Nancy Wilson (rock Musician)
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Nancy Lamoureux Wilson (born March 16, 1954) is an American musician. She rose to fame alongside her older sister
Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in ...
as guitarist and second vocalist in the rock band
Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
. Raised in Bellevue, Washington, Wilson began playing music as a teenager. During college, she joined her sister who had recently become the singer of Heart. Considered the first hard rock band fronted by women to achieve widespread commercial success, Heart released numerous albums throughout the late 1970s and 1980s; the albums '' Dreamboat Annie'' (1975) and '' Little Queen'' (1977) generated chart singles such as " Magic Man", " Crazy on You", and "
Barracuda A barracuda is a large, predatory, ray-finned, saltwater fish of the genus ''Sphyraena'', the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldw ...
". The band also had commercial success with their eighth, ninth, and tenth studio albums, ''
Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
'', ''
Bad Animals ''Bad Animals'' is the ninth studio album by American Rock music, rock band Heart (band), Heart, released on May 15, 1987, by Capitol Records. The album continues the mainstream hard rock style from the band's Heart (Heart album), 1985 self-tit ...
'', and ''
Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
'', which were released in 1985, 1987, and 1990 respectively. Heart has sold over 35 million records. Wilson has been lauded for her guitar playing, noted for its blending elements of
flamenco Flamenco () is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the Gitanos, gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and Region of Murcia, ...
and classical guitar styles with
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
. In 2016, '' Gibson'' ranked Wilson the eighth-greatest female guitarist of all time. She is also an accomplished singer in her own right, being the lead vocalist in the song "
These Dreams "These Dreams" is a song by American rock band Heart from their 1985 self-titled eighth studio album. It was released on January 18, 1986, as the album's third single, becoming the band's first song to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single ...
", which became Heart's first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2013, Wilson was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
as a member of Heart.


Early life

Nancy Lamoureux Wilson was born March 16, 1954, in San Francisco, California, the third and youngest child of John Wilson ( 2000), and Lois Mary Wilson (née Dustin; 2006). She has two older sisters, Lynn and
Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in ...
. Both of Wilson's parents were natives of
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
her father from Corvallis, and her mother from Oregon City. Her middle name is derived from her grandmother, Beatrice Lamoureux. Wilson is of
French Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French people, French colonists first arriving in Canada (New France), France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of ...
and
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
descent. She was raised in
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
before the family's U.S. Marine Corps father retired to the
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
suburb of
Bellevue, Washington Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside (King County, Washington), Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area, and the f ...
, where they relocated when Wilson was six years old. The family lived in a Colonial home in the Lake Hills neighborhood. On February 9, 1964, Wilson and her sister Ann saw
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
perform on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'', a moment they each recalled as being profoundly influential: "The lightning bolt came out of the heavens and struck Ann and me the first time we saw the Beatles on ''The Ed Sullivan Show''... There'd been so much anticipation and hype about the Beatles that it was a huge event, like the lunar landing; that was the moment Ann and I heard the call to become rock musicians. I was seven or eight at the time... right away, we started doing
air guitar Air guitar is a form of dance and movement in which the performer pretends to play an imaginary Rock music, rock or heavy metal music, heavy metal-style electric guitar, including riffs and solos. Playing an air guitar usually consists of exagge ...
shows in the living room, faking English accents, and studying all the fanzines." On August 25, 1966, the Beatles performed at the
Seattle Center Coliseum Climate Pledge Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located north of downtown Seattle in the entertainment complex known as the Seattle Center, the site of the 1962 World's Fair, for which it was ...
, a show which Wilson, her sister Ann, and bandmates attended, another event both recalled as influential in their early lives. Ann Wilson attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue, where her father was an English teacher, while Nancy attended the newly-opened Interlake High School. After graduating in 1972 and prior to joining Heart, Wilson attended
Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. Affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the school mainta ...
in
Forest Grove, Oregon Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland, Oregon, Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a commuter town in the Portland metro area . Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in ...
, for one year, majoring in art and German, then transferred to
Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the next ...
. In late 1973, Wilson returned to the Seattle area and attended the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
.


