Heart, the band

Perfume on my wrists.

Nancy is a total cunt.

I met Nancy in early 1981. One of the most unassuming and sweetest personalities of anybody I've ever met. Excluding Muriel, of course.

I love the music these talented, beautiful Women make. They are extraordinary.

I saw them a couple years ago on their "we made up" summer ampitheater tour and my spouse and I both commented that it looked like they'd had an argument or something before the concert because the stage was really icy between Ann and Nancy that night. There was zero interaction between the sisters and we even both noticed they weren't even looking in the other's direction and deliberately ignored one another. Not really surprising to find out they've since splintered into two different "Heart" touring bands, one with Ann and the other with Nancy

At their age, why don’t they just retire?

Getting old is expensive, R6!

70s and 80s bands are in fashion now, they're making some money while they can.

I’m still wondering whether there’s any gossip about Nancy’s divorce from Cameron Crowe. As in specifics, not generic “mental cruelty” or whatever.

Anyone hear/read anything about that?

Too bad they can’t set shit aside for tours. They’re too fucking old for that stuff now.

Their performance of Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Show Honors was amazing. I think Ann was in her mid-60s and an amazing singer. Robert Plant said it was the best version hes ever heard.

Annoying screaming no matter what. They're from what's easily the worst period of post WWII popular music. Nostalgia doesn't make the 70s any better.

Thanks for that link, R10. I had never seen that version and being a Heart (and Led Zepplin) fan back in the 70s, it brought tears to my eyes. You made my day.

You're welcome SL. I've listened to it endlessly.

FYI, it's Jason Bonham (John's son) on drums. That made Robert Plant very emotional.

It's one of those genie in the bottle performances where the singers, musicians, arrangements and mix all were right on.

I've known them casually since the late 70s and Bebe Le Strange. Nancy's very sweet. Ann's always been aloof but that could be her Aspergers. She had an unbelievably high opinion of herself saying that she felt she and Springsteen were the saviors of rock. Nancy's marriage to Crowe broke up simply because they moved apart. Charles Cross' book about Heart talks about it and it was a very civil breakup. She got married to the head of music for Fox studios. Ann's life has always been a mess. Despite rumors of a lesbian relationship with Sue Ennis, she was straight but struggled with her body image because she was always so fat. Her ending up with colossal douche Dean Wetter is a very sad thing. She has essentially lost all her friends and family because Wetter moved her to Florida and froze out everyone. Even Sue turned against her, which is very significant.

The rift between Ann and Nancy stems from an incident where Ann's husband punched or struck one of Nancy's sons. Police were involved, I think.

The son had left open the door to the tour bus and an animal got out. Ann's husband sounds like a jerk. Ann seems like she has low self-esteem. If I had to guess, I'd say Nancy was easier to get along with.

And has a lot of substance abuse issues in addition to eating .

I still say she is one of the top rock singers there is. She's got range, expression, and is usually on key.

R15 Animal got out? What animals were randomly loose in the tour bus?

R17 a cat

Ugh, I can’t image a litter box on a tour bus, yuck!

[quote]Heart, the band. Instead of monopolizing another thread, the Heart discussion can flourish here!

I'M TRIGGERED BY YOUR DISRESPECT!

R17 it was dogs and Wetter actually choked Nancy's sons. Her nephews are her actual blood relatives unlike her estranged kids that she bought. Instead she claimed they provoked him. She took a shot at Nancy by saying keeping a band together is harder than keeping a marriage together and she's only on her first.

Last fall Ann Wilson brought original Heart lead guitarist Roger Fisher on stage to play "Mistral Wind". Who'd think that would ever happen given how Fisher left Heart.

I think I've seen every episode of VH-1's "Behind the Music."

The episodes that stand out are Journey and Heart.

Nancy was originally part of a couple with one of the original members (Roger Fisher, I think). They broke up but continued to perform as Heart. Nancy said that when performing, Roger would be strumming his guitar and staring with her with an expression of "Whyyyy???" Hilarious. (As in why did you have to break up with me.)

