Lady Sang the Blues

She managed one last return to the stage, singing "Today I Finally Cried" at a breast cancer benefit concert at the Gothic Theatre in late October. Before a crowd of a few hundred, she sang from a sofa that had been brought on stage for her. "It came out really well. I was really surprised," she said. But she was also exhausted afterward.

Throughout this fall, some days were better than others. But by late November, Janzen was in such pain that she couldn't sleep. More potent meds knocked her out. On the day her photo was taken for this story, it took her ninety minutes to rouse herself and get ready. Early last week, she was in so much pain that she wasn't talking to anyone.

Anthony Camera

Monica Janzen, photographed last month in Colorado Springs.

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Janzen's band has dissolved, and the players have moved on to other work. Donaldson, who's now sitting in with a few local bands as a substitute guitarist, had been playing for only about five years when he initially hooked up with Ken and Monni, so the opportunity to play -- however fleetingly -- with a promising group was an experience he won't soon forget. "I felt more disappointed for the other guys and for her," he said. "I was just happy to be on the project. It's the dream all musicians are looking for. And they get the opportunity to be a part of a project that had the potential to really do something."

But just by making that album, Monica "Monni" Janzen really did something. She showed that dreams can come true -- even if they take a very different form than you originally envisioned.

"I want to believe there's a chance I'll have a couple more years," she said late last month. "At the same time, I know how widespread the cancer is. You kind of accept the finality of things."

Monni's song finally ended last Wednesday. On November 29, she passed away at her sister's home -- leaving behind many mourning loved ones, and a CD we can all remember her by.

A memorial service for Monica Janzen will be held Thursday, December 7, at 11 a.m. at Kingdom Hall, 720 Crestline Drive, Colorado Springs. A trust fund has been created for her children; contact Bill Thomas at 303-494-6927 for details.