Career


Early endeavors

Two of the Wilson sisters' friends joined them to form the Wilsons' first music group, the Viewpoints. The Viewpoints were a
four-part harmony Four-part harmony is music written for four Human voice, voices, or for some other musical medium—four musical instruments or a single keyboard instrument, for example—for which the various musical parts can give a different note for each Cho ...
vocal group. Later that year, Ann purchased her first guitar, a Kent acoustic, with money given to her by her grandmother. Wilson's parents soon bought Nancy a smaller guitar, but since it would not stay in tune, she began playing Ann's Kent guitar. The Viewpoints' first public show was a folk festival on Vashon Island in 1967. In Wilson's words, "We didn't get paid, but since there were people sitting in folding chairs, we considered it a professional gig." The band played at venues such as drive-ins, auto shows, and church socials. The Wilsons' public debut as a duo took place on Mother's Day at their church. Later at a church
Youth Day Youth Day or National Youth Day is a commemorative holiday in honour of youth, young people, celebrated in different parts of the world on various dates throughout the year. Many countries' observance of the day corresponds with International Yo ...
event, the duo performed "The Great Mandala (The Wheel of Life)" by
Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
's "
Crying in the Chapel "Crying in the Chapel" is a song written by Artie Glenn and recorded by his son Darrell Glenn. The song was released in 1953 and reached number six on the ''Billboard'' chart. The song has also been recorded by many artists including the ...
", and
The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...
' " When the Music's Over". The anti-war sentiment, and the irreverence for the venue in some of the lyrics, offended a number of people. By the time they finished, more than half had walked out. Wilson felt some guilt over the event, but "it lit a bonfire under us because we saw for the first time that what we did on stage could have an impact on an audience." While still a senior in high school, Ann joined a band whose drummer knew a country songwriter who needed a backing band to play on his songwriting demos; Wilson and sister Ann entered a recording studio in Seattle to record the demos. During the session, the engineer allowed them to record the song "Through Eyes and Glass", which Nancy and Ann had written. The engineer had his own record label, and liked their songs enough that he offered to make up 500 copies "for a few bucks". Nancy and Ann's first single appeared on the B-side of the country track titled "I'm Gonna Drink My Hurt Away". It was credited to Ann Wilson and the Daybreaks, which was not the name of the band, and it omitted Nancy as co-songwriter. Later, the sisters were returned 250 unsold copies of the record.


1970s

During college, Wilson played solo acoustic shows at student unions, performing covers of
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
and
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
songs, as well as occasional originals. Wilson's sister Ann was an acquaintance of guitarist Roger Fisher and bass player Steve Fossen (of the local band The Army) when she answered their advertisement seeking a drummer and a singer. She impressed them with her vocal skills. Within an hour of meeting them, Ann joined the group, which was called Hocus Pocus. The group shortly reformed as Heart. Pressed by her sister, Nancy joined the band and relocated to
West Vancouver West Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, West Vancouver is situated on the north shore of Burrard Inlet to the northwest of the city ...
. Wilson recalls that "some of the guys" in the band were initially resistant to her joining, and insisted she audition by sitting in periodically. She was given the assignment to work up the introduction to the
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...
song "Clap" (from ''
The Yes Album ''The Yes Album'' is the third studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released in the UK on 19 February 1971 and in the US on 19 March 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who ...
''). She learned it, and the next night after playing it with the band at a tavern, was officially made a member of the band. The band had recorded a demo with
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival ...
some time before, and producer Mike Flicker remembered them. Flicker saw Nancy as a "diamond in the rough", but was intrigued by the idea of a female rock guitarist. Mushroom Records released "Magic Man" as a single before Heart's debut album, ''Dreamboat Annie'', had been completed. The song received airplay in and around Vancouver. Portrait Records released the band's second official studio album, '' Little Queen'', in May 1977. The album spawned the track "Barracuda", which reached number 11 on the ''Billboard'' charts. The band's third official release, ''Magazine'', was released pre-emptively by Mushroom the following year, and contained eight tracks, some of which had been unfinished; the band sought an injunction and ''Magazine'' was recalled after 50,000 copies had already been sold. The dispute over the record lasted nearly two years. Wilson and the group traveled to Berkeley, California, where her friend, Sue Ennis, was studying to receive a PhD at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
. Ennis became a writing partner on the group's fourth release, '' Dog & Butterfly'', which they wrote together over the course of a single day. The album was released in October 1978, selling a million copies within the first month. It remained on the album charts for the better part of a year and went on to become a triple-platinum album. It was the band's fourth million-selling album in a row. During their tour to support ''Dog & Butterfly'', Wilson and Fisher, who were a couple at the time, became estranged. After discovering Fisher had cheated on her, Wilson began dating Michael Derosier. This resulted in tension between the band members, ending with Fisher destroying a guitar onstage and throwing part of it at Wilson in a dressing room. In October 1979, the group voted to oust Fisher from the band; this change allowed Wilson the opportunity to play more lead guitar.


