Ann Wilson of the iconic band Heart took a moment to reminisce about the big hair era of the 1980s in a recent interview. When asked about the numerous cans of hairspray that were likely present in the band’s dressing room during that time, the rocker fondly recalled, “Totally. Hairspray and shaving cream! Everything went into the hair. So funny.”
Ann, now 73 years old, was a pivotal part of the female-fronted group Heart, which she formed with her younger sister Nancy Wilson in 1973. The band produced hit songs in the 1970s such as “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You,” and their 1987 hit “Alone,” which continue to receive significant airplay and millions of streams.
Reflecting on her recent solo album, “Another Door,” and its reception while on tour, Ann expressed her delight at the positive response from her fans. She mentioned a song from the album titled “This Is Now,” which has been particularly well-received during their performances, saying, “There’s a song on our new record called ‘This Is Now.’ And every night when we play that, we get this really amazing audience reaction because it’s just a simple message, ‘That was then, this is now.’ And people just, I don’t know, the song ends, and you kind of hear this sigh go up. They love it, and it’s a song they’ve never heard before.”
Ann went on to mention that they are currently expanding their audience significantly, appealing to multiple generations of listeners.
The Wilson sisters have previously discussed their experiences during the ’80s era of Heart, acknowledging the challenges of being taken seriously due to the objectification in music videos and the fashion trends of that time. In her 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Nancy Wilson mentioned, “It was a harder time to feel taken seriously because of the objectification in the videos and the corsets and the stilettos. It was the ego-driven style of the cocaine era that we were in, which was not quite as hippie as where we had come from.”
Ann also expressed her preferences regarding the style of contemporary female rockers, suggesting a desire for a more authentic and less ostentatious look. She humorously noted, “I’m waiting for a lot of ’em to take off the leather pants and the skulls and all that kind of stuff and be themselves.”
Ann Wilson is scheduled to perform at the 6th annual benefit concert for Women Who Rock, presented by Gibson Gives, in support of the Magee-Womens Research Institute & Foundation. The concert will take place at Stage AE in Pittsburgh on October 21.
