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Cheerful Earful! [ 12/5/2008 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | 
Hey all you Heartmongers!
Release the HOLIDAYS!
Here at the home base, Charlie and I would like to wish you all a
cheerful "earful" season. Hope everyone has a lovely cozy Yuletide with
lots of good friends, family, food, peace and especially love.
We are busy writing for the new studio Heart album and start recording in about 5 weeks.
Can't wait to share the inspiration with you all soon. Gamble everything for love ~
Nancy and Charlie
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| funny things that Nancy has said.... [ 12/5/2008 ]
- Posted by : Motley Sue | I stopped by Nancy's yesterday in order to have her sign a few
things - one of them being a 45 record from the Heart album
released in 1985.
Nancy looked at the cover and said. I remember this
photoshoot. They had different colored smoke bombs that they kept
lighting, in order to put a colored "texture" in the air. The
shoot took all day long.
Many days later, we were still blowing our noses with multi colored results into our tissues!
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| Debbie Shair's Q&A's [ 8/30/2008 ]
- Posted by : Motley Sue | 1.) What is your musical background, and how did it all start?
I'm basically self taught. I took piano lessons between the ages of 5 and
10. I pick up a song much faster though, listening to music and then
figuring out the right chords. I used to memorize the songs that I had to
read and then I would skip ahead and the teacher would totally bust me at
lesson class! I picked up music and made up my own little pieces. At the
same time while I was growing up, my parents used to have a computer store
and I used to get exposed to synthesizers at an early age because my
parents would go to electronic or computer conventions and deal with
companies who specialized in making synthesizers and effects pedal so
needless to say, I scored a lot of cool stuff at an early age!
2.) What was your first reaction when you realized you'd be playing
keyboards for Ann and Nancy?
I was shocked and stunned! I still am!
3.) Can you give us any insight into how this summer's tour compares to
the previous Heart tours?
Well this one is different being that we're not the headliner - it makes
the schedule each day a bit more tighter and organized and a little more
condensed. When we tour by ourselves, we are laid back and have a more
flexible time schedule. Because there are three bands, there is a more
structured schedule. We go on earlier which is different and we end
earlier so that's very different for all of us. The other bands - they
are great people and we all get along and it's fun meeting a lot of the
different bands on the road.
4.) When you were young, what was it that attracted you into becoming a
keyboardist?
We had a piano and I just liked it!!! I just sort of naturally gravitated
towards it. It's funny, the one thing I remember as a young child is that
I used to play underneath the piano just to see if my hands would reach
the keyboards!
5.) Debbie, what is your favorite song to perform on tour right now?
I will say Alone because it really gives me the ability to tune into what
A&N are doing on stage - it's also a very very powerful song to play
keyboard wise. Also Love Reign O'er Me because I am really busy with that
song and the intro.
6.) What is going thru your mind before you are about to go on stage?
Well if you really want to know the truth, the answer is "Did I go to the
bathroom before I go on stage?!?!" Also, We're basically listening to the
Led Zeppelin's "The Crunge" - we're all dancing to the Crunge and just
trying not to really think of anything and get ready to rock a great show
for the fans.
7.) What was your first concert, and how much of an influence did it have
on you?
When I was a kid, I saw Duran Duran. It really did have a major influence
on me for performing and I immediately got a Roland Juno-60 which is the
poor man's version of one of the keyboards that they used.
8.) What's your favourite place in the world to take vacation?
I would have to say that these days that after we toured Hawaii this past
June, that was pretty special to me. I certainly would love to go back
there for a real vacation and explore the various islands. Also, another
place I like to go to is Stockholm Sweden. I have a lot of friends who
live in Stockholm (including some of the folks who were part of the string
section on the Dreamboat Annie CD!) so I like to go visit them whenever I
can.
9.) Growing up, I always admired the keyboard skills of Daryl Dragon. Who
do you consider your main influences?
I would say Rick Wakeman and Mike Garson (early player on David Bowie's
CDs). Freddie Mercury was also a big major influence on me as he was very
theatrical. If you listen to the arrangements of "March of the Black
Queen" from Queen II - just the way it's arranged is brilliant! Tony
Banks is another who comes to mind because like Rick Wakeman, both are
classically trained. Even Scott Joplin was a big influence growing up.
