As a longtime fan of Heart, it’s hard to imagine a world in which guitarist Nancy Wilson ever had to prove herself to anybody. But as the youngest sibling, I can absolutely understand why she had to rise above her “little sister” status and show she was cool enough to hang out with the older kids. It’s a character-building exercise, and as the baby of the family myself, I can attest to its efficacy.
Videos by American Songwriter
Wilson found herself in one such exercise in the early 1970s. After spending a couple of years at university, the folk musician’s money was drying up, and she was looking for a way out of the humdrum of student life. Meanwhile, Wilson’s older sister, Ann Wilson, had already carved a professional path out for herself performing as a cabaret singer for a local Vancouver band.
Ann, being a good big sister, suggested that Nancy join her and the other players in the cabaret band. Ann and Nancy had already performed together in family bands throughout their childhood, and Ann knew her younger sibling was a talented guitarist and vocalist. But her bandmates didn’t. And they weren’t about to let Nancy slide into the lineup through nepotism. She was going to have to earn it.
The Preexisting Heart Members Didn’t Go Easy on Guitarist Nancy Wilson
To be clear, auditioning for a band isn’t out of the norm. Even if it were just a formality due to their sister status, Nancy Wilson playing for her older sister, Ann Wilson, and the rest of the band would have been a nice gesture to show that Nancy was ready to earn her keep as a member of the group. However, the assignment the band actually gave her turned this audition from a social nicety to an almost unrealistic musical feat. Per the band, who had recently adopted the name Heart, Nancy could join if she could perform “Clap” by Yes.
The second track on the A-side of The Yes Album was an elaborate and ornate instrumental track that required quite a high level of proficiency on guitar—almost to the point of being overkill. (You would rarely make a pop vocalist audition for a singer position with, say, “The Magic Flute” from Mozart’s Queen of the Night.) Excessive or not, Nancy learned it fluently using her strong musical ear.
“I already was really proficient,” Nancy recalled during a 2026 conversation with Billy Corgan on The Magnificent Ones podcast. “Guys like Paul Simon, all that great fingerstyle, I learned all that stuff right off the bat.”
After proving to the band that she wasn’t just Ann’s little sister, Nancy joined the ranks of Heart and became one-half of one of the most iconic sibling duos in musical history.
“I could still play most of ‘The Clap’,” Nancy added with a smile. “I’d need a little practice, a little warm-up first.”
Honestly, we’d bet that she’s just being modest and doesn’t actually need a little warm-up at all.
Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.