ann wilson tour 2022 review

• Consequence

Ann Wilson Sings Her Heart Out on Solo Tour: Recap, Photos + Video

The Heart singer was joined by surprise guest Warren Haynes at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY

With Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson touring separately this year, Heart fans have two different opportunities to see the legendary sisters in concert. Apparently, the two couldn’t agree on a backing band to tour as Heart this year, and, as a result, Ann is currently headlining a solo tour, while Nancy will be supporting Styx on a fall run. In a recent interview, Ann assured fans that she and Nancy will come together in 2023 to celebrate Heart’s 50th anniversary, but in the meantime, it marks a chance to see one of rock’s great voices perform in relatively intimate venues.

On Wednesday night (July 27th), Ann Wilson and her backing band, The Amazing Dawgs, headlined the beautiful Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. With no opening act, Ann and company took the stage at 8:15 p.m. and dove straight into Heart’s “Even It Up,” immediately showing that at age 72, the singer’s voice is as strong as ever.

Two songs from her recent solo album, Fierce Bliss — the mid-tempo “Black Wing” and the hard-hitting “Greed” — worked their way into the early part of the show among Heart songs like “Love Alive” and the ubiquitous “Magic Man,” as did a cover of the Jeff Buckley tune “Forget Her.”

However, it was a cover of The Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me” that proved to be the most powerful moment of the opening set. Ann delivered a mind-blowing vocal on the dramatic ballad, making the song her own, and wowing the audience in the process. That led to a well-deserved break for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame singer, as she announced a 30-minute intermission following her breathtaking performance of the Who classic.

Ann and her band returned to kick off the second half of the show with the Heart classic “Crazy on You,” with the singer continuing to hit the big notes just as if it was 1976. A few covers followed, including a rendition of Robin Trower’s “Bridge of Sighs” that featured surprise guest guitarist Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, The Allman Brothers Band).

Of course, the night wouldn’t be complete with the signature Heart song “Barracuda,” which closed out the main set. After a very short break. Ann and her band returned for an encore, beginning with Heart’s “Straight On,” in which she worked a bit of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.”

Then it was a 1-2-3 punch of Led Zeppelin covers that ended the night. While “Going to California” and the set-closer “Black Dog” had been staples of the current tour, fans in Port Chester got an added bonus when Haynes came out again for “Immigrant Song,” which was sandwiched in the middle of the other two Zeppelin tunes.

On the way out of the venue, fans were gushing about Ann’s vocals, with remarks like, “I can’t believe she’s 72 and still sings like that!” With a fine backing band that did the Heart songs and the other tunes a tremendous amount of justice, it was Ann Wilson’s powerhouse voice that rightfully took center stage throughout the entire concert.

Ann Wilson’s tour continues through late September, and includes dates opening for ZZ Top. Tickets to select shows are available via Ticketmaster . See photos, fan-filmed video clips, and the setlist from the Port Chester gig below.

Photo Gallery – Ann Wilson at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY (click to enlarge and scroll through):

Video Clips:

Setlist: Even It Up (Heart song) Black Wing Love Alive (Heart song) Magic Man (Heart song) Greed Forget Her (Jeff Buckley cover) Love, Reign O’er Me (The Who cover) Intermission Crazy on You (Heart song) The Revolution Starts… (Steve Earle cover) Bridge of Sighs (Robin Trower cover) (with Warren Haynes) Love of My Life (Queen cover) Rain of Hell Barracuda (Heart song) Encore: Straight On (Heart song) Going to California (Led Zeppelin cover) Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover) (with Warren Haynes) Black Dog (Led Zeppelin cover)

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We’ve got the windy city covered., iconic heart singer ann wilson finds “fierce bliss,” revs up for illinois double headers.

Posted by Andy Argyrakis

As the iconic voice of Heart behind the humungous “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You,” “Barracuda,” “What About Love” and “Alone,” plus interpreting anyone she pleases, Ann Wilson can effortlessly slay any song or style.

But with a brand new album, “Fierce Bliss,” also comes the chance to finally let her voice be fully heard, which believe it or not, marks the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s first ever solo album to feature original material, alongside a few more customized covers.

It all comes together for an extensive tour that includes Joliet Memorial Stadium with Collective Soul on Friday, June 24 and the McHenry County Fairgrounds with ZZ Top on Sunday, July 3, two rollicking reasons that prompted Wilson to call Chicago Concert Reviews for her memories of those trailblazing beginnings, reaching the not always fulfilling summit of superstardom, through finding peace in the present.

Ann Wilson: It was just a feeling thing about how it felt to make that record. It’s just one of these rare situations where you meet with a bunch of musicians, you have songs that work, everyone likes each other and you have a really great, inspirational time making a record. So it was blissful and it was energized. That doesn’t happen all the time. It just was really easy and fun. That’s why [I called it] “Fierce Bliss.”

Many may find it surprising that this is your first solo album that features original songs. Why now after having released quite a few previous projects?

Wilson: I think that with the COVID lockdown and everything for a year-and-a-half there, it made it really easy for me to get introspective, get ideas and have day after day upon day of just quiet and serenity. When it’s that way for me, my brain and soul start to speak really loud and I just put it down on paper.

There are a few excellent covers as well. What did you hope to bring to them?

Wilson: I always feel that a great song is like a book, and if it’s the right song, the right voice and the right soul, you can read the book all over again and find new things. Some of these covers, like [Robin Trower’s] “Bridge Of Sighs,” [Eurythmics’] “Missionary Man” and [Jeff Buckley’s] “Forget Her” were songs that got inside me and I could not rest without singing them. It’s just one of those things where you have to merge with a song and the love of my life as well.

How did recording at the legendary Muscle Shoals Studios shape your sounds?

Wilson: Oh, it was great because that’s in this little tiny town. It’s not in a big, exciting city where people want to go out and eat, party and hang out. It’s just in a little town, very quiet, very intimate and funky. It just has something about it. That studio has a real vibe about it that opens up people’s creative hearts.

Give us a glimpse into what your all-star collaborators brought to the table.

Wilson: First of all, I got together with Tom Bukovac from Cleveland, who is the guitar player, and I wrote a lot of these songs with him. He is just so brilliant, so easy to get along with and loves music. He just lives and breathes music.

Now Vince Gill, he’s always been one of my very favorite voices ever since I first heard him sing back in the ‘70s. Typically, when a man and a woman duet, the man is the kind of gruff, strong, aggressive one and the women is the flower, so I switched that around [on Queen’s] “Love Of My Life” and have me be the rock voice. I wanted the man to be the angel, so Vince was my choice. He came down to Muscle Shoals, no security, just by himself in the car, sang his part, had a sparkling soda and went back to Nashville. It was really great!

Kenny Wayne Shepherd came down to the studio with his dad, who’s his manager, and he just went for it on “Bridge Of Sighs” and “Missionary Man.” He just tore it up. He’s a nice guy and so talented. This album features guitar players in a big way. It’s guitar-centric for sure and Kenny Wayne just nailed it.

How did the journey of Heart factor into the new song “A Moment In Heaven”?

Wilson: It’s not specifically my journey with Heart that informed that song, but it’s like watching the star maker machinery in Hollywood and its formula for planned obsolescence. It did happen to Heart over there at the beginning of the ‘80s, so I know what I’m talking about (laughs), but it’s more a poke at just the old way of doing things out there that is just like the movie industry or anything else. You have your moment in the sun and then you get kicked off the roster and they’re looking for the new version of you (laughs)…

What was it like for you being at the very top of the rock and folk worlds throughout the 1970s and blazing so many trails in the process?

Wilson: It was exciting and inspirational. Being in my ‘20s and everything, I was at the peak of my self-confidence and ego (laughs), so I loved it. I loved every minute of it. You’ve got your young body going on that is so resilient. You can do like a million shows in a row and do fine at it, so that’s how I cut my teeth.

How about maintaining that popularity while switching towards more of a pop sound throughout the 1980s and early ‘90s?

You also sang on numerous soundtracks around then. What do you recall about that run?

Wilson: That was a real nice diversion from the touring life. And of course, it was really exciting to go to a movie and hear yourself sing in it. And it has, especially with the song “Almost Paradise” [from “Footloose”] become sort of a standard for people’s weddings and people’s proms and all that kind of stuff, so I think it was a positive thing. I think people really connected with that song.

Your influence is immensurable, but what was it like for you to specifically realize you had such an enormous impact on so many of Seattle’s alternative bands?

Wilson: Yeah, that came as kind of a surprise. We spent most of the ‘80s in L.A. I had a home base in Seattle, but I wasn’t there much in those years, so I guess I’d gotten use to the sort of “A Moment In Heaven” mindset that was in L.A. So when we came back to Seattle, here’s this completely different culture where it’s not about success, money or status. The grunge scene in Seattle was about flipping the bird to that whole other mindset of L.A. I reclaimed the Seattle identity. It was so easy to do. It was like shedding one skin and standing in your real skin.

At what point did you decide to make music purely on your own terms without any outside industry voices in your ear?

Wilson: Well, I never made a conscious decision to do that. It’s always been just a natural thing for me to get bored with stuff that has no depth, that is formulaic and not real. I’ve always had a natural dissatisfaction with that way of being. That was one thing about the ‘80s that made me the most uncomfortable. There was no real interest in what we were doing. It was how we could fit ourselves into an already existing role for MTV. Yeah, we did it, a nice little diversion there for a while, but it’s gotta be real.

How do all of these periods factor into your new live show?

