Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson celebrates her 70th birthday on Saturday, March 16. While Nancy may be overshadowed a bit in Heart by her older sister, lead singer Ann Wilson, her musicianship, songwriting and vocal contributions have been integral to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band’s success and legacy.
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Nancy also has forged a successful, multi-faceted career outside of her famous band. Here are five fascinating facts about Nancy Wilson in celebration of her milestone birthday:
Nancy Has Co-Written Many Heart Hits with Sister Ann
Nancy has co-written most of Heart’s original tunes with her sister, frequently with additional songwriters pitching in. Among the Heart hits the siblings have co-written are “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda,” “Straight On,” and “Even It Up.”
Nancy Sang Heart’s First No. 1 Hit
While Ann Wilson is the lead singer on the vast majority of Heart’s songs, Nancy generally has delivered one of two lead vocal performances on each of the band’s albums. On the group’s 1985 self-titled record, Heart’s eighth studio effort, Nancy sang lead on “These Dreams,” a song co-written by longtime Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin and British singer/bassist Martin Page.
The melodic love ballad was released a single, and in March 1986, it became Heart’s first song to top the Billboard Hot 100.
[RELATED: Heart Returns with 2024 World Tour with Guests Cheap Trick and Squeeze]
In 1987, “There’s the Girl,” a Heart song Nancy sang that she co-wrote with Holly Knight, reached No. 12 on the Hot 100. The band also had a hit in 1990 with another tune sung by Nancy, “Stranded,” which peaked at No. 13 on the Hot 100.
She Contributed to Several of Her Ex-Husband Cameron Crowe’s Films
Nancy was married to award winning filmmaker and writer Cameron Crowe from 1986 to 2010. She was first introduced to Crowe in 1981, and in 1982, she made a cameo as “Beautiful Girl in Car” in the popular film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, whose screenplay was written by Crowe.
Nancy also had a small role in Wild Life, a 1984 movie Crowe wrote and produced. She subsequently made musical contributions to six films that Crowe wrote and directed—Say Anything… (1989), Singles (1992), Jerry Maguire (1996), Almost Famous (2000), Vanilla Sky (2001), and Elizabethtown (2005).
Nancy composed the score for Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, and Elizabethtown, and wrote original songs for a number of Crowe’s films.
She Was Inducted into the Rock Hall with Heart
Nancy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart in 2013. Late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell welcomed the band into the Rock Hall.
The group played three classic songs at the event, “Crazy on You,” “Dreamboat Annie,” and “Barracuda.” Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell joined the group on the first and last song, while Cornell and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready also rocked out with the group on “Barracuda.”
Nancy also was among the many famous musicians who rocked out on the Robert Johnson classic “Crossroads” for an all-star jam during the ceremony.
“It is tremendously beautiful to be included here in this eagle’s nest of incredible fellow muses,” Nancy said in her acceptance speech. “Our long and winding road has always been about the magical power of love, and the enduring strength of family.”
She added, “We came from an era when women normally did not rock and women were not expected to be leaders … These days, our modern women are becoming strong and ferocious leaders, from the boardrooms to the bedrooms.”
Nancy Released Her First Official Solo Studio Album in 2021
Nancy’s first solo album was a live record called Live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, which was released in 1999. It was recorded at a popular guitar tore in Santa Monica, California, and featured Nancy playing acoustic versions of select Heart tunes, and covers by such artists as Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Peter Garbriel.
Her first official solo studio album, You and Me, was released in 2021. The record featured new Wilson originals alongside covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising,” Pearl Jam’s “Daughter,” Simon’s “The Boxer,” and The Cranberries’ “Dreams.”
Sammy Hagar contributed to “The Boxer,” while the original tune “Party at the Angel Ballroom” featured Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins.
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