There's a huge range of keyboardists I admire. My own style has
continually developed to be more theatrical. Oh and I can't forget my
biggest influence on the keyboards: Sir Elton John.
10.) When you first joined Heart on stage, what was more intimidating for
you: performing the keys parts or performing backing vocals?
Easy: The backing vocals - absolutely! I consider myself a backing
vocals type of singer. I enjoy blending in with people's harmonies. But
to be in the position to blend with Ann and Nancy Wilson is quite a mind
trip! But it's not a scary thing - it's an inspiring thing and every
night I look forward to it.
11.) When not working with Heart, what other musical projects are you
involved in?
My other band, Marizane, is in the stages of mastering our latest release
which Is called "The Cosmosis." It's a very whimsical, eclectic, a little
eccentric modern retro rock album. I know that sounds pretentious but
honestly it's the only way I know how to describe it. The CD features
guest performances and a wide range of guest performers including Nancy
Wilson and Craig Bartock. The CD is expected to be released on iTunes
probably in late September or early October and our Myspace page will be
updated soon (www.myspace.com/marizanemusic).
12.) I wanted to know what ever happened to your albums Cosmosis and
Hypercube Sideshow and any chance of a re-issue?
Cosmosis was a vanity project - it took a long time and as you can see
from above answer, will be released probably right after this tour. On
Hypercube Sideshow, we did recordings at a time when home recordings
weren't as sophisticated as they are now. We didn't feel they were as
professional quality as we felt they should be. We never really pursued
that as a complete album for some reason but we did put out 2 mini EPs
that had some of the songs from there. One is no longer in print and the
other one is called Stage One.
13.) Is there a song in the HEART catalogue that you have not performed
live...THAT you would like to perform with A&N?
I would like to play Sweet Darlin from the Bebe Le Strange Album. Also,
one that I have always enjoyed doing from that album is the title track,
Bebe Le Strange.
14.) What is on your cd player or MP3 player this summer?
There's so much on there but the last thing I was listening to was "The
Best of Free Design." A jazz pop band from the 60s.
15.) How familiar with Heart's history were you before you joined the
band - and had you ever played their music prior - just practicing?
I had such a wide variety of interests musically that Heart was definitely
one of the rock bands I listened to that was in my record collection
growing up. I was more familiar with the music than the band history.
But I did know who the blonde was and I knew who the brunette was ;)
Parting words?
It's just so great to see you guys and gals rockin out and having a good
time and appreciating live music and supporting the band. All of you
share that golden moment with us. See you soon!
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| man is it hot on the road [ 8/13/2008 ]
- Posted by : Motley Sue | My goodness its been brutally hot on the road.
Orange Beach, Alabama was probably the worst of the dates for me.
The heat itself wasn't so bad, but the 85% humidity that day about
killed me.
It rained early on that day. I was already drenched prior to the early downpour. It ended way before the show.
what an amazing crowd...i got to see a few familiar faces - Hobno comes
to mind. she gave me a little coleman hand held battery operated
fan, which seemed silly for a second, but was awesome in the end.
whhhoooo that bit of a breeze helped me tons. Thank you Hobno
New Orleans...
I was so shocked when i got off the bus to find Mongers already in
line. I had only caught 4 hours of sleep and it was 8 AM, but
there they were. Connie, Tylew and Timmypoo had done a shift
change with Hobno and (i only remember your real names!). Gracie
and Chewie were there a bit later...bless Chewie for his dilligence in
making sure the other mongers had water etc.
the crowd in new orleans was the loudest i've ever heard. it was
INSANE! people got a little crazy. hardcore mongers
stomping on others feet to retain thier places in the front (frowned
upon by security). two fights broke out... (that makes me sad -
but really - a fight at a Heart show?!! holy crud!!)
it was amazing
which leads me to Nashville.
