Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Welcomes Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart for a Special Legends Series Program

Share

CLEVELAND (August 9, 2011) - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is pleased to welcome Ann and Nancy Wilson, front women of rock band Heart, for a special Legends Series interview on Tuesday, August 23 at 7 p.m. in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater.


Ann and Nancy Wilson will be interviewed by the Rock Hall’s Vice President of Education and Public Programs Dr. Lauren Onkey. Questions will be taken from the audience at the end of the interview, followed by a live performance of a selection of acoustic songs. This event is free with a reservation, however seating is limited. RSVPs will be accepted starting at 10amEST on Thursday, August 11. Please email edu@rockhall.org or call (216) 515-8426 to RSVP. This event will be live streamed on rockhall.com.


Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson first showed the world that women can rock when their band, Heart, stormed the charts in the 1970s with hits like “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Straight On” and many more. Although they got their start in Seattle and have since become internationally known, Ann and Nancy owe much of their success to Hollywood, their home when recording songs at the landmark Capitol Records building that earned them their first string of #1 singles and the city where they filmed all of their music videos. Not only did the Wilson sisters lead the band, they wrote the songs and played their own instruments, too.

Heart continued topping the charts through the 80s and 90s with hits like “These Dreams,” “Alone,” “What About Love,” “If Looks Could Kill,” “Never,” and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters’ talents as musicians and singers. Nearly 35 years after their first big hit, Ann and Nancy Wilson were back in the Billboard Top 10 in 2010 with Heart’s “Red Velvet Car” album, and a Top 5 DVD, Night at Sky Church.

Music by Ann and Nancy Wilson and Heart has sold more than 35 million albums, sold out arenas worldwide, and has been utilized in movie soundtracks and ad campaigns, continuing to grasp audiences across the globe through various mediums.

Ann and Nancy Wilson are featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s latest special exhibit, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power, the world’s first major museum exhibit devoted to celebrating the female spirit in rock and roll. Highlighted in the I Will Survive: the 1970s – Rockers to Disco Divas era of the exhibition, Heart artifacts include Ann Wilson’s dress (c. 1976) worn on tour after the release of Heart’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie; Nancy Wilson’s dress from the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1977; Nancy’s Kramer American Series electric guitar (c. 1987) played on the group’s 1988 Bad Animals tour and more.


Ann and Nancy Wilson will also be featured in PBS Arts from Cleveland: Women Who Rock (airing Friday November 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS stations nationwide; in Northeast Ohio, tune in to WVIZ/PBS. From Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin to Lady Gaga, this performance documentary vibrates with energy as it traces the indelible mark that amazing women musicians have made on America’s soundtrack. Inspired by the “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power” exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Women Who Rock reveals new insights into what it means to be female in the male-dominated world of rock and roll, while exploring how those dynamics between the sexes have changed with time. The film is produced by Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein with assistance from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station WVIZ/PBS ideastream®.


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has FREE educational offerings year round. Additional adult education programs include From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits, which gives audiences an inside look at aspects of the music business that are often concealed from view, and Rock and Roll Night School, which gives interested adults the opportunity to expand their rock and roll-related knowledge.


For more information about these and other Rock Hall educational programs, visit www.rockhall.com/education.

About Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has opened a groundbreaking and provocative new exhibit that illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll, from its inception through today. Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the best, the celebrated -- and sometimes lesser-known women -- who moved rock and roll music and American culture forward.


The interactive exhibition spotlights more than 70 artists and fills two entire floors of the museum. The exhibit features artifacts, video and listening stations, as well as a recording booth where visitors can film a short story or moment of inspiration related to women in rock. The exhibit moves through the rock and roll eras, weaving a powerful and engaging narrative that demonstrates how women have been the engines of creation and change in popular music, from the early years of the 20th century to the present. Women Who Rock is sponsored by PNC, Time Warner Cable and Biography.


For more information, visit http://rockhall.com/exhibits/women-who-rock.


About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.


The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), children under 8 and Museum Members are always free, for information or to join the membership program call 216.515.8425. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK(7625) or visit www.rockhall.com . The Museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.