Wilson: I do some Heart songs because I like to and because people would be really disappointed if I didn’t do some. Then I just get in as much as I can of new stuff that works well live and a few covers that I think work well live, so it’s a real well-rounded show in that regard. There’s something for everybody.

In Illinois you’re going to be playing two shows, one with Collective Soul and another with ZZ Top. Do you have any type of connections to those groups?

Wilson: I definitely have a friendship with ZZ Top. [Billy Gibbons] is such a cool guy, just real, just as rocking as ever. He will put on a great set.

Do you remember anything from performing around the Chicago area?

Photo provided by Ann Wilson

What are the career moments you’ll always treasure and is there anything you’d change?

Wilson: I wouldn’t change anything really because all the decisions that were made over the decades, if the same conditions were there again, I would make the same choices I believe. I think that the Kennedy Center Honors was a milestone. Being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was, but just mostly things like our first show up in Montreal as an opening band. We didn’t know it at the time, but the station there in Montreal was the first station to play “Dreamboat Annie” and people liked it, so we walked out and the house was for us. That was really a thrill because we were there opening up for Rod Stewart (laughs). I won’t forget that. Just opening up for all different bands we did over the years, just about everybody. I remember opening up for The Rolling Stones at Mile High Stadium, stuff like that. There’s some that are real big, but mostly the joy and blessing of being able to keep on doing this and not just that, but having people like it.

What’s your take on music at the moment?

Wilson: I can’t really keep that interested in pop music. It just doesn’t hold me for some reason, but I like Dua Lipa…I take it by the song. I like Billie Eilish. I think she’s doing cool stuff. I especially like her “James Bond” song she did for the “No Time To Die” movie. I think Brandi Carlile is such an amazing singer. I think [Halestorm’s] Lzzy Hale is awesome. Just like with every era, there’s a lot of stuff that just doesn’t make it and there’s a few things that just stand at the top.

Is there anything left you’d like to accomplish or create?

Wilson: I just want to keep getting better. As far as achievements go, I’m not as much into that as just the soul experience of writing, performing and getting to sing to people, because when I get to sing to people, it’s a connection. It’s really hard to beat anywhere in life when it’s all working. They’re responding to me and I’m responding to them. It’s quite spiritual in a way. I just want to keep doing that.

Ann Wilson performs at Joliet Memorial Stadium on Friday, June 24 and the McHenry County Fairgrounds on Sunday, July 3. For additional details, visit AnnWilson.com , TasteOfJoliet.com and Ticketmaster.com .

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• Taste Of Joliet

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• Entertainment

Review: Heart’s New Year’s Eve bash

Concert review.

Standing in front of a packed house at Climate Pledge Arena, Ann Wilson reflected on the fact that many people weren’t quite sure what to make of two sisters playing hard rock when they first started out in the 1970s.

“We’ve come a long way since then,” Wilson said to cheers.

Heart, Seattle legends long before grunge put the city on the map for its music, helped ring in the new year Sunday night and proved looking back can be just as rewarding as forging ahead.

The concert was a prelude to a midnight fireworks show at Seattle Center and the band, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, took fans right up to the final seconds of 2023 with a satisfying 90-minute celebration of some of rock’s greatest riffs.

Things were almost derailed before Heart took the stage when opener Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening was so bass-heavy it drowned out almost every other aspect of the band. Arenas are often tricky venues when it comes to achieving a clear mix, and at first, it seemed like it might be a rough night for Heart, which these days consists of the Wilsons and Ann Wilson’s band Tripsitter.

Fortunately, by the time Heart opened its set with “Bebe Le Strange,” the improved sound quality was dramatic and immediately apparent. Both Wilson sisters sounded great, especially for having been inactive since 2019.

While Heart is partly known for its powerful guitar work, the Wilsons’ pop sensibilities came out on “Never,” one of four Top-10 hits off their self-titled 1985 album that signaled Heart’s embrace of glam rock.

Hard-driving folk ballad “Love Alive” was another standout vocal performance and even though the song came out just eight years before “Never,” the difference in style and era was stark and a testament to the band’s staying power and willingness to reinvent itself.

It wasn’t all classic cuts. The band also played a new song that Nancy wrote about coming out of the pandemic and learning to socialize again called “Roll the Dice” and a cover of the Tripsitter song “This Is Now.” The crowd, mostly older folks with a smattering of millennials, was appreciative, but it was clear they came to hear the hits.

Heart didn’t disappoint. “Magic Man” and its iconic riff momentarily brought the crowd to its feet, but this was mostly a sit-down affair. Even when the gritty sleaze of “Straight On” turned into David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” not many seemed up to the offer.

Synth-laden “These Dreams,” another hit off Heart’s self-titled album, was just as effective an earworm on the final night of 2023 as it was in 1985, while “Alone” and “What About Love” merged into an effective medley.

“Mistral Wind,” off Heart’s 1978 album “Dog & Butterfly,” was dark and foreboding, appropriately calling to mind Led Zeppelin. You could hear Robert Plant’s charismatic danger in Ann Wilson’s voice as she wailed in tandem with a screaming guitar solo.

Heart finished things off with “Barracuda,” still just as snarling and angry as it was in 1977. Unfortunately, by the time the song ended, it was closing in on midnight, and many in the crowd, seemingly eager to grab a spot outside to watch fireworks shoot off the Space Needle, started heading for the exits. It was a shame the timing had to be so tight, especially since Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening didn’t come on until 9 p.m.

As many continued to file out, Heart came back for the Led Zeppelin song “The Battle of Evermore” before ringing in 2024 with their classic hit “Crazy On You.”

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• March 1, 2021
• Columns , Interviews , My Roots

Ann Wilson of Heart Talks New Music, Chris Cornell & Future Tours (INTERVIEW)

• By Leslie Michele Derrough
• One Comment

Wilson, whose last studio album was Immortal in 2018, featuring a slinky cover of Tom Petty’s “Luna” with Warren Haynes, surprised us last fall with the release of the rally-crying “The Revolution Starts Now.” Originally the title track of Steve Earle’s 2004 album, Wilson wanted something with a powerful message that spoke of the times in which we were living, pre-election. This January she dropped another single, the awakening hymnal, “Tender Heart.” The trio of singles shows the range that Wilson has always peppered her music with. She might be hailed for “Crazy On You” and “Barracuda” but the softness she gives to songs such as “Dreamboat Annie,” “Cry To Me” and “Johnny Moon” can make even the hardest of souls turn into buttercream.

The daughter of a career Marine, Wilson’s family may have lived in different places throughout her childhood but music was the one real constant. Whether they were at home or in the car, the radio was always on. But it was The Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan in 1964 that caused the world to stop for Ann and her sister Nancy. From that moment on, they didn’t want to date a Beatle, they wanted to BE a Beatle. That epiphany was enough to show them the yellow brick road to what would become a forty-plus year career. “We both played incessantly,” Ann wrote in the dual memoir with Nancy, Kicking & Screaming . “We started off playing in our rooms but soon were all over the house.” Ann remembered how “we would creep down to the den and put on a little show” when her parents entertained friends. “Soon those little den concerts with Nancy and me playing guitar became as common in our house as my mother’s meatloaf.”

Ann would be the first one of the pair to really pursue her musical aspirations, following a high school band with her sister. In 1974, Nancy would rejoin up with Ann, who was touring with a new band, and in 1975 release the album that would propel them skywards with the singles “Crazy On You,” “Magic Man” and the title track. Heart would continue recording hits, album after album after album, into the eighties and nineties. Still, in 2021, you cannot turn on a radio station and NOT hear a Heart song within an hour. 

You may think that speaking with a legend such as Ann Wilson might resemble having an audience with a diva. But that is furthest from the truth. She is very down-to-earth, laughs easily and speaks of her music with a loving appreciation. So while her new puppies were sharing their vocal singing abilities in the background, Ann spoke about her new music, recording her first album with Heart, the impact of Chris Cornell and what she hopes she can accomplish in 2021 (and beyond).

The first thing I noticed when they sent me over your new single was the photo of you on the motorcycle. You look fierce, you look adventurous, you look determined. Is that a good assessment of Ann Wilson?

Sure, yeah, all those things are in there in me but I’m lots and lots of ways (laughs). Those things that you just mentioned, they’re all in there. But wow, this is a tough question to start off with. I think I’m just able to open up and be confident and rock out and then turn around and do the ballads and be soft and be gentle. So I’ve got it all. 

Was it stressful having to be so strong 24 hours a day just to follow your passion?

Yeah, it always takes confidence. You have to just bear with it if you really want to do something like this; you have to give everything to it and really mean that you want to do it.

Why was it important for you to start releasing these singles with a Steve Earle song?

I just love that song a lot and I think that at the time that came out, which was last fall, prior to the election, there was so much unrest in the country and so much polarization. I just got to thinking, what’s a song that I could put out that talks about unity. Let’s just bring this altogether and think higher. And that Steve Earle song seemed to be just the right one.

Do you see people, especially the youth, more hopeful today that the world can still be a better place or maybe still kind of stuck in what is?

I think it’s neither of those two things. I think that’s too binary. I think that it’s never going to be stuck in any one way. The world is constantly changing. So it’s never going to be like a beautiful, bright, sunshiny perfect day either, you know. It’s going to be the world changing and growing, good and bad mixed up together.

But yeah, it’s kind of hard to generalize and say that youth as a whole is doing anything or that older people as a whole are doing anything. There are some younger people who are way into the environment and all that and then there are others that are like stuck in a Kardashian sort of frame of mind, who are just watching the media and watching Instagram and everything and are stuck in a materialistic sort of image conscious life. I know that sounds like I’m trying to get out of answering the question but I’m not. You just can’t generalize.

