Heart Honored by ASCAP, Jerry Cantrell

Posted on Apr 23rd 2009 4:00PM by Steve Baltin
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For more than three decades, Heart -- aka Ann and Nancy Wilson -- have been largely championed as pioneers in women in rock. However, Wednesday night in Los Angeles, the Wilson sisters were recognized by ASCAP not for their gender, but for their songwriting. "It's a feeling of redemption in a way because we've been known so much for being women," Ann told Spinner. "That was the first thing anyone ever noticed about us. The first question we ever got asked, 'What's it like being a woman in a rock band?' This isn't about that. That means really a lot."

The honor was presented by long time Heart friend and fan Jerry Cantrell, who spoke about the Wilson sisters' support and influence on him. "I'm just really honored to be asked," he told Spinner. "We've had a long history of friendship and supporting each other. And even before I met them ... being from Seattle, having a band from your town be that badass was something to shoot for."

Both Ann and Nanxcy took a moment to reflect on some of the Heart songs that have endured best, and, well, not-so-well, for them. "Songs like 'Dog and Butterfly' have a poetic balance that people still really respond to," Nancy said. "It was well-crafted and still emotionally accurate. Other songs, now, feel like, 'Oh no, that's so teenage,' or 'Oh, I was so screwed up in my 20's or 30's.'"

Lest we forget the classic. "I like 'Barracuda' still," Ann said. "That song was written in anger, and it captured a lot of rage. When we play it now, it still has that edge."

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