Janis Ian to Play Ridgefield Playhouse, 9/21

Acclaimed songwriter, singer, musician, columnist and author, Grammy Award-winner Janis Ian, who wrote and performed the anthems "At Seventeen" and "Society's Child", will make her debut appearance at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, September 21, at 8 p.m. She won her first Grammy in 1975 for "At Seventeen", and her second in 2013 for the category of Best Spoken Word album for her autobiography, Society's Child. Bissell House (378 Main St., Ridgefield) will pour a free glass of house wine or draught beer with dinner the night of this show when tickets/stubs are presented. An AllShows.com VIP Party Pass ($25 addt'l per person), which includes a cocktail party from 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. with open bar, hors-d'oeuvre and priority parking, is available for this show by calling the box office (203-438-5795). This event is partially underwritten by AcousticMusic.org and is part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriter and Xfinity Rock Series with media sponsor WSHU.

Music and lyrics are about life experiences and, as Janis' life has been full and colorful, so have her songs as evidenced by her multiple awards, which include a Grammy as well as Dove Award nominations. Her songs have been recorded by singers as diverse as Cher, John Mellencamp, Céline Dion, Hugh Masakela, Nana Mouskouri, Charlie Daniels and Roberta Flack. Always one to follow her heart and her beliefs, Janis was one of the first celebrities to come out publicly.

Janis Ian began her mostly stellar, sometimes stormy, professional life at the age of 12 when she wrote her first song and was published by Broadside Magazine. That led to her first "real" show, at New York's venerable Village Gate, where she shared a stage with Tom Paxton (with whom she recently toured the east coast of the U.S.), Lou Gossett Jr., Judy Collins, Phil Ochs, and a host of other singer-­songwriters. "At Seventeen" became her trademark song and, along with the album on which it debuted, Between the Lines, it earned five Grammy nominations and two wins including Best Pop Female Performance and Best Engineered Recording. "At Seventeen" has since joined "Society's Child" as inductees in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

This singer/songwriter has a lot to crow about: She has the distinction of performing on the very first broadcast of Saturday Night Live, and she sang the first Budweiser Light and Egg McMuffin commercials. How can you top that?

For tickets ($35), call or visit the box office at The Ridgefield Playhouse, (203) 438-5795. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT; ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

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