The band had a day off...i spent mine getting a pedicure and my roots
done by ann and nancy's beauty squad. wooo hooo. i had to
pay a pretty penny but darn it was worth it. My dinner plans were
taken up by Music City Merchandise...the wonderful peeps that have
been making our merch the past couple of years. so great to
finally put faces with email names.
then there was the elevator at the end of the night. The
Rams were staying in our hotel ...and boy those guys are huge.
Its hard not to get in the elevator and then calculate the weight limit
for the car..... i really shouldnt have eaten that little piece
of cheese last night.
The Nashville show was stellar. I got to see all of my fav
mongers... cause you were all there. I can't name names cause
there were way too many (okay, Boogie, Leanne, Connie, Rockin Mom and
brood, Hobno, Timmpy Pooh, J River, and so many more... I'm doing
you all a diservice... so sorry) ill get out my magic mirror and do
heartmonger roll call soon - i swear!
On to Raleigh
Beatiful. Hot. Great Crowd. Hot...enuff said
Ann & Nancy sent all of the "boys" on the tour flowers. the card said "we miss you, Love "the Girls"
in Raleigh they got flowers from the "boys" saying we missed you...love the boys.
SA-WEET!
West Virginia... Ross - from Journey hosted a BBQ in Virginia Beach..on
the beach. Unfortunaley it was not a dog friendly beach, so Ann,
Nancy and Robin (Zander) who all have thier dogs with them did not
attend.
We did however did have an awesome time.
Ric enduldged on the soft shelled crabs - i swear he ate 15 of em!
Besides the gulf, i have never put my toes in the Atlantic Ocean...so
it was sort of a big deal for me. I grew up in san diego (as did
Craig) and as many times as we've been to the atlantic..i've never had
a day off, or time to soak my body or feet in the opposite ocean.
wow. loved it
Ok - i must admit... i imbibed a bit. The wardrobe girl for
Journey makes a mean and wonderfully refreshing drink out of fresh
fruit and rum...and oh boy...
I was feeling it the morning after.
Viriginia Beach
the band actually stayed in Norkfolk, VA ( where my little brother was born... dad being Navy)
when the bus pulled up in the morning i was glad i went right to bed the night before with a glass of water and some advil..
whoa
my day started when we arrived at the venue. good to see my fellow
merch guys - Paul for Journey and Chad for Cheap Trick. I've
heard horror stories about how mean merch guys can be with each other,
but we are on happy family. we work hard together, helping each
other out all the way. I couldn't be more blessed. I was
midly retarded from the prior evenings festivites...but after 2 hours
in the truck and 10 degrees hotter than outside...i felt much better.
the show was awesome
on to NYC and a day off..then jones beach tomorrow.
I spent my day off under a tree in Central Park reading a book.
i got lost in the pages, and felt so happy... but so alone...
i then went to strawberry fields and then the Dakota across the street.
John Lennon.
John Lennon.
Can you believe they even discussed Marc Chapmen being parolled?
this evening i've talked and texted to friends and family. I really do miss home...but new york feeds my soul.
until next time....
Motley Sue
(please excuse the typos....too tired to spell check)
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| Week three already? [ 7/29/2008 ]
- Posted by : Motley Sue | 3 weeks down and so far so good.
The Texas shows were amazing. All three of them were sold out completely. The crowds were awesome.
Reviews from all of the shows so far have been excellent, and most
single out Ann's vocal performance as the highlight of the night.
As for my expereinces - here are some personal notes.
Its damn hot in Texas. My mornings start pulling
merchadise out of a huge semi truck, with my two buddies who each work
for Journey and Cheap Trick. We three work together, which is
really awesome for me, because despite being a not so girley girl, i
still can't pick those huge boxes up and stack them high above my
head. By the time we are done we are drenched. its pretty
disgusting actually.
Council Bluffs and Oklahoma City were awesome shows. I remember
looking at Ann in OK City thinking...how in the heck does she do that?
I love seeing mongers at the shows. A few of you guys caught me
enjoying the cheap trick set, while trying to hide behind Nancy's
guitars. In Dallas - Rick came in to the wings and threw a
handful of picks at me. The local crew guys were really happy -
as they got to pick up all of them.