Your father was a Marine and if I remember correctly, he retired around the time of the Vietnam War, and those were very, very turbulent times. How did all of that affect you and how did it show up in your music?

Well, my father had already been through WWII in the Pacific and the Korean War in his life and then when the Vietnam War came along and they were going to call him up to go over there, and he was trying to get information about what his posting would be, he couldn’t get any information, it was all too classified. He was just supposed to present himself, you know. He didn’t believe in that war. He couldn’t see a reason for it so he retired. Not long after that, I actually took up with a guy who was a draft evader, who didn’t want to go to Vietnam, and who couldn’t get out of it any other way so he went to Canada. My father and this guy that I was with actually really hit it off and my father said, after having been in two wars already, he said to him, “Well, Son, if I’d been a little bit braver I would have done the same thing.” 

How that affected my music was I just looked at these brave people who were still tender and they were brave but they were able to go and live life for themselves as well and that inspired me to write more emotional songs, I think. Just seeing these beautiful guys that I thought were really being true to themselves, it was inspiring.

Recently, you covered Alice In Chains’ “Rooster,” which Jerry Cantrell wrote about his father in Vietnam, but your version seems to be about something more than that. What are you propelling out in that song? 

Well, it takes on another meaning a little bit just because our version is with a woman’s voice, you know. But it’s basically just talking about the horrors and needlessness of war. How it’s like putting these people out as cannon fodder, and now we have a whole generation of people who are fit to go out and endlessly be in Afghanistan or endlessly be here or there. That’s their job in life, they’re cannon fodder and we put them there. So when they come back to the States, they can’t fit in. Some do, but a lot of them have a lot of problems. So I think with “Rooster,” I was trying to paint a picture of how horrific being in that position is.

You have a kinship with bands like Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. How did they get rock & roll right and not just be part of a phase that came and went? What did you love about them?

Those two bands both had something in common. They were from Seattle at a time when the national rock attention, I guess the world rock attention, was focused on Seattle and it was a big heavy weight to bare for those young guys, to all of a sudden be the “voices of a generation.” And they were uncomfortable with it and it drove their music darker, I think. I like the whole rawness of it. I think Chris Cornell really had something special. He was super, he was just so amazing and deep and complicated as a person; and as a singer was just miraculous, he was astounding. I think maybe a little too complicated for this world, you know. And that was the same thing that happened to Layne Staley, the lead singer for Alice In Chains. They were just like lots and lots of guys from that generation of musicians in Seattle that didn’t make it. It was just the wrong kind of pressure for them.

And Andrew Wood from Mother Love Bone

Yep, Andy Wood, same thing. And he was a sweet person.

“Tender Heart” kind of goes in a different direction. We have a beautiful ballad. Do you have a favorite line within that song?

Yeah, “The truth bites like a dog,” because it’s that moment where you make a realization of what is really real, and sometimes it will bite you right in the stomach, in the solar plexus, when you realize that moment. And you go, “Oh okay, that’s how it is.” It’s not like you thought it was and it’s a powerful moment.

It’s a very hymnal-like song. Did gospel or old-time confessional blues play a part in how you make a song have meaning?

Oh totally. With “Tender Heart,” I went all the way into like old gospel changes. I just wanted it to be real easy and musically inspiring. They just make you feel good, you know; they make you feel it, and I wanted to keep it really simple and vintage.

There is a beautiful Heart song called “Cry To Me” from Little Queen that is also kept very simple. Was that on purpose? 

Let me say that everything we ever do is on purpose (laughs) and that was definitely on purpose. It was just meant to be as simple as possible so the emotion could just sail through without a bunch of extra stuff.

You’re back to being fierce and rocking Ann on “The Hammer.” What can you tell us about that song and who is playing that cool nasty guitar?

That’s a guy from Seattle who is an old friend of both my husband’s and myself and his name is Tyler Boley. He’s just a crazy man (laughs). He’s just one of those players that he’s not like a workhorse, you know, he’s very delicate and very complicated but when he plays, he can access places that are really cool. Yeah, he’s kind of half-way crazy but cool (laughs). And the song itself, it’s just super heavy and it’s another song about the edge of reality, except in a different way. This one is more like where the rubber meets the road and the moment that all expectations and fantasies fall away and you’re out there just doing it and it’s real. That’s “The Hammer.”

You’ve been releasing these singles. Is that going to continue?

Yeah, I’ve got more coming. I didn’t really want to put together a whole album, just slap together twelve songs and expect people to digest them all. I wanted to do it one by one so they could give each song a listen fairly.

Do you like how the music business has changed?

Well, right now the music business is in disarray because of Covid. There are so many things that can’t happen right now in terms of touring and making movies and all kinds of things are sort of up in the air. But the thing that I like about it is that music is so available to people. The thing I don’t like about it is that there is so much music available to people that it’s super-saturated. Like there is so much and there’s no quality control, and there’s just so much it’s hard to hear any of it. It’s almost like chaos.

You had a guitar first. What was the hardest thing for you to get the hang of when you started learning to play?

Of course with acoustic guitar, the hardest part when you’re learning is it’s painful. It hurts your fingers but you have to get those calluses going. The way we did it, it was way back in the days of vinyl albums so we would listen to a record and try to copy what was being played and then pick up the tonearm and set it back and try it again. We didn’t have all the easy recording devices, like iPhones and stuff that they have now.

When you first went into a recording studio, were you intimidated? Did you feel ready and prepared, mentally and musically, for that?

I don’t think that when you’ve never been in a studio before, I don’t think there’s any way you could be prepared really for what it is, for being under that microscope. I was used to playing in front of audiences because I’d been in bands for years by that point, but it’s so different being in the studio. I suppose I was a little bit intimidated the very first time. The first time was making a demo and when I listen to that demo now, my voice just sounds so scared and everything. But when we actually went in to start recording Dreamboat Annie, I was a little bit more relaxed. Working with Mike Flicker, our producer, managed to put me at ease and get those “Crazy On You”/”Magic Man” performances out of me.

When I spoke to Howard Leese [Heart guitar player] several years ago, he told me about that record and how there is an innocence about it because you weren’t trying to make a hit record, you were just trying to make a good record.

That’s absolutely right, yeah. I don’t think anybody had the hit record fantasy going in their mind. We were just so thrilled to actually be able to record our stuff at all. At that time we were playing clubs up in Canada and we were trying to sneak our new original stuff into the club set and people would just kind of patiently wait through our original songs, like “Crazy On You” (laughs). Then we’d get back to the Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple or whatever else we were playing and they’d get all happy like, “Thank you, thank you!” (laughs) So it wasn’t until after Dreamboat Annie was actually made and being played on the radio that people went, “Oh okay, yeah, we see,” and let us play those songs (laughs).

How involved on the technical side are you nowadays?

I’m more involved than I’ve ever been. I oversee everything in the studio. I don’t actually twist the knobs, I have this guy I really like by the name of Sean Walker up in Seattle who does that. He comes to Florida and works with me and he’s going down to Muscle Shoals next week with me. But I do everything else – oversee the mixes and the mastering and choose the songs and song orders and all that. 

And you have more control that way

Yep, that’s right. Fewer people between me and the outcome.

Who was the first real rock star you ever met?

That would have been Rod Stewart. We were playing in a club out in Calgary or Edmonton. I can’t remember which but I think it was Calgary. We actually acted up and got in trouble and got fired so the same night that we got fired from this club, we got this call from our agent in Vancouver saying, “Okay, Rod Stewart is playing in Montreal at the big coliseum there and the opening band can’t make it so you got the gig.” So we got on the train and got over to Montreal and met Rod Stewart backstage before we went on. He was really cute (laughs).

What was the first song you obsessed over as a kid?

Let’s see, as a child, it would have been “Ahab The Arab” by Roger Miller (laughs)

But you never wanted to do that song?

No (laughs) and of course now in today’s world you can’t even say that.

But you wanted to be The Beatles

That’s right but I didn’t want to be Roger Miller (laughs)

Which song that you have written has changed the most over the years in it’s meaning to you?

Probably “Barracuda,” just because when it was written it was about a specific person and now when I sing that I think it’s more about a way of being; that backhanded, duplicitous, evil intention, sort of shoots you in the back type of way of being.

Which Heart album, to you, was the most fun to make, was the least stressful? 

Each one had it’s own stress levels but I think that the easiest one to make probably would have been maybe Fanatic with Ben Mink [producer]. It’s a very late album [2012]. They were all easy but Private Audition was the hardest one to make. We were all off-balance from this big legal thing we were going through and we didn’t really have the songs ready and we had to deliver at a certain time. That was stressful. But most of them were not that stressful. They were all fun.

I talked to Mark Andes late last year and he was talking about how much fun it was to make records with Heart. 

You know, all the different incarnations that Heart has had, the different lineups and everything, they’ve all been great musicians and good people so it’s been an honor to play with all of those different lineups, including the most recent one. They make it easy.

What are you looking forward to in 2021, as a person and as an artist?

As a person, I want to develop and keep changing and keep growing, and have happiness and have these dogs grown up (laughs). As an artist, I just want to keep releasing these singles, we’re working on the Heart movie with Amazon and maybe in the fourth quarter even doing some tour dates.

Would you be doing solo dates or with Heart?

Not sure at this point but I think Heart might be in 2022. If we do more dates it will probably be my solo thing later on this year, go to Europe and stuff. But it’s all contingent on the Covid thing and all that.

Who is in your solo band?

Oh, they’re a killer band. I have Dan Walker and Andy Stoller, Craig Bartock and drummer Denny Fongheiser. 

