Janis Tanaka
Japanese-American bassist (born 1963)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Janis Tanaka (born January 9, 1963) is a Japanese-American musician who has worked as a session bassist and on tour with a number of well-known artists including Pink,[1] Fireball Ministry, Hammers of Misfortune, Stone Fox, and L7. She was also a member of Pagan Babies, a band formed by Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland in the 1980s.
Janis Tanaka | |
|---|---|
Tanaka performing in 2002 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | January 9, 1963 |
| Origin | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass, Vocals |
Music career
Tanaka grew up in Long Beach, California, in a family with several sisters. She took courses at UCLA for one year followed by Long Beach City College[2] and San Francisco State University. Tanaka began playing guitar, violin, and piano in elementary school.[2]
Early bands Tanaka played with include The Jackson Saints and Pagan Babies.[3]
She left Hammers of Misfortune to play with Pink.[4] In 2001, Tanaka appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno supporting Pink.[4]
She has also played in the band Winterthrall. As of 2017, Tanaka was reportedly playing in The Big Meat Combo and in the all female version of Los Angeles-based Femme Fatale.[2][5]
Filmography
- Tanaka has appeared in several films as herself including L7: Pretend We're Dead, released in 2016 and directed by Sarah Price.
- Fireball Ministry: Master of None, released in 2003.
- She has acted in the films: Live Freaky Die Freaky, Down and Out With Dolls.
- Starred in the film The Year of My Japanese Cousin (1995).[6] She had a starring role in The Year of My Japanese Cousin and received a favorable review of her performance in the San Francisco Chronicle.[7]