Robin teased me that i was there to check out Rick's rear end.
Which totally made me blush - what a joker. (and for the record -
nope - not cheking out his rear!).
More from Robin - In Oklahoma City he took his daughter to the zoo (I
think she's six and sports a hannah montana necklace)- he showed me a
photo of her and a silverback gorilla with a thick layer of glass
between them. They were palm to palm.
In Oklahoma City - The heat really got to Craig. We thought he
was going to fall over by the end of the set. (he's fine)
Debbie caught a cold - but is feeling better already.
I had the stomach flu - or a bit of food poisoning yesterday.
That doesn't work well when you are traveling by bus. I had
to ask them to pull over a few times on the way to florida.
Didn't have a choice really.
The jump seat next to the driver is the best place to have a cup of
coffee in the morning. Put on your headphones and your favorite
song, and watch the world go by.
I love watching Whiz Jr watch Nancy play guitar. (So good to see
you guys! - thank you for the girlie goodies - yummy smelling stuff!)
I really need to make time to learn the new video camera that Ann &
Nancy bought for the website. I promise i'll do that.
Also i'd like to interview a few of you at shows. Just basic
stuff. how long have you been a fan. blah blah blah.
ok - i have to do some paperwork - and then take a nap. I'm still not 100% from that tummy issue.
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| As promised - here it is :) Ann's new tattoo.<br>
[ 7/21/2008 ]
- Posted by : New Tattoo :) |  here you go :) |
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| Summer Tour entry one [ 7/11/2008 ]
- Posted by : Motley Sue | Today is July 11th and we are in Salt Lake City, Utah. I've
unloaded my merchandise and the inventory counts are finished.
The crew is waiting around for the bands to arrive and do soundcheck.
Its the calm before the storm.
So far so good on this run.... but then again its only day two.
First day of rehearsal in Denver, I arrive at the venue. The band
had arrived the day before. I go in to the dressing room to say
hello to Ann, and she says she wants to show me something. I
think its a piece of jewerly or something, because she's moving her
sleeve, and low and behold... it was a new tattoo on her right arm
(elbow to wrist). Its a floral tattoo of
Iris's. At first i thought that it was painted on because
it looked so bright. Then I realized it was because it was so
new.
Ann said that for her first tattoo it wasn't as bad as she thought it
was going to be. She decided to get the Iris's in memory of thier
mother Lou. It really is beautiful. She asked me what she
should be putting on it, and i suggested what i use on mine... (and
yesterday during the day off I picked it up for her).
Here are some random thoughts...
Arnel (the singer for Journey) looks like he just won the lottery, his joy is contagious.
Cheap Trick is awesome. So fun to watch.
Robin Zander introduced himself to me - "Hi, I'm Robin, I'm a friend of Ann Wilson's" (sooo sweet)
Nancy's laugh makes everyone happy
until next time ~
Motley Sue
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| Greg Upchurch [ 3/12/2008 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson | | Those of you who saw our last run in late Feb may have noticed there was a game of musical drumstools going on. Brother Ben Smith played the two shows in Las Vegas and the show in Los Angeles, while in all the rest were handled by Greg Upchurch. If you know Ben you know that he's a dedicated person in his life; to his family, to music, to his friends and to himself. He's doesn't miss gigs lightly, nor does he take his gig as Dad and husband lightly. He has his priorities straight. When his family needed his strong shoulders he was there for them, and we, his extended family were there to give him a break. Greg Upchurch, drummer for '3 doors down' stepped in to take over for Ben until he could get things worked out at home.
Greg is a phenomenal drummer and a fun guy. If anyone involved had nerves about the situation, they were alleviated after we played our first show with Greg. He hits hard, is mega-energetic and is truly something to see on those powerful rockers like Barracuda, Crazy on You or Love Reign o'er me. A big blast of power!
We had fun even though our Ben was not having any. He was up there with us in spirit, and hopefully the family matters that took him offstage will be more resolved for our next outing. We miss our drum daddy. We thank Greg Upchurch for some amazing shows! Musos
rawk. Always. Ann
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| Happy Halloween! [ 10/26/2007 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson |
Happy Halloween Heart Mongers!!!
