A woman dubbed the “female Elvis” with the blessing of “the King” himself died Monday after teenage fame, a lifetime of near obscurity and a revival of her musical legacy in later life.
Janis Martin ranks with Wanda Jackson and Lorrie Collins as one of the female trailblazers of early rock n’ roll.
An obituary in the Washington Post and here at BookOfJoe follows her early years as a regular on a country music radio show at age 11 and later appearances with country legends Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow and Porter Waggoner then eventually as Elvis’s label mate on RCA.
Her elopement and pregnancy at age 15 ended her bid for stardom effectively relegating her to a life of near anonymity, but an emergence from retirement in 1982 rekindled her career.
Above she sings her minor hit dedicated to the rock ‘n roll legend who inspired her stage nickname at the 10th Rockabilly Rave 2006, Camber Sands, UK.
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