Ann really is, or was, one of the top Rock vocalists. Very few others had her power, range, expression, and enough of a rough edge to make the difference between a rocker and a Broadway show queen. And her voice held up much better than most, most of the rock power-screamers are like Robert Plant, they tear up the vocal folds and their voices are weak and croaky by forty. Plant did it, Joplin would have done it, if she'd lived longer, but Ann's voice was still good in her sixties.

Sure, her voice got a bit deeper and rougher with time, which is one reason that the "Stairway to Heaven" worked so well. A deeper, rougher voice works for a woman singing a man's song.

Thanks for the info, R14.

R13 I think the expression is 'lightning in a bottle'.

Ann really is probably the best rock soprano of all time.

Here's a more recent interview with Ann in which she touches upon current state of Heart. Sounds like they might do a tour together next year.

[quote]I’m still wondering whether there’s any gossip about Nancy’s divorce from Cameron Crowe. As in specifics, not generic “mental cruelty” or whatever. Anyone hear/read anything about that?

I didn't know they were divorced, R8, the first search result is a puff piece from People magazine, hopefully I'll remember to do a real search some other time.

I've never heard any rumors about Nancy's & Cameron Crowe's divorce. Maybe they managed to be pretty civilized about splitting up.

So are the really 🧙‍♀️ 🧙‍♀️?

Ann is one of the great vocalists of the rock era.

Their first 4 albums were very strong. I saw them in concert in 1978. They were OK in concert, neither a great show nor a dull show, just a concert performing all their hits. You can just listen to the records for just as good of an experience. In concert Nancy does an extended intro solo on acoustic guitar leading into "Crazy on You."

When I was in high school, I first experienced Heart as the opening act for Bachman Turner Overdrive. And then I passed out on Angel Dust. I still love them!

Ann was a great vocalist but she had her share of bombs like her cover of Donna Summer's The Woman In Me.

I saw them sometime in the last 10 years on a triple-header with Cheap Trick and Journey. Heart was the highlight. Ann's voice was still in top form and the format of the show (each act performed just 45 minutes to an hour) meant there was no filler. They only had time for the hits.

The put out a great live album in the 90s with stripped down versions of some of their 80s hits.

Ann is one of the best to ever hold a mic, yet my favorite Heart song is These Dreams. I love Nancy's softer approach to a lead vocal.

This video and song are so inviting. I just wanted to join them in their mystical waters as a child.

R31, Nancy made Cameron try, try, try to understand he was a magic man but alas, it just never took.

Southern California DLers: Ann will be at Pala Casino on May 7th! I guess she's still not speaking to Nancy after the... incident?

Her husband's going to run her into the ground until she can't perform any more and then ditch her ass. If you look him up, he's never held a job and is a total bum. But I'm sure he makes a nice living being Ann's manager.

I was in junior high when "Crazy On You" came out. That song just blew me away...it was so atmospheric and unique, it really didn't sound like anything else anybody was doing at the time. It's probably still my favorite song of theirs, along with some early ones that aren't overplayed to death, like "Dreamboat Annie", "Love Alive" and "Kick it Out". I never cared all that much for the 80's hits, although I was glad they were having success.

I wonder if some of the tension between the sisters has to do with Ann's weight struggles. I've known sisters like them in real life, where one gets fat and the other stays thin, and it seems to always create resentment and problems in the relationship.

Who is the fat one who would only allow videos to show her from the shoulders up?

Watching the videos, it's really hilarious because of how they tried to disguise her weight Extreme closeups and they even used the stretched screen that they used for Paula Abdul.

Although it's a dreadful video, There's the Girl is the quintessential example of a Heart video with the most blatant attempts to stretch out Ann or conceal her weight

Takes R10 thanks for that clip...AMAZING. Ann sure has great pipes My fav song of Heart's is 'Barracuda' off their 3rd album.