1980s

Heart's fifth album, '' Bébé le Strange'', was released on Valentine's Day 1980. The band's sixth album, '' Private Audition'', was released in June 1982 and sold only 400,000 copies; it peaked at number 25 on ''Billboard''. After their series of platinum and gold albums, this was considered a flop. However, Heart continued to do well with concert sales, and had the eighth-highest-grossing tour of the year. During this time, tensions between Wilson and drummer Derosier had increased after several breakups, and both bassist Fossen and he decided to leave the band. Over the next year, they were replaced by bassist
Mark Andes Mark Andes (born February 19, 1948) is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal. Early life Andes was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Los Angeles, one o ...
and drummer
Denny Carmassi Dennis Joseph "Denny" Carmassi (born 1947) is an American drummer most notable for playing with many rock bands. Biography Carmassi was born into a family of drummers; his father, his uncle, and his brother each played the drums. Occasionall ...
. The lackluster performance of ''Private Audition'' led to increased pressure for the band's next album, '' Passionworks'' (1983). Drugs became a factor in the band's work during this time. Wilson recalls: "Everything we did in those years had a white sheen of powder over it. There were only a few people on our crew, or band, who resisted.
Cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
was sprinkled over the albums, the videos, and our lives. Cocaine stripped all the humor out of our music. The videos we made were completely without intentional comedy, but were so serious they had an almost comedic feel." After the release of ''Passionworks'', CBS dropped the band due to lackluster sales. The self-titled ''
Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
'' (1985) became the band's first number-one album. " What About Love" was released as a single ahead of the album; it became a hit, and crossed over into the pop charts. The album remained on the charts for 78 weeks and went on to be certified five-times platinum. The album had five hit singles, including "
These Dreams "These Dreams" is a song by American rock band Heart from their 1985 self-titled eighth studio album. It was released on January 18, 1986, as the album's third single, becoming the band's first song to top the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single ...
", a single that featured Nancy Wilson on lead vocals. "These Dreams" had been submitted to the band after
Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasing the album ...
had turned it down. Though she had not written it, Wilson loved the song from the start. She had to fight to sing it because some band members thought it "did not sound like a Heart song." During the taping session, they received a letter from Sharon Hess, a 22-year-old fan who was dying of
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
. One of her wishes was to meet Nancy and Ann, and she arrived the same day as the recording of Nancy's vocals for "These Dreams". Sharon loved the song and Wilson dedicated it to her in the album notes. Sharon died just a few days after the final mixes were finished. "These Dreams" became Heart's first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on March 22, 1986. The album ''
Bad Animals ''Bad Animals'' is the ninth studio album by American Rock music, rock band Heart (band), Heart, released on May 15, 1987, by Capitol Records. The album continues the mainstream hard rock style from the band's Heart (Heart album), 1985 self-tit ...
'' (1987) was preceded by the single "Alone"; it became the band's second number-one hit, and the second-biggest single for the year. This gave them something they had not had with the ''Heart'' album: a number-one single before the tour started or the album was released. "We were following on success, not building to it," Wilson recalled. The Bad Animals tour was to start in May 1987 in Europe, and all the dates were sellouts, including three dates at
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
. During the tour, Ann began to have moments of
panic Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. ...
and
stage fright Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when perf ...
. Nancy would have to step forward and play an unscheduled guitar solo, or other ploys, to buy time for Ann to compose herself. Work began on the following album, ''
Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
'', in 1989.