We're on stage for Halloween, so who knows WHAT might happen!
In the fantasy version it would be Craig as the tin man, Ric as the
Cowardly loin, Ben the great OZ, Debbie certainly a munchkin, I guess
I'd be the scarecrow and Ann of COURSE would be Glenda!!!
Here come the holidays!!!!
LOVE RULES Nancy
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| Last nights Dreamboat Annie Performance [ 4/18/2007 ]
- Posted by : William Duvall of Alice In Chains | It was beyond ripping.
There were several moments where all I could do was
throw up my hands and laugh at how stupidly amazing it was. Lizzy from
Halestorm was duly blown away as well. She had never seen Heart live. But
her parents raised her on the records and it was some of the first music
that ever spoke to her as a child. As I anticipated, she knew every word to
every song. And both Ann and Nancy were wonderful to her backstage, as were
Sherri, Carol Peters, all of the Bangles (who walked in together
like a girl gang - awesome), Jane Wiedlin from the Go Gos, Rosanna Arquette,
and Fairuza Balk. Really a great evening all around. As I told both Ann and
Nancy (and the band), it was a master class in How Its Done. On the one
hand, they were providing a shining example of how to aim high right out of
the gate with your first album (Dreamboat Annie being the unholy hybrid of
Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, the Stones, CSN&Y, etc that it is) and on another
level, they were also giving Ninja lessons on how to maintain 30 years into
the game (Nancy still moves like a sexy Yoga instructor with a guitar and
Ann completely DESTROYED to the point where it was downright frightening).
At the end, I stood up and applauded as one would after just having
witnessed an excellent opera (or a wonder of Nature). Because that's exactly
how I felt.
William
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| Impact Awards, May 2nd 2003 [ 12/5/2006 ]
- Posted by : Motley Sue | On April 2nd, 2003, Ann & Nancy were recipients of the Northwest Impact Awards - by the Recording Academy.
Bernie Taupin presented the award.
Bernie Taupin - Born in the English countryside near Lincolnshire,
Bernie Taupin is regarded as one of the hte most prolific lyricists of the
20th Century. His 27 year collaboration with Elton John has been
said to rival the success of the song writing team of Lennon and
McCartney. In 1986 Heart released a Taupin penned song titled
"These Dreams" which propelled them to their first number one hit in
the U.S. Taupin's perceptive lyrics have sold in excess of 100
million records. Other accolades include the 1994 ASCAP Songwriter
of the Year and introduction into the Songwriter Hall of Fame. In
1992 Taupin produced Commitment to Life VI which raised an unprecedented
$4 million dollars for AIDS Project Los Angeles. Taupin is now a
U.S. citizen and lives in California where he is pursuing other careers
as a painter and restaurant owner.
Below is Bernie's speech for those who have wondered what was said....
Two Daughters of a Marine Corps captain growing up in Southern California and Taiwan.
In that one sentence I think it's pretty easy to understand the
inherent tenacity, the geographical success and the strong will of the
Wilson sisters to continually move forward and succeed even when they
have momentarily been regarded as being out of the picture.
I live and work a horse ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley above Santa
Barbara, California and get pretty cranky these days when anyone tries
to force me anywhere but home. But there is a force of human
nature and overwhelming respect that compels me to be here tonight.
The thing that has always moved me most and still does along with a
dream of perpetual peace and the need to be surrounded by dogs and
horses is music. Some people create music that is here and gone
like cheap candy and then there are those that fore a soundtrack for
people lives and whose material sounds as fresh today as it did the
moment you first heard it.
I defy anyone to not crank up the volume on the car radio, roll down
the windows and bellow out with unabashed karaoke abandon when "Crazy
on You" and "Magic Man" come on. Who hasn't knocked back a few
shots and performed reckless air guitar to "Barracuda".
Actually just thinking about it now makes me wonder how many hundreds
of cover bands must have taken a shot at that, plenty I can guarantee
but none of 'em ever got to say BARRACUDA with the awesome venom that
came through Ann Wilson's equally awesome voice.