Have you enjoyed the time away from music?

No, I have not (laughs) I was born to travel and born to sing and be up on stages. Not traveling for a year has been challenging for sure. 

Portrait by Criss Cain

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Big fan of you and your band since the 70s. You always seem so down to earth in your interviews. Amazing voice and longevity. Keep rocking it out. Hope you perform in western PA in the future.

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Ann Wilson, ‘Fierce Bliss': Album Review

Ann Wilson has never cared to play by other people's rules. The Heart  singer has weathered all sorts of showbiz sleaze over the past half-century, swatting away sexist fans and industry veterans at the onset of her career, making " Faustian bargains " to cement a meteoric mid-'80s comeback and helping younger bands navigate the pitfalls of fame at the dawn of the grunge revolution. Wilson has triumphed over decades of adversity and emerged stronger, wiser and more steadfast because of it. Riding out the twilight of her career with nostalgia tours and royalty checks for song-doctored smashes was never an option.

This defiance and clarity of purpose drive Wilson's third solo album,  Fierce Bliss , a scorching collection of original tunes and classic-rock covers that pays deference to the singer's forebears and contemporaries. The title is no misnomer: Wilson's joy and confidence are palpable as she tears into these 11 songs with the same gusto she had on Heart's star-making 1975 debut,  Dreamboat Annie .

Wilson's stratospheric vocals positioned her as heir apparent to Robert Plant 's throne in those days — no easy bar to clear nearly 50 years later. But Fierce Bliss requires no grading on a curve. Wilson comes out swinging on album opener "Greed," oscillating between a tender croon and gravelly, high-pitched wail, which frays delightfully in the song's final moments. She flexes gritty bravado on up-tempo rockers, including an excellent cover of Eurythmics ' "Missionary Man," and she lends searing desperation to slow-burning blues epics like "Black Wing" and "Angel's Blues."

Fierce Bliss  boasts a cadre of world-class collaborators as well. Honorary Eagle Vince Gill lends his crystalline voice to a cover of Queen 's "Love of My Life," preserving the elegant beauty of the original as Wilson's husky vocal runs and a muscular arrangement push it into bluesier territory. The singer also recruits top-notch guitar sparring partners in  Gov't Mule cofounder Warren Haynes  and blues maestro Kenny Wayne Shepherd . The former lays down crunchy, yearning solos on the six-minute opuses "Gladiator" and "Angel's Blues," while the latter delivers a breathtaking performance on a rendition of Robin Trower 's " Bridge of Sighs " that not only serves as the centerpiece of  Fierce Bliss  but gives the original a run for its money.

Perhaps the most refreshing part of  Fierce Bliss is that it finds Wilson operating at the peak of her powers while looking back on her illustrious career with a mixture of hard-earned wisdom and wry amusement. " Hey, an accidental hit / That's some transcendental shit / Reach back down into the well / Recreate the magic spell ," she sings on the swaggering, autobiographical "A Moment in Heaven." " Same toy / Same lube / Same heat / Second one’s just not as sweet ." Ouch. A career that tumultuous would hobble a lesser musician, but Wilson is still standing — and  Fierce Bliss isn't just the work of a music industry survivor. It's a thundering statement from a hardened prizefighter who sounds ready to go another 10 rounds.

Heart Albums Ranked

More from ultimate classic rock.

Rock Trailblazer Heart Reunites for a World Tour and a New Song

Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.”

Danny Moloshok

FILE - Nancy Wilson, left, and Ann Wilson, right, of the band Heart perform as Heart is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Nokia Theatre on Thursday, April 18, 2013 in Los Angeles. Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.” (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Heart — the pioneering band that melds Nancy Wilson’s shredding guitar with her sister Ann’s powerhouse vocals — is hitting the road this spring and fall for a world tour that Nancy Wilson describes as “the full-on rocker size.”

“I’ve been strengthening. I’ve got my trainer,” she says. “You go one day at a time and you strengthen one workout session at a time. It’s a lot of work, but it’s the only job I know how to do.”

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who gave us classic tracks like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and “Alone” will be playing all the hits, some tracks from of their solo albums — like Ann Wilson's “Miss One and Only” and Nancy Wilson's “Love Mistake” — and a new song called “Roll the Dice.”

“I like to say we have really good problems because the problem we have is to choose between a bunch of different, really cool songs that people love already,” says Nancy Wilson.

Like “Barracuda,” a sonic burst which first appeared on the band’s second album, “Little Queen” and is one of the band’s most memorable songs.

“You can’t mess with ‘Barracuda.’ It’s just the way it is. It is great. You get on the horse and you ride. It’s a galloping steed of a ride to go on. And for everybody, including the band."

Photos You Should See - April 2024

The tour kicks off Saturday at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, and will hit cities including Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, as well as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. International dates include stops in London, Oslo, Berlin, Stockholm, Montreal and Glasgow.

The band's Royal Flush Tour will have Cheap Trick as the opening act for many stops, but Def Leppard and Journey will join for three stadium dates in Cleveland, Toronto and Boston this summer.

Ann and Nancy Wilson will be filled out by Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar), Ryan Waters (guitars), Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals), Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean T. Lane (drums).

The tour is the first in several years for Heart, which was rocked by a body blow in 2016 when Ann Wilson’s husband was arrested for assaulting Nancy’s 16-year-old twin sons. Nancy Wilson says that's all in the past.

“We can take any kind of turbulence, me and Ann, and we’ve always been OK together,” she says. “We’re still steering the ship and happy to do it together. So we’re tight.”

The new tour will take them to Canada, which was warm to the band when they were starting out as what Nancy Wilson calls “a couple of chicks from Seattle.” She recalls Vancouver embracing Heart, and touring in one van across Canada in the dead of winter on two lane highways.

The Wilson sisters broke rock's glass ceiling in the '70s and Nancy Wilson says they only had male influences to look to, like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Moody Blues.

Now she says she looks out and loves seeing generations of female rockers. “You have boygenius and you have Billie Eilish and you have Olivia Rodrigo and so many amazing women — Maggie Rogers and Sheryl Crow, who calls us her big influence. And then Billie Eilish might have Sheryl Crow as her influence. So it’s a really nice legacy to pass along. I like to say we’re the OG — the original gangsters — of women and rock.”

Heart has made it into the Rock Hall, won Grammys, sold millions of albums and rocked hundreds of thousands of fans but Nancy Wilson has one place she'd still like to shine.

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of their debut album, “Dreamboat Annie,” which was the same year that “Saturday Night Live” started. “So we’re actually kind of putting it out there — Heart never played on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ But what about the 50th birthday party with Heart?”

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Ann Wilson's one-in-a-million voice still soars on her best solo album yet

Heart singer ann wilson proves her songwriting is still as strong as her voice on fierce bliss.

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

There are plenty of rock singers still going in their seventies, but only a few who can still hit the notes as they did in their youth. Among that rare breed are Sammy Hagar , now 74, who sounded great on his 2021 tour with The Circle; Klaus Meine , 73, who rolls back the years on the new Scorpions album Rock Believer ; and Ann Wilson, a mere 71, whose voice still has all the power and beauty that lit up every classic Heart song in the 70s and 80s, from hard rock ball-breaker Barracuda to supreme power ballad Alone .

Fierce Bliss is her third solo album, and by some distance the best of them. The previous two, 2007’s Hope & Glory and 2018’s Immortal , were covers albums, with only one original Wilson composition amid an eclectic mix of songs ranging from Pink Floyd ’s Goodbye Blue Sky to Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street – some of it well-judged, some less so.

But with Fierce Bliss , the core of the album is original material, proof that the co-author of so many of Heart’s greatest songs still has the writing chops to go with that one-in-a-million voice. 

The album’s opening track, Greed , is a gritty, riff-driven rocker with a stinging lyric, of which Wilson says: “I think I write better when I’m angry.” Black Wing is a slow-rolling, darkly atmospheric number with a heavy 70s feel. And in Angel’s Blues – featuring guitarist Warren Haynes , and developed by Wilson from an instrumental jam by Haynes’s band Gov’t Mule – there is what she calls a “blues song on steroids”, on which, as a singer, she digs as deep as she has ever done.

Another modern blues guitar master, Kenny Wayne Shepherd , co-stars on a cover of Robin Trower ’s landmark 1974 song Bridge Of Sighs . “It’s the best blues song ever written,” Wilson says, and she sings the hell out of it. Shepherd also features on a rather clunky rocked-up version of the Eurythmics’ hit Missionary Man , but the Queen ballad Love Of My Life is handled more sensitively, performed as a duet with country star and latter-day Eagles member Vince Gill. 

The bulk of the album was recorded at the fabled Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, and the cover artwork is by the legendary Roger Dean. Ann Wilson knows her music history, and it resonates powerfully throughout this fine album.

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q . He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar . He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”

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REVIEW BY HEATHER LAING

Fierce Bliss –  Release 29th April,2022

Via – Silver Lining Records

A rock ‘n’ roll return brings both the old and the new as Ann Wilson arrives with a brand new solo album. It cannot be questioned that Ann Wilson and the incredible band Heart have taken pride of place alongside other great’s of rock ‘n’ roll. Whether she’s delighting the scene with a beautiful cover track, or creating her own unique and wonderful works; Wilson is a true delight to hear and enjoy, whether you’re stood in the festival fields or just listening at home. With no less than fourteen singles released from 2015 to 2022, and one of her two previous albums being set at a live concert in 1993, it is obvious Wilson is no stranger to success. Both 1993 and 2018 works are a wonderful combination of unique pieces and cover tracks, all of which are filled with a classic combination of rock ‘n’ roll guitar and drums alongside powerful vibrant vocals that are filled with energy and passion.