1990s

Around 1990, Wilson and sister Ann were approached to play a
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
benefit for the troops during the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
. The promoter wanted Heart to play, but most of the band had been let go after the Brigade tour. Nancy and Ann coaxed Sue Ennis to join and play for the one-time event, along with another friend, Frank Cox. The band's name, Lovemongers, emerged as a counter to war-mongering sentiment surrounding the Gulf War. Since the band lacked a drummer, Ennis programmed a rhythm track into her keyboard and they brought a cardboard cutout of
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
on stage as a joke. The group played a wrap party for '' Singles'' (1992)--a film directed by Wilson's husband, Cameron Crowe—with a local Seattle band called Mookie Blaylock (the band was later renamed
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge, grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries from the early 1990s, ...
). A four-song EP, which included a live version of Led Zeppelin's " The Battle of Evermore" and an updated version of the Heart standard "Crazy On You", came out in late 1992. A cover of "The Battle of Evermore" also appeared on the
original soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured ...
for the 1992 film '' Singles''. In October 1991, Heart released '' Rock the House Live!'', which chronicled songs played on the ''Brigade'' tour in 1990.
Grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
had taken a firm hold on music by this time, and combined with the lack of big hits the album peaked at only 107 on the Billboard charts. The album ''
Desire Walks On ''Desire Walks On'' is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Heart, released on November 16, 1993, by Capitol Records. The majority of the album was co-written by lead members Ann and Nancy Wilson. It is Heart's final studio album t ...
'' was released in November 1993 and peaked on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' at No. 48. It was far from a flop – it received gold certification in August 1995 – but also far from the multiplatinum status their string of 1980s albums had been. Heart owed Capitol records one more album. Since their Lovemongers shows had received such a positive response, they decided to record an "unplugged" album. They recruited many rock notables to contribute to the record, titled '' The Road Home''.
John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...
of
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
served as producer; Layne Staley of Alice in Chains and
Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell ( Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock music, rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a ...
of Soundgarden both contributed. The album only reached No. 87 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, and the group was dropped by Capitol. In 1995, Wilson requested that Heart go on hiatus. Wilson explained that she wanted to spend more time working with husband Cameron Crowe on film scores and start a family. At the time, Wilson was 41 and undergoing fertility treatments, which were difficult to schedule around a rock tour and appearances. Wilson had played "Beautiful Girl in Car" in Crowe's ''
Fast Times at Ridgemont High ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' is a 1982 American coming-of-age comedy film directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Cameron Crowe, based on his 1981 book ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High: A True Stor ...
'', then had a small speaking part in '' The Wild Life''. She also contributed some guitar recordings for Crowe's 1989 film '' Say Anything...'' and the original song "All For Love". Wilson became more involved in ''
Jerry Maguire ''Jerry Maguire'' is a 1996 American sports comedy-drama film directed and written by Cameron Crowe. It was produced by Crowe and James L. Brooks for Gracie Films and distributed by TriStar Pictures. It stars Tom Cruise as the titular spor ...
'', Crowe's new film, and decided that she would write the film score. During her hiatus from Heart, Wilson was not entirely dormant as a performer; she played the occasional Lovemongers benefit, though she noted that her fertility treatments made performing increasingly difficult. In 1996, Wilson performed her first solo acoustic show in 30 years. Kelly Curtis arranged to have a recording of that show released as an album, '' Live from McCabe's Guitar Shop'', in 1999. The music on the album is a mix of Heart songs, covers (including songs by
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
,
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
, and
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
), and original new material. In November 1997, Nancy and Ann set out on a 12-date tour traveling by van on what they called the "Don't Blink" tour (joking that, "if you blinked, you missed it.") The Lovemongers released a full-length album titled '' Whirlygig'' in 1997 and a collection of mostly self-penned Christmas songs titled ''Here is Christmas'' in 1998. ''Here is Christmas'' was re-released as a Heart album with the title '' Heart Presents a Lovemongers' Christmas'' in 2001. For Crowe's 2000 film ''
Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It tells the story of a teenage journalist, played b ...
'', Wilson composed the theme and produced two original songs: "Fever Dog" and "Lucky Trumble". She also helped as a technical consultant, coaching the actors on how to look and act like musicians on stage. Wilson was nominated for a Sierra Award for Best Score, a PFCS Award for Best Original Score, and an Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music.