I might add that if there's anything about the history of Ann and
Nancy's astonishing careers that irks me it's the fact that not enough
attention has been paid to their talent as song writers. Just take
a swift look at the writing credits on the songs I've just mentioned,
along with those on "Dreamboat Annie" "Little Queen"
"Magazine" Dog and Butterfly" and the erotically titled "Bebe Le
Strange" and so on and so on.
Believe me the Wilson's between those brackets aren't the Beach Boys,
they are two exceptional young women who came from backgrounds in folk
music, the club circuit and all manner of resistance.
It's in our best interests that these two finally hooked up and decided
to work together. Whether Nancy did it to rescue Ann from having
to be in a band called Hocus Pocus and sing Yes's "Siberian Khatru" and
Moody Blue's medley's or whether Ann felt Nancy had more of Jimi
Hendrix in her than Joan Baez, I'm not sure. Luckily they decided
to pool their resources and build an American institution.
To talk about women in rock, and Ann and Nancy's place in the war to
break down barriers is irrelevant. When you play guitar like
Nancy Wilson and sing like Ann, believe me you have nothing to prove to
anyone.
As I've mentioned before when they were counted out and written off
they simply regrouped and stormed back for a second coming launching a
salvo of top ten hits and multi million selling albums.
Not many groups or artists can claim to have achieved such a feat.
In fact the only one that comes to mind is Areosmith, which poses and
pretty good analogy.
Both have balls to the wall survival mentality, both are charismatic as
all hell, both have great songs and rock like a motherf***** and most of
all both have an American heart, a passion for what they do that can
only be nurtured from the music that this country forged.
I'm really proud to say that I've played a small part in their history
not necessarily because of the success of "These Dreams" but because it
afforded me the chance to get to know them better. Of course at
the time (Cameron please forgive me) like so may hapless teenagers and
twenty something I harbored a huge crush on Nancy. However very
sensibly she chose a different path.
Although we have not spent as much time in each others company as I
would have liked, I would like to take this opportunity to say that I
am thrilled to be here for them tonight and be able to convey to them
how important their contribution to popular music has been. If
talent is a gauge by which we measure the metal of the human spirit
then Seattle's very own Rock N Roll sisters stride like giants, believe
me they are all HEART
Ladies and Gentlemen Ann and Nancy Wilson
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| Response to Craig Ferguson, and this year's Halloween Party [ 10/31/2006 ]
- Posted by : Ann | Yeah I thought the Craig Ferguson performance was cool too. There was
even a shot of the Rosewood flute!
Didn't have a Halloween party this year because Ol' Yeller is under construction.
Lynn held the party at her house. The Theme was "an Odd Family Reunion" where all kinds of
people show up and turn out to be your relatives....folks like Captain Jack Sparrow's Mom, Yo Momma bin Laden (looking for her nasty son), nephew Tohn junior as Auntie Ann in the eighties with gigantic
boobs, lots of scary scary people, and of course Annakin Skywalker (Dustin). Oh yes the Grand Inquisitor also attended....which scared EVERYBODY!
There was a nice hootenanny toward the end. Lynn and her crew had made the house VERY scary with things jumping out everywhere, lots of food and drink, and dozens of carved pumpkins glowing out in the front lawns around the windmill. Sometimes that windmill will scream when the wind moves it, but that night it was deep cold, still and crystal clear with a big sky full of stars. It was a great party. One to go down in the book of great annual Halloween spook-outs in Heart land.
~ Love, Ann
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| Hellloooooo [ 10/20/2006 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | HELLO Heartmongers!
Oh what a great summer we all had on the road. Something was really clicking for us this summer. We came to it with a lot of trepidation since 'brother Mike' had to return to Alice in Chains, and we had been pretty sad about it even though all of us completely understood that he needed to return to his original 'family.'
When Ric stepped in to fill the bass position, a whole new cool wave of chemistry kicked in and we suddenly felt like we'd been playing together for years already. Talk about a HUGE lucky break, man, what are the chances?
