Biographic - Sunday March 8, 2009 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

In the 1970s, they were the leading lights in a successful outfit that blended folk and hard rock-but when their star began to wane in the 1980s, The Wilson sisters, Nancy and Ann, abandoned the flares and cheesecloth shirt look and reinvented their group Heart as one of the top soft-rock bands in the world. Heart came together in Seattle, Washington, in the Early 1970s, when sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson joined forces, musically and romantically, with brothers Mike and Roger Fisher. To avoid band manager Mike being drafted into the army, Heart relocated to Vancouver, Canada, and recorded the album "Dreamboat Annie." Hits such as "Crazy On You" and "Magic Man" propelled the album to platinum status on both sides of the border. When President Carter granted amnesty to draft evaders, the band was free to work in the states. 1977's "Little Queen" album contained the smash hit "Barracuda" and subsequent albums continued a run of platinum success. But by 1980, personal relationships had soured and the Fisher brothers Departed. A gradual decline was arrested by a change of label and image, and 1985's "Heart" album spawned a string of hits, including "What About Love" "Never" and the chart-topping "These Dreams." 1987's "Bad Animals" brought superstar status in a second chart-topper "Alone" Heart began a third decade in rock with the hit album "Brigade," and it's hit spin-off "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You." Unfortunately, this period coincided with the start of Ann's lengthy battle against weight gain that eventually resulted in gastric band surgery in 2002. Over the years, both sisters have collaborated with other artists and enjoyed solo albums. Nancy married writer and directer Cameron Crowe in 1986, and has composed music for a number of his movies. The group has continued to tour periodically and has so far sold in excess of 30 million records. Heart has also been introduced a new generation of fans thanks to the inclusion of the band's anthems in the "Guitar Hero" video games.

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