It is clear to see time doesn’t age talent, as Wilson returns once again with her third album so rightly titled Fierce Bliss . This album brings everything its title states and more, as Wilson once again provides an incredible track that mixes her own unique songs in with inspired covers that will please fans of both the band and the original tracks.

The album contains a near even mix, with six of the ten tracks being original works (one being a single of Wilson’s from 2016 remastered) the remaining four being covers. The original works are all as incredible as the last, with each one containing classic Wilson rhythm mix up of electric guitars wild drum and bass. Accompanying these are the always present strong vocals and exciting lyrics, all combining into a selection of great new tracks that will give fans all of the nostalgic glory while still providing something new and enjoyable. Two tracks have already been released as singles, ‘ A Moment In Heaven ‘ and ‘ Greed ‘ on the 29th March 2022, alongside a cover version of ‘ Missionary Man .’ This cover track, along with the remaining three, are nothing short of amazing to hear. ‘ Love Of My Life ‘ and ‘ Missionary Man ‘ both provide a faithful yet beautiful cover to their original songs, ‘ Missionary Man ‘ having all energy and drive of The Eurythmics , Annie Lennox , and Dave Steward ; while ‘ Love Of My life ‘ replicates the mournful, but melodic original of Queen . The third and fourth covers, on the other hand, attempt to do something a little different; instead provide a faster and more energetic version of Opeth ’s ‘ Bridge of Sighs ‘ as well as a much more rock ‘n’ roll inspired J eff Buckley ’s ‘ Forget Her. ‘

Whether you’re already a fan, looking for a new taste of rock ‘n’ roll, or just really like to hear a good cover of a song you know and adore, Ann Wilson ’s ‘ Fierce Bliss’ is the album for you.

It’s the rock ‘n’ roll Album that’s not scared to bring a new lease of life into the greats and the classics. Honouring the past and embracing the future, this artist is one that really puts her Heart into Rock ‘n’ Roll.

AN EVENING WITH ANN WILSON OF HEART & THE AMAZING DAWGS’ Tour will kick off on February 19 at Family Gras in Metairie, LA, with more dates to be announced soon. Tickets can be purchased HERE

MAY 4 – San Francisco, CA – Great American

MAY 5 – Napa, CA – The Uptown Theatre

MAY 7 – Pala, CA – Pala Casino

MAY 9 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

MAY 10 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre

MAY 13 – Toronto, ONT – Scotiabank Arena ( with Journey )

MAY 16 – Quebec City, QUE – Videotron Centre ( with Journey )

JUNE 11 – Peachtree City, GA – Fred Brown Amph

JUNE 13 – Nashville, TN – Basement East

JUNE 14 – Nashville, TN – Basement East

JUNE 16 – Tampa, FL – Hard Rock

JUNE 17 – Fort Lauderdale, FL – The Parker

JUNE 24 – Joliet, IL – ATI Field at Joliet Memorial Stadium (Taste of Joliet)

JULY 30 – Floyd, VA – FloydFest22 Heartbeat

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All Setlists

• All setlist songs  ( 261 )

Years on tour

• 2023  ( 54 )
• 2022  ( 34 )
• 2021  ( 13 )
• 2020  ( 1 )
• 2018  ( 43 )
• 2017  ( 53 )
• 2016  ( 11 )
• 2015  ( 9 )
• 2014  ( 1 )
• 2011  ( 1 )
• 2001  ( 1 )
• 2000  ( 1 )
• 1998  ( 33 )
• 1995  ( 4 )
• 1994  ( 1 )
• 1991  ( 1 )

Show all tours

• 2018 Summer Tour  ( 6 )
• Ann Wilson of Heart 2017  ( 51 )
• Fierce Bliss Tour 2022  ( 33 )
• Stars Align Tour  ( 25 )
• The Ann Wilson Thing  ( 8 )
• The Ann Wilson Thing 2016  ( 9 )
• US Tour 2021  ( 12 )
• Avg Setlist
• Concert Map

Average setlist for year: 2022

Note: only considered 24 of 34 setlists (ignored empty and strikingly short setlists)

• Even It Up ( Heart  song) Play Video
• Black Wing Play Video
• Magic Man ( Heart  song) Play Video
• Love Alive ( Heart  song) Play Video
• Greed Play Video
• Crazy on You ( Heart  song) Play Video
• Rain of Hell Play Video
• Love, Reign O'er Me ( The Who  cover) Play Video
• The Revolution Starts... ( Steve Earle  cover) Play Video
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It was a great performance by one half of the Wilson Sister Act. Ann rocked the house and played for 2 hours, which was great because I felt like I got my money's worth. The venue was hot but none of that seemed to matter once she took the stage. No opening act, no gimmicks or special effects, just Ann Wilson and her band. She sang a mixed set consisting of rock and blues. Her voice is still in top form and she knows how to rock! And her wardrobe change was not too diva-ish. Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears eat your HEARTS out! Ann Wilson is the First Lady of rock! Long may she and sister Nancy reign!

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The first time I saw "Heart" in concert back in 1977 (I was 14) I was completely blown away by Ann Wilson's amazing vocal ability. 40 years, 15 Heart concerts and one "Ann Wilson Thing" concert later I am still in awe of Ann Wilson. After seeing over 135 concerts, I believe Ann Wilson is far and above the best female lead vocalist of today. She can belt out every note in "Crazy on You" now just as she did 40 years ago. That is NOT an easy song to sing, believe me. Ann Wilson ROCKS!

I've seen heart quite a few times and they always do well.

I think that Ann Wilson not only performs with Heart but with heart. She always gives her all to her performances. This was a nice mix of old, new, and cover songs. Many done in a different style but all done from a place deep inside.

Vocally she is still a tremendous artist and has a great stage presence and connects with the audience.

She started directly on time, few performers do. When you go to an Ann Wilson concert, expect her to start at least a minute early. The only disappointing thing was Barracuda was her first song. I wish she would've saved it until the end. Overall, the entire performance was good. She's older so her voice isn't what it used to be. 6/10.

Amazing show! Ann showcased her amazing vocal range and ROCKED the Stand in York, Pa! Her band was amazing as well. Thanks for coming to Pa.! I hope she comes back and shares her amazing voice with us soon!

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Stephen Stills, John Fogerty, Ann Wilson Perform at 2022 Free Concert

Stephen Stills performing “For What It’s Worth,” at the December 10, 2022 concert

Stephen Stills gave an increasingly rare on stage performance on December 10, 2022, when he played his Buffalo Springfield classic “For What It’s Worth.” The legendary guitarist and songwriter was a late addition to an all-star lineup at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium that also included John Fogerty, Buddy Guy, Ann Wilson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Mike Mills of R.E.M. They were all part of a free concert organized by businessman Jim Irsay who has been displaying parts of his collection of music memorabilia in many U.S. cities throughout the year. Watch several of the performances from the 26-song set below.

Jim Irsay’s passion for rock music, American history and pop culture led him to assemble a robust collection of historic and culturally significant artifacts over several decades that together make up The Jim Irsay Collection. If his name doesn’t sound familiar, it might be because you don’t follow the NFL. Since 1997, Irsay has been the principal owner of the league’s Indianapolis Colts. The businessman has been associated with the team since his father, the late Robert Irsay, acquired the Baltimore Colts. (In 1984, the younger Irsay became the team’s General Manager shortly after the franchise moved to Indianapolis. When the senior Irsay died in 1997, his son won a legal battle against his stepmother for ownership of the team.)

At the San Francisco concert, the classic rock stars joined the Jim Irsay Band (featuring Kenny Aronoff, Tom Bukovac, Mike Mills, Danny Nucci, Michael Ramos, Carmella Ramsey, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Mike Wanchic) to perform some of their legendary songs. The audience must have been delighted to see the 77-year-old Stills take lead vocals on “Carry On,” which he wrote and recorded for the CSNY album, Déjà vu . He was introduced by Shepherd, his bandmate in The Rides.

And after a longer than usual intro, he performed an extended solo on a bluesy version of his 1966 favorite, “For What It’s Worth.”

John Fogerty got a huge ovation when he took the stage for a six-song set towards the end of the program. Watch him perform three favorites associated with Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Ann Wilson sang covers from Led Zeppelin (“Rock and Roll,” “Immigrant Song”), and Van Morrison (“Into the Mystic”).

Her performance of “Gimme Shelter” closed the show. Earlier, she dedicated a performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” to the “dear, dearest Miss Christine McVie,” who had died recently.

Thanks to Ted Silverman and mrodin12 for the videos.

The Jim Irsay Collection features musical instruments and items owned by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain, as well as autographed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other historical music memorabilia. The collection also includes U.S. Presidential artifacts, important original documents from American history and unique items, such as a 1953 Jackie Robinson bat, Muhammad Ali’s 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” championship belt and the original scroll of Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel, On the Road .