The set list itself was shifting around during the tour and we settled on one that we couldn't NOT do. Ann's amazing idea to cover Love Reign 'Ore Me by the Who worked like a charm and that song turned into everyone's favorite part of the set. It worked so well for Ann's voice and was especially cool to see the wave of recognition sweep across the sea of faces.
There were a few nights after the show when we swapped around between the tour busses so we could 'hootnanny' and hang out as a band, but only on nights with the next day off so Ann could sing too and not be relegated to the usual silence of saving up her voice. Those are the most unforgettable memories that will always bring a great big smile to me. This band is truly a bunch of kooky cutups!
Everyone working with us too gets along so well and it's quite a smooth professional team of friends getting us through the tough ins and outs of touring. A comfort zone is hard to come by out there, but the shows and camaraderie make up for all the grueling miles. Best of all is when you can share what you love with people who love it too. This summer tour was my fave of all time. Endless thanks to all of you who came out to see us. None of this gets to happen without you!
Love rules,
Nancy
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| A Sad Note [ 3/16/2006 ]
- Posted by : Nancy, Ann & Lynn Wilson |
Last Saturday the 11th was the passing of our mom.
We wished you to know that her journey into the next world was peacful,
pain free, and at home. We all met at her house for a hootenanny and
'mamathon' that lasted a few days and everyone in the family was able
to say their goodbyes and sing the songs she loved. What an honour to
grieve the amazing full life and gifts of a woman who gave us so much
powerful love, music and made us who we are.
She is with us always.
Love rules. ~ Nancy, Ann and Lynn
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation to the to support research (click the link below)
Alzheimer's Association
Please make your memorial donation in honor of Lou Wilson
Your donation cards can be fowarded to Ann, Nancy & Lynn Wilson
c/o Peters Mangement
Post Office Box 1710
Topanga, California 90290
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| Holiday Greetings [ 12/20/2005 ]
- Posted by : The Band ~ | Hello Heartmongers,
Just a quick note to say...
"Happy Holidays and please don't choke on your food and die"
Best of Love,
everyday,
Mike
Hey Heartmongers and all of the ships at sea. Happy holidays!! (boy, is
that the "politically correct" phase this month or not?? I didn't get
the memo.) I'm looking forward to seeing everyone next year on the road.
Well, actually it might be safer on the side of the road. Take care,
love your family and friends and remember, stewed prunes taste much more
like tomatoes than anchovies.
Your pal,
Slatts Bartock
I'm a-wishin' everybody a fantastic and safe holiday season. Drive
safe, call a cab, have a blast.
Love, Ben
Hey there Heartmongers!!!
Hope your holidays rock! See you in the New Year ...
Love,
Debbie
Dearest Heartmongers~
Sheeeeeeesh! Another year looms
large in our legend! I like to think of it as another chance to TAKE
THE POWER BACK!!!! Good things are coming. See you out there.
Have a beautiful holiday everyone....love rules ~ Nancy
" Happy
Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukka (and a 'Festivus for the
Restivus') to all of you . What a year. So many ups and downs. That's
life baby! Here's hoping '06 is full and exciting and that
we all find love. Also there will be much music.
Put another log on that fire. Love,
Ann"
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| The annual halloween party [ 10/31/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson | Hi!
The house was a Hurricane shelter. No
electricity, only flashlights and candles. Blues, jazz and ragtime
music playing mixed in with the sounds of Hurricane Andrew. Peel and
eat shrimp, beer and simple food. The best part was an acoustic jam
circle with everyone packed in, singing and playing for hours. Dustin
got on keyboards for awhile...talk about one happy kid! Tracy Pucci did
her famous Cher imitation, everyone got a chance to sing something.
Nancy and I have two nephews, Tohn and Reed who have a band called 'The
Lushtones' who were there for the jam too. It really was an amazing
time.
People left contributions to hurricane
disaster relief in a great big jar that one of the guests is going to
deliver into the right hands. Another one of the guests ,has just
returned from Louisiana where he was volunteering with the Humane
society feeding and walking abandoned animals.
There was no shortage of FEMA comments, but it
was mostly a night for people to get together and send a shot of
positive energy to those who have been through and who are still going
through these hard times.
