manager of 20 years. Eventually became solvent again by selling a large portion of her publishing catalog.

Alumna of Stella Adler Studio of Acting.