2000s

In 2002, Heart embarked on a tour. The tour became a family affair, with four children and their nannies added to the mix of musicians, technical staff, and roadies. It was an eight-week tour and ended what had been a 10-year hiatus from touring for Wilson. The Summer of Love tour concluded in Seattle and that performance was released as the '' Alive in Seattle'' DVD, which achieved gold status without an associated album. Wilson provided the score for the films ''
Vanilla Sky ''Vanilla Sky'' is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film directed, written, and co-produced by Cameron Crowe. It is an English-language remake of Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 Spanish film '' Open Your Eyes'', which was writ ...
'' (2001) and '' Elizabethtown'' (2005). She was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Music for her work in ''Vanilla Sky'' as well as a Critics Choice Award for Best Composer for ''Elizabethtown''. The sisters decided to record a new Heart studio album, '' Jupiters Darling'', the first since 1993. Wilson was co-producer, along with guitarist Craig Bartock, who had just joined the band. They wrote all the songs for the album except one. To enhance the guitar parts, Wilson got friends
Jerry Cantrell Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internatio ...
of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam's
Mike McCready Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician known for being a founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam. McCready was also a member of the side project bands Flight to Mars, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season (band), Ma ...
to contribute. The album, released by Sovereign Records, charted on the ''Billboard'' Top 100, but sold only 100,000 copies. In 2009, Wilson released ''Baby Guitars'', a solo album aimed at children, composed of instrumental lullabies written and recorded with Craig Bartock. On that same year, after completing a tour with Journey and
Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...
, Wilson began recording Heart's 14th studio album, '' Red Velvet Car'', with Ann. The album was released in 2010 and included two singles by Nancy: "Hey You", which reached the top 40 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart; and "Sunflower", which Nancy wrote for Ann's 60th birthday. The album peaked at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and three on the Rock Albums chart. With Nancy now aged 56, and Ann about to become a grandmother, the sisters had managed to have albums make it onto top-10 charts in four different decades. The band's subsequent tour sold out and charted on ''Billboard'' just behind those of
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
and
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.


2010s

After completing an international tour with
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...
in 2011, Heart was nominated for the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
. On December 11, 2012, Heart was announced to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2013, along with Rush,
Albert King Albert King ( Nelson; April 25, 1923 – December 21, 1992), was an American guitarist and singer who is often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential blues guitarists of all time. He is perhaps best known for his popular and ...
,
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer, conductor and orchestrator. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early America ...
,
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
,
Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
,
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...
, and
Lou Adler Lester Louis Adler (born December 13, 1933) is an American record and film producer and the co-owner of the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California. Adler has produced and developed a number of high-profile musical artists, including The G ...
. Nancy and Ann also received a star for Heart on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in September 2012. Heart released its 15th studio album, '' Fanatic'', in October 2012; it debuted at number 24 on the '' Billboard'' 200, and hit number 10 on ''Billboard's'' Rock Album chart. Simultaneously, Wilson began assisting in compiling the band's first boxed set, '' Strange Euphoria'' (taken from the name of their music publishing company). In 2016, Heart released their 16th studio album, titled '' Beautiful Broken'', which features Wilson singing lead vocals on the tracks "Two" and "One Word". At an August 26, 2016, show in
Auburn, Washington Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 United States ...
, Wilson's teenaged sons were reportedly assaulted by Ann's husband, Dean Wetter. After the incident, Ann confirmed that Heart was on an "indefinite" hiatus. In late 2016, Wilson formed a band called Roadcase Royale with former Prince band member and R&B singer Liv Warfield, lead guitarist Ryan Waters (the musical director for Liv's solo work and Prince protégé), Heart keyboardist Chris Joyner, bassist Dan Rothchild, and drummer Ben Smith. They released their first single, "Get Loud", in January 2017. The band signed with Loud and Proud Records in July 2017 and released their debut full-length album ''First Things First'' on September 22, 2017. In February 2019, Heart announced that its hiatus had ended and that the band would embark on the Love Alive tour in the summer of 2019.