Related: Stills performed with Neil Young and Joe Walsh at his 2023 benefit concert

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1 Comment so far

I have to wonder if some of these folks were having trouble hearing themselves, as while Stephen Stills was just so tragically bad (and seemed to be distractedly fuddling with his monitor and a stage hand during his whole performance), even Fogerty started out being both sharp and flat at times, but then magically seemed to right himself. That’s what happens when you can’t hear yourself on stage. Even Ann Wilson, was a bit pitchy on “Immigrant Song” which makes me feel like there must have been monitor problems. If that indeed was the case, these techs owe these veteran musicians a huge apology as they trudged on doing their best, with their royal reputations on the line. Makes you realize how flawlessly so many of these big shows with multiple performers come off without a hitch. The whole aspect of monitors in performance is pretty much everything when you’re up there. As unprofessional as it may seem, I wouldn’t blame any of them for just stopping if they couldn’t hear themselves, because Stills’ performance if the result, and that’s just not right. For that matter, having the background singers mixed so far back from Stills’ voice in “Carry On” was a joke. as he’s singing a part of a vocal blend. They weren’t doing him any favors treating him like a lead vocal on that song, and any sound person should have known that, for crying out loud. As good as the intentions may have been for the whole thing, the personnel running sound behind the scenes was way too amateur for this level of a show. I’m surprised some of these folks don’t sue.

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ANN WILSON Announces New Album “Fierce Bliss,” Set For Release April 29; New Single “Greed” Out Now

There is a calm, serene spirituality about  Ann Wilson in 2022 which instantly draws you to her. She feels like a warm, wise someone who has seen enough bullshit to know how to avoid it calmly, and someone who is at peace with whatever she needs to be at peace with. Perhaps that is why the soul (and, indeed title) of her latest album, “Fierce Bliss”  (set for release April 29 via Silver Lining Music ) offers such universally entertaining, engaging, honest and safe harbor from these unpredictable times.

Take “Greed,” the powerful first single…  “‘Greed’ is that thing in our animal nature that makes us want MORE,”   Wilson  declares.  “Whether it be money, sex, power or ecstasy, it fires our craving! It happens with all of us. When you turn around and catch yourself making decisions because you want the money, or because you’re caught in the headlights of glory, well, those are greedy moments.”   Wilson  continues  “I think people who claim to have made every decision from a root of pure idealism, and never done anything dark or greedy, is lying. I think everybody who ventures into especially the music industry hoping for a career with big success, ends up making these Faustian bargains at some point even if only briefly. It’s an aggressive song and I think I write best when I’m angry.”   Listen To/Watch “Greed” below .

One of the premier hard rock vocalists of all-time,  Wilson  smashed boundaries smashed boundaries with her band  Heart , the 8-times Platinum, 35 million-plus selling Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trailblazers who formed in 1973. During a decades-long career,  Wilson rode the roller coaster of fame, fortune and madness, learning both joyous and hard, hard lessons along the way. Fast forward to Summer 2020, and a meeting with legendary veteran ‘artist’s lawyer’ Brian Rohan provided the catalyst for “Fierce Bliss” ’s creation.   “Brian recommended people to me that knew people in Nashville, so I met these guys like [famed Nashville session guitarist]  Tom Bukovac  and  Tony Lucido  at those Muscle Shoals Sound Studio sessions. I’d never met them before, and they really inspired me. It was like a big door opening.”   With the musical chemistry organically established, “Fierce Bliss”  came together quickly.  “I had originally intended to go in, record a few songs and see what I had, but it just took on this life,”  remarks  Wilson . “At Sound Stage in Nashville,  Kenny Wayne Shepherd  came in and played on a couple songs. He was a whole other influence coming in. He just played his butt off, and with the gospel singers and everything else coming together, the whole project just started to grow.”   Wilson  continues , “I’d known  Warren Haynes  from  Gov’t Mule  for a while. We’d written a couple songs together with  Gov’t Mule  playing, and those rounded out the record. So all of a sudden, where there was no record before, suddenly I had eleven cool songs that I really liked.”

  To cap it all, the album artwork comes from the mind and hands of celebrated fantasy artist  Roger Dean , who aside from his work in fantasy art is also renowned for his  Yes  sleeve artwork.   Wilson  will soon be hitting the road with her new band, and make no mistake, she’s a performer at heart thus her excitement is palpable.  Ann Wilson seems to be more comfortable with herself (and her art) than ever before with both “Fierce Bliss”  and the band she’ll be touring with.  “I think that for someone who’s been through as much as I have, and has lived to tell the tales, it’s okay to share my experiences,”  says  Wilson  sagely.  “I’ve heard from a lot of younger musicians and listeners too who have thanked me for staying around and for just keeping upright, just making it through, making the concessions once but not twice, and being able to live through it all with dignity.”   ‘AN EVENING WITH ANN WILSON OF HEART & THE AMAZING DAWGS’  Tour will kick off on February 19 at Family Gras in Metairie, LA, with more dates to be announced soon.   02/19 – Metairie, LA – Family Gras 05/04 – San Francisco, CA – Great American 05/05 – Napa, CA – The Uptown Theatre 05/07 – Pala, CA – Pala Casino 05/09 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre 05/10 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre 05/13 – Los Cabos, MEX – Hard Rock 06/11 – Peachtree City, GA – Fred Amphitheater 06/13 – Nashville, TN – Basement East 06/14 – Nashville, TN – Basement East 06/16 – Tampa, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa 06/17 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – The Parker   Tickets can be purchased  at this location .   “Fierce Bliss” is available to pre-order now on CD Casebound Book (deluxe package), Vinyl and Digital formats here .

“Fierce Bliss”  Track Listing:

• Bridge of Sighs
• Fighten for Life
• Love of My Life (feat. Vince Gill )
• Missionary Man
• A Moment in Heaven
• Angel’s Blues*
• As the World Turns

*Available on CD and digital formats only

• Ann Wilson / Vocals
• Tom Bukovac / Guitar
• Tony Lucido / Bass
• Sean T Lane / Drums, Percussion & Bike
• Gordon Mote / Keyboards
• Tim Lauer / Keyboards

Musicians who appear on “Fierce Bliss” :

• Vocals – Vince Gill on “Love of My Life”
• Lead Guitar – Kenny Wayne Shepherd on “Bridge of Sighs” and “Missionary Man”
• Guitar – Warren Haynes on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
• Guitar – Tyler Boley on “Black Wing”
• Keyboards – Danny Louis on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
• Keyboards – Dan Walker on “Black Wing”
• Bass – Jorgen Carlsson on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
• Bass – Andy Stoller on “Black Wing”
• Drums – Matt Abts on “Gladiator” and “Angel’s Blues”
• Choir – The Rev Nathan Young Singers on “Missionary Man”

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Anne Wilson

Seventh Of June

My Jesus (Anniversary Deluxe)

Hey Girl (Multitrack EP)

With a transcendent vocal, down-to-Earth storytelling and a Heaven-sent desire to glorify Jesus, Anne Wilson is one of Nashville’s most inspiring young trailblazers – a Lexington, Ky. native mixing the heart of Contemporary Christian Music, and the sound of Country. Finding her musical mission in the wake of tragedy, Wilson delivered her first public performance at 15 while singing “What a Beautiful Name” at her brother’s funeral in a moving expression of faith which soon went viral. Called in that moment to continue on, her 2021 debut single, “My Jesus,” marked the arrival of a new star, fusing personal conviction with upbeat roots energy to become a GOLD-certified No.1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart. The track made Wilson the first debut female solo artist in chart history to reach No.1 and went on to be named ASCAP’s 2022 Christian Music Awards Song of the Year. Now boasting more than 435M global career streams, her rise is gaining momentum.

Songs About Whiskey (Official Music Video)

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REBEL (Live) | Vevo DSCVR

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Rain In The Rearview (Official Music Video)

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Strong (Official Performance Lyric Video)

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Still God (Official Audio)

My Jesus (Live from Kentucky)

Living Water (Official Music Video)

The Manger (with Josh Turner) (Official Music Video)

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Mary, Did You Know? (Official Audio)

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Hey Girl (Radio Version) (Official Audio)

Hey Girl (Kentucky Version) (Official Audio)

Sunday Sermons (Official Acoustic Video)

Hey Girl (Official Music Video)

Mamas (with Hillary Scott) (Official Music Video)

Closer To God (Official Audio)

That’s What We Need (Official Audio)

No Place Like Home (Official Audio)

Mamas (with Hillary Scott) (Official Audio)

Mansions (Official Audio)

This House (Official Audio)

Anne Wilson – Scatter (Official Audio)

Prelude (Scatter) (Official Audio)

God Thing (Official Lyric Video)

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Sunday Sermons (Official Music Video)

Hey Girl (Official Lyric Video)

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Kentucky Fried Christmas (Official Audio)

Just Because It’s Christmas (Official Audio)

I Still Believe In Christmas (Official Lyric Video)

My Jesus (feat. Crowder)

Something About That Name (Live In Nashville)

Boondocks (Live In Nashville)

No Place Like Home (Live In Nashville)

Devil (Live In Nashville)

My Jesus (Live In Nashville)

My Jesus (feat. Matthew West) (Live From West Friends Fest)

My Jesus (Official Lyric Video)

Something About That Name (Lyric Video)

My Jesus (Official Music Video)

Devil (Official Lyric Video)

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Anne Wilson on Blending Country, CCM on New Album ‘Rebel’: ‘I’m Not Going to Change Who I Am’

The "My Jesus" hitmaker reveals more of her faith-rooted country sound on her new album, which features Lainey Wilson, Chris Tomlin and Jordan Davis.

By Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson

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Anne Wilson

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After she released her debut Capitol Christian Music Group album, My Jesus , which sonically dipped into the grooves between CCM and country, Wilson recalled getting messages from both country and Christian music fans.

“Some would say, ‘We don’t listen to Christian music, but we love your music. It sounds country.’ And then others would say, ‘We love country music, but we don’t play it in the car because we don’t want our kids listening to it, but we let them listen to you — the in between,’” Wilson tells Billboard , while seated at UMG Nashville’s office. “That was encouraging for me to hear, and showed me that’s where we were heading.”

