Ironically, Janis always said that she'd developed her own singing style before she ever saw Elvis perform. But she certainly did have similarities, including the strong, soulful voice and on-stage presence. In any case, Janis got a lot of publicity and had several best-selling records, including the obvious tie-in "My Boy Elvis," and "Will You, Willyum." She seemed to be on her way to superstardom, with appearances on TV and the Grand Ole Opry, and was voted Billboard's Most Promising Female Vocalist.
Unfortunately, two pitfalls appeared in her path to stardom. First, she was a little too modern for the conservative country music audiences attending the shows she mostly performed in - her bouncing moves and lusty singing made them a little uneasy. On the other hand, she couldn't easily find spots in rock and roll shows, which were mostly interested in the male performers. She found herself in a sort of musical limbo.
Although that was a problem, the second pitfall was the real obstacle to Janis' future. In the 1950's even the appearance of impropriety could damage an entertainer's career, and when the 16 year-old singer got married in 1956 she knew that it needed to be kept a secret. As time passed, her husband went into the service and was stationed in Europe, but he and Janis still found time to get together and she later realized she was pregnant.
Even though she was almost eighteen by then and legally married, it still created a stir and RCA fired her. It was unfair but that's how things were done at that time, and it marked the beginning of the end of stardom for her. She continued singing and performing and eventually found a new record company, but never again reached stardom.
In later years, she made occasional forays into performing but with limited success. However, she remained a strong and lively voice in the history of early rock and roll, appearing in interviews and as one of the main voices of the PBS documentary. Janis Martin, the female Elvis, was pretty special even without the nickname.
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