2020s

In 2021, she released her first solo studio rock album, ''You and Me''. In 2022, she started touring under the name Nancy Wilson's Heart, which includes singer Kimberly Nichole, who was a finalist on Season 8 of '' The Voice'', and former Heart members Ryan Waters (guitars), Ben Smith (drums), Andy Stoller (bass) and Dan Walker (keyboards).


Personal life

Wilson dated bandmates Roger Fisher and Michael Derosier during the early years of Heart. In 1981, Wilson's friend Kelly Curtis introduced her to screenwriter
Cameron Crowe Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an American filmmaker and journalist. He has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and Grammy Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. Crowe started his career a ...
; Wilson married him on July 27, 1986. After numerous failed fertility treatments, Wilson and Crowe conceived via an egg donor and surrogate, and the surrogate gave birth to twin sons, Curtis Wilson and William "Billy" James Crowe, in January 2000. The marriage ended in divorce in 2010, with the couple citing irreconcilable differences. In 2011, Wilson began dating Geoff Bywater, who worked in music production on television shows for
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
. They were engaged in 2012 and married on April 28, 2012, in
Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mill Valley is lo ...
. On the morning of August 27, 2016, Ann Wilson's husband, Dean Wetter, was arrested for physically assaulting Nancy Wilson's 16-year-old twin sons. The incident took place during a Heart performance at the White River Amphitheater in
Auburn, Washington Auburn is a city in King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington, United States (with a small portion crossing into neighboring Pierce County, Washington, Pierce County). The population was 87,256 at the 2020 United States ...
, the previous night. The sisters' relationship was strained by the incident. Wetter pleaded guilty to two non-felony assault charges in the fourth degree. Nancy Wilson later commented: "I'm an eternal optimist because I'm from a really strong, tight family, and I don't think any drama that's temporary is going to change our strong relationship. We just have to get through this first. It's been kind of a nightmare." In February 2019, Heart announced that its hiatus had ended and that the band would embark on the Love Alive tour that summer.


Discography


Studio albums


Other appearances


Live albums


DVDs

''Nancy Wilson: Instructional Acoustic Guitar'' (2007, DVD)


Accolades

Awards * 1997:
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...
(ASCAP Award – Top Box Office Films) for ''Jerry Maguire'' * 2012: Star on the Walk of Fame (Recording) – shared with Ann * 2013: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart Nominations * 2000: Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards (Sierra Award – Best Score) for ''Almost Famous'' * 2001: Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (PFCS Award – Best Original Score) for ''Almost Famous'' * 2001:
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
(Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music) for ''Almost Famous'' * 2002: Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA (Saturn Award – Best Music) for ''Vanilla Sky'' * 2006: Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards (Critics Choice Award – Best Composer) for ''Elizabethtown''


See also

* Heart discography


References


Sources

* *


External links

*
Nancy Wilson interview with Stuck in the '80s
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Nancy 1954 births 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American women guitarists 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers American people of French-Canadian descent American people of Scottish descent American rock guitarists American women rock singers Guitarists from Washington (state) Heart (band) members Living people Pacific University alumni People from Bellevue, Washington People from Woodinville, Washington Portland State University alumni Resonator guitarists