UMG Nashville Chair/CEO Cindy Mabe also saw the potential in a CCM-country connection and reached out to Wilson’s team in 2023.

“She said, ‘We want to give her an opportunity to take a song to country radio and to expand her reach,’” Wilson recalls. “It was out of the blue, but it made sense. I basically have two record labels, which is amazing. Double the people, double the ideas. It’s been great having so many different people helping with this album.”

Wilson, Zach Kale, CCM singer-songwriter Matthew West and The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston wrote ‘Rain in the Rearview’ in August 2023 and released it the following month.

“Writing it, producing it and releasing it in like five weeks was very fast, but it’s been cool to see the reaction and how my music has been able to go to both country and Christian platforms and be appreciated in both,” Wilson says.

Certainly, songs of faith have been mainstays in country music from its inception, from the gospel classic “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” made famous in country circles by The Carter Family in 1935, to Hank Williams’ “I Saw the Light” and Carrie Underwood’s Grammy-winning “Something in the Water.” But the past five years has seen a particular surge, with more than a dozen country-CCM collaborations released from artists including Dolly Parton, Zach Williams, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Colton Dixon. Tomlin teamed with FGL for a CCM album featuring country artists, while Steven Curtis Chapman released a bluegrass-tinged project and Underwood issued a hymns album.

“It was really life-giving as an artist; this album felt very free-spirited, like I can write about my faith, but also about different things, too,” say Wilson, who is part of both the Opry’s NextStage Class of 2024 and the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2024.

She teams with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer Lainey Wilson (no relation) on “Praying Woman.”

“I loved working with her,” Anne says. “I met Lainey on Instagram in 2020. Then we met [in person] last year, and we wrote the song the same day … We were talking about our moms, and we both remember our moms praying a lot when we were kids, getting on their knees and praying for things, and we got to write a song to honor our moms and talk about what it means to be a woman who prays and faith.”

She says Lainey is “like a big sister,” explaining, “The thing I love about Lainey’s story is she worked for so many years, lived in a camper and all these things and never changed who she was. She trusted that she was going to keep being herself and something was going to happen one day, and it did. She’s told me multiple times, ‘Don’t change for anyone or anything.’”

“Next Thing You Know” hitmaker Jordan Davis joins on “Country Gold,” a tender, breezy ode to the riches found in the simplicity of family, friends and rural living. They first collaborated during the ACM Honors last year, performing Davis’s hit “Buy Dirt.”

“Milestones,” written with Galyon and Hungate, delves into the trade-offs that come with life as a musician on the road. “I remember Nicolle asking me, ‘How are you?’ And I was like, ‘Good,’ but she was like, ‘No, how are you really?’ And I just started crying, and telling her all these things that I’ve been going through, and the pain of missing milestones. You hold it in one hand, the incredible opportunities I’m getting, and then in the other hand is all the milestones you have to miss; it’s just this exchange. But I think anybody can relate to that in a sense. My team’s really good about giving me grace for that, too. I’m a people-pleaser; I don’t like to disappoint. But I think it’s about figuring out what are the most important moments in my life and making sure those stay on the calendar, and then everything else works around it.”

Meanwhile, “Red Flag” serves as an older sister of sorts to the song “Hey Girl” from Wilson’s My Jesus album.

“All the little girls love ‘Hey Girl,’ and we thought, ‘What’s the grownup version of that song?’ After you’ve told them about their identity in Christ and loving themselves, the next thing is a boy that comes into the picture. I’ve never written a song about a boy — because, thankfully, I’ve never had a bad breakup story — but my mom had always told me about red flags: ‘Look for this and don’t look for this.’ This song ended up being like a continuation of ‘Hey Girl,’ to encourage them and tell them what to look for.”

While sonically and thematically, the album stitches together the threads tying country and Christian music, the title track stems from her struggles to meld the two genres.

To that end, her upcoming summer dates will include a mix of Christian and country festival performance slots — with Wilson playing the same set of songs, whether playing to a more country-leaning or CCM-leaning crowd. One thing Wilson is looking forward to is appearing at some country festivals where Lainey Wilson is also playing: “So hopefully, we’ll try to perform [“Praying Woman”] together,” she says.

Wilson is also set to lead her second headlining tour in the fall.

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With New Album, Anne Wilson Takes a Leap of Faith into Country: 'I Stuck to Who I Am' (Exclusive)

The Grammy-nominated "My Jesus" singer straddles genres — and blazes a new trail — with 'Rebel,' hoping to reach a wider audience with her gospel message

Robby Klein

So is Anne Wilson a Christian artist or a country artist?

If you have to ask that question, you’re missing the point. In these genre-fluid times, the artist behind the blockbuster contemporary Christian hit “My Jesus” wants to be both, and she’s taking her leap of faith with sophomore album, Rebel, out on Friday.

“I didn’t change who I was,” Wilson tells PEOPLE, harking back to her 2022 debut album, also titled My Jesus . “I stuck to who I am and what I believe,” she says about the new album, “and it’s really cool to see how it’s all come together.”

Indeed, Rebel is a coming-together — a melding of faith-infused lyrics and country music, a sound that has unmistakable echoes in her first album. No doubt that’s what persuaded Nashville recording exec Cindy Mabe to ask Wilson to add a country label to her portfolio and release her second album to both markets.

“I was hesitant at first,” the 22-year-old artist recalls. “I said, ‘I’m not gonna change who I am to do country music.’ And she said, ‘We want you to be exactly who you are. We don’t want you to change a thing, and we need you to bring God back into country music.’”

Not that God had ever departed entirely. Faith themes are sprinkled into countless country songs. But Wilson embraced Mabe’s vision, and she has now crafted a trailblazing album that’s unmistakably both country and Christian, with a faith element in every one of its 16 tracks. It’s as entertaining as it is nourishing — chockful of lively, often sassy melodies delivered by one of contemporary music’s freshest new voices, regardless of genre.

Wilson proves she’s equally fluent in both the country and Christian vocabularies, and she capitalizes on all their overlaps, too. Her faith may be lightly dusted onto the lyrics, as she does in current country radio single, “Rain in the Rearview,” when she offers counsel to “listen to the voice that you hear when you pray.” Or it can pour out like mighty waters, as it does in current contemporary Christian No. 1 single, “Strong”: “I hit my knees with my hands held high / saying dear Lord Jesus you know I / can’t do this on my own.”

The two sides — her heart for country, her soul for Jesus — seem almost inborn in Wilson, a Kentuckian who grew up steeped in the church and grounded in her state’s deep musical roots. How she arrived at this moment in her career, though, is surely one of the most improbable journeys.

By now, her background is well known to her growing fan base: Just seven years ago, at age 15, she found the courage to sing a praise song at the funeral of her beloved older brother, Jacob, who had been killed in a traffic accident. A subsequent YouTube video, intended only for family and friends, soon went viral, and a Nashville talent scout reached out. Two years later, Wilson signed a recording contract to launch her contemporary Christian music career. She was 19 years old when she released “My Jesus”; both the single and the album reached No. 1 on the Christian and gospel chart, and the album went on to earn a Grammy nomination .

Incredible as all that is, there’s more: Wilson not only had no singing aspirations when she agreed to perform at the funeral, but she also didn’t think she had a voice. Her mother was the one who urged her to the stage after hearing her privately sing and grieve at their home piano.

“I thought I was horrible singing,” Wilson says now. “I thought I was so bad. I never believed in myself that I could be a singer. It’s just not something that crossed my brain, which is crazy now.”

Just before that initial performance, Wilson experienced a life-changing God moment, hearing words calling her to a life of praise and worship. Never in her wildest dreams, though, did she interpret that to mean “platinum-selling recording career.”

“I thought I would be a worship leader at a church,” says Wilson, who had previously aspired to use her math and science skills to become an astronaut. “I thought, I’m gonna just sing at church and hopefully encourage people who have lost someone, and I’d live in Kentucky my whole life.”

As Wilson would be the first to say, God had other plans. In fact, she says she has felt a strong guiding hand on every step of her unlikely path.

“It was ultimately a surrender to God,” she says, “and to say I’m gonna lay down my desire to be an astronaut and all the other things I want to do with my life just to go follow you. And the ride God has taken me on has been crazy. Some days, I’m like, ‘OK, God, you can slow it down’ or ‘Let’s take a break for just a second, so I can breathe.’ And it has not stopped.”

Since she moved to Nashville at age 18, her growth opportunities have arrived as swiftly as her accomplishments. Developing a recording career comes with the weighty responsibilities of running a small business and managing a team. Touring is a whole separate education.

“Some people forget how young I am,” Wilson says. “I will say I’m probably more mature than the average 22-year-old, but still, it’s really hard to do it at 22 and to manage it all. Sometimes I feel like I’m in my thirties because of all the life I’ve lived, but literally last year I became an official adult.”

Wilson addresses the cost of her artist’s life in “Milestones,” a cut on the album that she considers among her favorites. The lyrics address all the personal joys with family and friends that she’s sacrificed for this calling, and then she adds: “Don’t get me wrong / I love it, I’m grateful / I just miss having dinner at a table / gotta plate full.”

“I had a moment when I was writing it last summer and I broke down, just crying,” she recalls. “I felt like I do all this just to miss milestones.” At first, she says, she thought the song was too vulnerable to record, but then she decided, “I’m going for it, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. And I think I’ve realized over the last year — and this has been probably the biggest part of my growth — that I’m figuring out what my new normal is.”

