71-year-old singer-songwriter Janis Ian has cancelled the remaining dates of what was to be her farewell tour — supporting her most recent album, The Light at the End of the Line. Vocal problems Ian first attributed to a bad case of laryngitis turned out to be a far more significant problem. A medical examination revealed the singer suffers from widespread scarring along her vocal folds, the thin innermost muscular bands of the vocal cords. Surgical intervention is possible, but the odds for success remain unpredictable. Ian shot to stardom in 1976 following the release of her plaintive, adolescent-angst anthem, At Seventeen. I recall hearing that song for the first time. “Those of us with ravaged faces, lacking in the social graces….” I did not sit at the cool kid’s table, and I waged a constant battle against acne. I could identify with Ian’s lyrics. I’m willing to bet that the majority of us can relate in some way.
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