We’ve launched a new segment on Radio Heartland called Classic Americana. Every Friday around 11 a.m. Central, we’ll pull a special track from the archives or from deep in the shelves to spotlight a particular artist or song.

Janie Fricke is a singer-songwriter who was born in a small town near Fort Wayne, Indiana, on December 19, 1947. She took up piano and guitar as a youngster, but her favorite musical pursuit was singing. Fricke attended the University of Indiana, and although she wasn’t enrolled in that college’s prestigious music school, she was involved in the student choir The Singing Hoosiers, and it was while at college Fricke got her first job in music — a part-time gig singing jingles for TV commercials, including work for such well-known brands as United Airlines, Coca-Cola, 7-Up, and Red Lobster.

After college graduation (her degree is in elementary education), Fricke first went to Los Angeles to pursue a music career, but was eventually invited to Nashville where she became a member of Nashville session vocalists the Lea Jane Singers, performing on literally thousands of studio recordings.

In the late 1970s, Fricke — who took a bit of coaxing to go it alone — signed on with Columbia Records as a solo artist. She saw great success in the 1980s, starting with her first No. 1 hit, “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby.” Today, we’ll listen to Fricke’s 1983 hit, “He’s a Heartache (Looking for a Place to Happen).” It’s an upbeat song with train-locomotive rhythm and rapid-fire vocals by Fricke, her well-trained voice on display.

External Link

Janie Fricke – official site