• September 23, 1970
• She has her own Righteous Babe record label, which allows her to make music and perform on her own terms. She never signed with a label, and has served as a template for how a singer/songwriter can find success without a record deal.
• She is from Buffalo, New York. At age 19 she moved to New York City to live and perform in Greenwich Village, which has a thriving Folk music scene. She also took classes at the New School, but her weekends were dedicated to music.
• Ani releases an album about once a year, which is much more prolific than most major label acts.
• In early 2005, she was diagnosed with tendonitis and couldn't play for months.
• She studied ballet as a teenager.
• She is a prominent example of "Indie Rock," which can mean a lot of things, but is generally considered to be music made outside of the usual commercial structure of big record companies. Indie Rock musicians tend to be less popular, but have more control over their music. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Bertrand - Paris, France, for all above
• In January 2014, Ani apologized after arranging a writer's retreat on the site of a former slave plantation in Louisiana. She wrote on Facebook: "It was a great oversight on my part."

Comments

More Songfacts:

Electric AvenueEddy Grant

The "Electric Avenue" in the Eddy Grant song is a real street. It got its name because it was the first street in London with electric lights.

Year Of The CatAl Stewart

The title of Al Stewart's "Year Of The Cat" comes from Vietnamese astrology. The Year of the Cat comes every 12 Years: 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023...

ScreamMichael Jackson

The video for Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream" in 1995 was the most expensive ever made at the time, costing $7 million.

Bangla DeshGeorge Harrison

George Harrison's 1971 song "Bangla Desh" was the first major charity single. It was part of a concert held to bring relief to the people of Bangladesh, who were fighting for independence and suffering from a famine.

The WayFastball

"The Way" by Fastball was inspired by the story of an elderly couple from Texas who drove to a nearby family reunion and kept going. Fastball's bass player imagined them taking off and having fun like they were young. The story didn't end well: the couple was later found dead after they crashed in a canyon.

Happiness Is A Warm GunThe Beatles

John Lennon got the title of the Beatles song "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" from an article in a magazine published by the National Rifle Association.

Editor's Picks

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Joe JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.

George ClintonSongwriter Interviews

When you free your mind, your ass may follow, but you have to make sure someone else doesn't program it while it's wide open.