To all concerned,
It saddens my heart to write and tell you all of this terrible news that I just received.
Rockabilly artist, Janis Martin has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and it has spread all over her body.
Her husband Wayne Whitt has told me that she is napping most of the day in a hospital bed at her home in Danville, VA. She will soon go and take a temporary residence in Raleigh for a round of radiation treatments to try and reduce the size of the tumors behind her lungs, shoulder and leg. Janis had been suffering from severe headaches over the past several months so she found it necessary to cancel her recent booking at the Americana Festival in England. The headaches turned out to be stress related from all the grief she’s had to endure from losing her son Kevin who passed away in January of this year. Recently when a large tumor appeared on her shoulder, Janis and Wayne headed back to the doctors for tests. The tests revealed that she has a very aggressive type of cancer and is spreading all over her body. I can’t even believe that I’m writing this, it is so hard to accept that this amazing person and dear friend is going through such an intense sickness at a time in her life when she was retired from her day job and finally ready to start performing again. I hope that everyone who knows her and has been touched by her unique talent for performing and her gifted voice as a rock n roll, blues and country singer will keep Janis and her family in your prayers. She has given so much to the world of music and to her fans both here in the US and in Europe and the rest of the world. To read further about her career, you can google her name or click on this link:
http://www.myspace.com/femaleelvishttp://www.history-of-rock.com/janis_martin.htmCards can be sent to her home at this address:
Janis Martin and Wayne Whitt
2217 Mount View Rd.
Danville, VA 24540
As some of you know, Janis recently agreed to let me produce with Bobby Trimble a brand new CD of 10 rock n roll songs of her choice. Backed by an amazing line up of musicians, including Bobby, from Austin Texas, we all gathered at a friends home studio in Blanco, Texas and in 3 days finished a body of work that she is very proud and excited about as well as a feeling of great accomplishment. Only three months prior to recording in Texas she had to endure the loss of her son who passed away in January from a brain aneurism. With all her heart and soul she sang with as much energy and intensity as she ever had. We all feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to share many great moments with such an amazing artist and beautiful person. The original female rock n roll artist, and as many of you have seen from her recent concert performances over seas and in the US, just never stopped rockin’! We hope to get this released as soon as possible so everyone can enjoy what will be Janis Martin’s last recordings.
Rosie Flores
Austin, Texas
August 27, 2007