^ *get rid of takes*...need my glasses!

Why should anyone care that they are/were chubby girls? They're very fucking talented!

Oh, the fans have stayed fans through all Ann's weight ups and downs! They don't give a shit, or they wouldn't be fans!

But I'm sure everyone in the music industry made her feel like shit for being heavy, because even when the band was huge they were SURE that the band could be even bigger if Ann were thinnner. They've probably done the same thing to Adele in more recent years.

I always have to think that some of the rift between the two of them is the difference of being an older and younger sister. There's 4 years between them.

I'm sure Ann has been telling Nancy what to do her whole life. It just becomes a pattern that older siblings can't see. They don't see you as an equal.

I can relate. Plus Ann's issues with alcohol for decades probably created a lot of problems - and resentment from Nancy.

Alcoholics don't remember all the shit they did to people or the crazy situations they made or how hurtful they were. I love Ann's voice, but I can understand where Nancy would have a lifetime of disrespect to deal with.

The fan are the same ones who made Ann feel like shit. It's fucking pop music. Image is as important as the music. There were endless jokes about her, even a DL thread saying she fell through a stage. But it didn't start then, it began when she was a fat child. But she still was fairly attractive and that served her a hell of a lot more than an ugly fattie like Debora Iyall.

She was beautiful as a young woman, skinny or otherwise. She certainly aged better than most of her male counterparts.

R14: did you know Tim Ennis?

I really started liking them in ‘85, I remember being in Tower Records & the song “Never” came on. I immediately bought the cassette from that, I hadn’t been a fan previously. Ann’s voice gave me the chills!

R14, I have it on very good authority that Ann is gay. As in somebody who has been there around them for years.

I've also heard gay rumors about Nancy, for what that's worth.

But both have husbands, and Ann's husband seems to be too worthless to be a beard.

Loved them in the 70s, Magic Man, Crazy on You, Baracuda, Straight On, followed them in the 80s big hair rock era, and thereafter, those rocker chicks just keep on rockin, they both look and sound good these days, which is awesome.

Is Ann still a fat slob?

A million years ago I worked for a catering company that did the catering for concerts, when Heart could sell out a 20,000 seat venue. They were absolutely lovely, and their parents traveled with them. The parents ate with the crew and were well-liked by all the roadies. Since then I have always had a soft spot for them. And that "Stairway to Heaven" tribute is simply astounding -- especially considering that I never liked the song.

Thank you for sharing that, r60.

Ann Wilson has just released a solo album. Mixed review posted at this site.

And a better review

👁️ <3 ❤️

I bet Ann wishes she would’ve fallen through the stage here! Ironically, it was the opening of the Special Olympics.

Ann’s song Tender Heart is remarkably similar to The Manhattan’s Let’s Just Kiss and Say Goodbye.

R65, holy shit that was horrible. You already knew at what parts she was going to try to bust out her rock chops and it was worse than imagined.

And she completely mangled the lyrics of the first few lines, R67. "Aw hey duh you see, oh the bright burly light." After the "burly light," you can see the guy in the gray coat look to the person next to him like, "WTH did I just hear?"

I played Ann's new album last night. It's fine. She's in good voice for this. No she does not sound like she did in the 70s and 80s, but still the voice is there. But Ann sure likes the grunge sound of the 90s and the album as it plays on becomes a bit monotonous. I prefer Nancy's solo album from last year. Nancy may not have her sister's vocal fire, but Nancy has a melodic sense that Ann does not seem to have much of anymore. Or makes me think that Nancy's influence on Heart was to ensure there was pop, melodic feel to their songs. IN the end, Ann and Nancy work best when they are together as Heart.

Always maintained that if ever I got on a stripper pole (hopefully will never happen, no-one needs to see that), I would dance to 'Hijinx' off DOG & BUTTERFLY.

Here's a 2016 interview with Dan Rather, I'm guessing before their rift.

R70, c'mon, don't be shy!