It includes, she reports, intentionally taking time for herself and doing things that recharge her: diving into daily Bible study, volunteering in her church’s nursery on Sundays (“I love the little kids!” she raves), playing pickleball with friends, and taking the occasional long weekend to visit her family’s Kentucky farm, where her brother’s grave is located, just to remind herself “where I came from.”

At the moment, she says, she’s made little time for dating, but she wants it to come. “I don’t want to look back and go wow, I didn’t even live life, and I was on the road for all of my twenties,” she says.

Yet her drive to share her faith message is all encompassing and unrelenting. At its base is what put her here in the first place.

“Everything has to do with the loss of Jacob,” she says. “I would not be singing if he had not died. I would not be on this path. I’m standing for my faith because I know how short this life is. I think the loss of Jacob is intertwined through every single one of my songs.”

Wilson knows the grief will never go away, but she says that she, her parents and her older sister also have recently realized that the suffering has lessened. “It was a moment where we were like, thank you, God, for healing us to a point where we can reflect on him with joy instead of grief,” she says. “And then I started writing the record right after that. So I think the record is me in a healed place.”

Clearly, that place has awarded her the freedom to fully straddle the genres and open herself to the opportunities that brings. While she’s still relying on her go-to songwriting collaborators Matthew West and Jeff Pardo — both well known in contemporary Christian music — she’s also expanded her palette to include name songwriters (Casey Beathard and Nicolle Galyon , among others) from the country community. Contemporary Christian star Chris Tomlin has been tapped for a duet on one of her most religious tracks, “The Cross,” but she’s also enlisted country stars Lainey Wilson and Jordan Davis to duet on two more songs.

The two Wilsons — no relation, but they like to call themselves “the long-lost Wilson sisters” — had been DMing each other for years when Anne Wilson extended a writing invitation. They met for the first time at the session.

“I was so nervous because I love Lainey,” Anne Wilson says, but the two women quickly got to work on an idea inspired by their mothers, resulting in the album cut “Praying Woman.”

“She’s exactly 10 years older than me,” Anne says of Lainey. “She’s a big sister to me. She’s got so much experience that she’s been so gracious to share and kind of be a mentor to me.”

Wilson is hungry to keep learning and growing as she heads out to promote Rebel . The album’s title track has Wilson describing herself (as well as her Bible heroes) far more as a revolutionary than a rabble-rouser, and certainly her onstage presence — petite frame, girlish blond curls, flouncy outfits and sparkly boots — is anything but threatening. Perhaps not surprisingly, among her most avid fans is a massive throng of girls, middle school-aged and younger, who hang on her every sung and spoken word.

At an album-release event last week in the Nashville area, they made up a sizable portion of her audience of several hundred, and Wilson responded to their rapturous gazes with smiles and waves and a meet-and-greet that allowed her to hug every last one of them.

“Being a positive role model is something I really value, and I want to be that for little girls,” says Wilson, who created Hey Girl Nation , an online community to connect to this particular fan base.

Still, her overarching ambition is to spread the gospel message to anyone who will listen. This summer, she’ll be splitting festival dates evenly between Christian and country venues, playing the same set list at both. On Sept. 12, she'll launch her own 28-stop headline tour.

Out on Scotty McCreery ’s tour earlier this year, she discovered how country fans are “night and day different” from the audiences at her Christian concerts.

“Christian crowds are more there to worship, whereas country crowds are there to have fun,” she says. “They don’t even pay attention to the lyrics. They’re there to have a blast. Both of them are awesome, but country crowds are actually really fun.”

That doesn’t mean she’s giving country fans a pass on Jesus. Every performance also includes an impassioned testimonial about her faith, born out of the grief of her brother’s loss. Wilson has been gratified by the reception so far.

“Sometimes it can feel hard to get up there and have the courage to do it,” she says, “but every time I do, I feel so glad I did it. Someone will always come up to me after the show and say, ‘Hey, I’ve never heard of you before, but I needed your message of hope tonight.’”

What keeps her emboldened, she says, is constantly reminding herself of her purpose. She may be carving out a new lane as a Christian and country artist, but her goal remains the same.

“Why am I actually doing this?” she asks, and then answers: “It’s for God.”

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Ann & Nancy Wilson Set to Reunite in 2024 Heart Tour

T he rock band Heart , best known for their songs “Barracuda,” “Crazy on You” and “These Dreams” has been on and off since they started in 1973. Sisters and bandmates Ann and Nancy Wilson have had their share of ups and downs together but now they are back with a new tour. The Royal Flush Tour is going to be the first time they have toured together since 2019 and to prepare for the tour, the sisters had to have some true heart-to-hearts.

Ann admitted , “We’re talking. We’re fine together. We just felt it, so why not? The common ground is that we both want it to be excellent and we both want it to be absolutely Heart. We just basically put it together and said, ‘Let’s go!’” The sisters revealed that their first band breakup came in 1977 when there was a legal fight between two record companies that halted their music releases. Then in 1995, Nancy wanted to take a break from music to raise her family.

In 2016, things got worse for the sisters when Ann’s husband was arrested for allegedly striking one of Nancy’s children. Of course, this caused some issues between the sisters and threatened the ongoing music creation and touring for the band. While they toured again in 2019, things were reportedly still very tense.

Nancy said, “There’s so many things, circumstantially, since 2019. A lot of it’s just family drama and unavoidable, and just other stuff people wanted to do besides Heart. So we were off doing our own things for a little while, and there was also this little interruption called the pandemic.” Both sisters released solo music in recent years but now they are back at it, visiting cities around the country such as Detroit, New Orleans, and San Antonio.

Click here to purchase tickets for the Heart tour in your city. Will you be attending? Tell us, what is your favorite Heart song?

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Anne wilson celebrates success as both a christian and country artist & her new album shows why.

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Singer/songwriter Anne Wilson

Anne Wilson is celebrating the news her latest single “Strong” just hit No. 1 on Christian radio. It’s one of 16 songs from her new album REBEL (she’s a co-writer on all of them) released a week ago. REBEL features faith-filled songs, country songs, and some that are a blend of both. Every song offers listeners a different journey from the rousing “God & Country” to “Praying Woman” (featuring Lainey Wilson) to “Songs About Whiskey,” and more.

Fans first discovered Wilson three years ago when she hit the music scene at 19 with her debut single “My Jesus.” Her first album (also called My Jesus ) was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Since then, both the Christian and country music industry have welcomed and embraced her. She’s won a host of Christian music awards, she’s one of this year’s Opry NextStage Artists, and was also chosen one of CMT’s Next Women of Country.

Singer/songwriter Anne Wilson. The Lexington, Kentucky native has just released new album "Rebel."

Wilson’s story is as powerful as her voice and talent for songwriting. She grew up in Lexington, Kentucky with no early connection to music, In fact, when she was younger she had dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when she was 15 years old, her brother was tragically killed in a car accident. She sang at his funeral and the trajectory of her entire life shifted in an instant.

“When my brother passed away my life changed in so many ways,” she recalls. “I sang for the first time ever at his funeral and from that moment on, I knew singing Christian music and writing songs about Jesus was what I was made to do.”

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She began learning everything she could about singing and songwriting.

“I was naturally gifted at math and science and not very good at writing and English,” she says. “Now I’m the absolute opposite. It’s crazy how my entire brain is so different. I write songs and I’ve even written a book. It’s hard to believe how all of that has changed.”

Her book “My Jesus: From Heartache to Hope,” released in 2022, outlines the many miracles that occurred along the way to guide her journey and pave the way for her incredible music career.

“The only explanation is God,” she says. “And I think that’s what I love most about it. Everything that’s happened is all back to Him and what He’s doing in my life.”

Cover off Anne Wilson's new album "Rebel"

She’s deeply grateful, too, to singer/songwriter Matthew West who’s become a mentor. He co-wrote many of the songs on the new album.

“I think he wrote 14 of the 16 songs with me. He’s one of my favorite people and a phenomenal songwriter. I used to go see him in concert as a kid, so I couldn’t believe it when I got to start writing with him. He encourages me to write and welcomes my ideas even if they’re stupid.” Here she stops, laughs, then adds, “He’s always listening and encouraging me to speak and write the songs I want to write.”

REBEL is a tribute, not only to her ability to write songs, but tackle a variety of topics and different styles of music. From the fast moving title track “Rebel” to “Rain in the Rearview” with her commanding vocals to her “Praying Woman” duet with Lainey Wilson (complete with a back-up choir)” - every song is unique.

“I’ve always loved Lainey’s music and wanted to write with her,” Wilson says. “So, we had a date on the calendar and wrote that song together. We were talking about our moms and how they were bold women who prayed for things they wanted to happen, and truly believed in the power of prayer. We weren’t sure at first if Lainey was going to sing on it, but then she did, and to have her add that energy to it was really special.”

Wilson also collaborates with Chris Tomlin on “The Cross” and Jordan Davis on “Country Gold.

She gives young girls advice on qualities to look for in a future partner in “Red Flag” and honors her native Kentucky in “Out of the Bluegrass.” But one of the most touching songs pays tribute to her dad. It’s called “My Father’s Daughter.”

“It’s a really honest song about growing up and moving to Nashville. I was 18, all by myself, and being on my own, so it’s the transition between all of that and what it meant. My dad cried it the first time he heard the song and honestly, I can barely listen to it because I tear up. But it’s special and I’m hoping it connects with a lot of people.”

As she continues to work hard and stand strong in her faith, Wilson admits she’s sometimes a little overwhelmed by all that’s happened. And each day brings new and unexpected opportunities.

“I continue to learn and grow in different ways, and it’s been awesome. I could have never dreamed of any of it, so I’m very, very grateful.”

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