Throughout their ongoing history in the music industry, Heart proved itself to be one of the top rock bands thanks to classics like “Crazy on You”, “Magic Man”, and the iconic “Barracuda.” Going past their hit songs, the band also sold over 50 million albums, received several Grammy nominations, and landed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. And at the center of the band was Ann Wilson and her sister Nancy Wilson. Although spending decades on the stage, Nancy recently discussed her career with Heart and how the Beatles helped shape her future.
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Speaking with WJFF Radio Catskill about the band’s lasting legacy, Nancy admitted their goal in the beginning had nothing to do with stardom. “We never walked into this thinking, like, ‘We wanna break a glass ceiling.’”
Nancy Wilson Adopted A Take No Prisoners Approach To Her Music Career
Only wanting to share their love for music, Nancy shone a light on the massive impact the Beatles had on them. “We were just driven — because The Beatles came out when we were little kids, and The Beatles just drove us to our calling. It was just like we were aimed like a pistol from the minute.”
Although not the first person to find inspiration from Beatlemania, Nancy had an edge on the competition. “We already had music in our family — lots of singing and playing piano and harmony singing and ukuleles and aunts and uncles and grandparents — so we had all the gifts given to us in a musical family just to go straight into music with, and the calling was loud and clear.”
But even with the talent and knowledge, Nancy and Ann were still two women in an industry dominated by men. Yet, according to the musician, they never really thought about it. “The fact that we were women didn’t even register in our minds at the beginning. We were just little kids, so we had no sexual identity to conform to at the beginning. So we just went ahead, like the military brats that we are — we just joined forces and took no prisoners.”
While solidifying their spot in the history of rock music, Nancy not only created a career in music but also helped inspire countless women to chase their own musical dreams without compromise.
(Photo by Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)
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