The costumes were amazing as always...people
came as anything and everything out of the storm. Oprah was there as
was Dr. Phil. Lots and lots of folks from FEMA (funny how they could
make it to a party), doctors, construction workers, a windswept voodoo
priest, a tattered nun covered in moss and on and on. On a more macabre
note, two, people came as the death angel.
A strange night to be sure. We send all our
love to those in crisis and those who are moving on from it. We raised
a glass to them and to the world that keeps on turning.
Ann
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| Frank Cox's son Chris - sends us a journal ~ he's a volunteer who has been doing animal rescue [ 10/13/2005 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson |
All,
I had a very busy time in the south.
DAY1
I started out Saturday night the 1st on my flight that left sea tac at
10:30pm. After three flights and two layovers later I got to the
Forrest Creek events center in Hattiesburg MS around 11:00am. I pitched
my tent and went right to work walking the remaining dogs they had left
there which were about 20 dogs. I finally had to sleep and went to bed
around 9:00pm.
DAY2
The next morning I woke up at 5:30am and walked all the dogs for their
morning walk. It was cool to see people coming to get there pets and
adopt others. This shelter was being closed down and I worked to get
everything packed up and helped load big containers with pallets of
supplies to be dispersed out to locations for the next disaster,
something that hasn't been done before. With things winding down I was
looking to take off to another shelter.
DAY3
I started again walking the remaining dogs which was down to 4 not
including other barns that had a mix of puppies and aggressive dogs. It
was kind of sad to come to the barn every morning and see empty
kennels. All I know is that they were being taken to other smaller
shelters for adoption. I made plans to get a ride to Gonzales LA. I
worked in the warehouse until about noon when I caught a ride in an RV
with some nice folks from Minnesota. We had to go a long way around
because of bridges that were out in LA. We got to Gonzales which had
about 600 animals. I pitched my tent and we had time to kill before the
10:00pm briefing. At the meeting they were getting groups of people to
go into New Orleans on rescue missions.
DAY4
I woke up at 5:00am to pack up for the morning meeting expecting to go
out on rescue missions. They expressed an urgent need of volunteers out
at the Pasado shelter. I was wondering if Pasado was the name of the
town or the Pasado Safe Heaven organization in Seattle which it was. I
caught a ride with three women from New Mexico, New York, and
Pennsylvania. It was about a 90 mile drive out to a farm that was being
turned in to a temporary shelter. Before my foot hit the ground a girl
was shouting for help. I ran over and helped restrain a dog that was
getting a bath. After that I was walking dog's constantly one cage
after another they had been waiting a while and were happy to get out.
There were some people that meant well but were not able to control the
dogs which were mostly fighter pit bulls. I was shocked because at the
end of the day they told all of the volunteers to leave and I didn't
think they had the people to handle the number of animals left there.
People were pissed and tensions were running high. We left back for
Gonzales and had to wait for the next briefing at 10:00pm. I proceeded
to have many drinks with the people turned away. At the meeting they
didn't have any great explanations for what happened at Pasado and
asked for people to meet in the morning for more missions to New
Orleans. Lots of political BS and egos running the show.
DAY5
I went to the 5:30am meeting and decided I better start my way back to
Hattiesburg after they announced that the Gonzalez shelter was closing.
There were still many people going thru the streets of New Orleans on
feeding missions and only picking up animals in critical need.
There were no rental cars available so I got a ride into Baton Rouge to
the Greyhound bus station. It was pretty scary because it was like
being dropped off in South Central LA after the riots. I went in got my
ticket and it was 11:00am and my bus didn't leave til 1:45am. I went
back outside and caught a cab to anywhere else but that part of town. I
got the driver to take me to a riverboat casino on the Mississippi
river. I had a lot of time to kill till my bus ride. I went to the bar
and everyone there had wristbands on I could tell they were all
refugees. There was a shelter next door with 5600 people that lost
everything. I was telling a couple about how I was waiting to get a
greyhound bus back to Hattiesburg and they were like from the station
on Florida street? I said yes and they were like watch your back that's
a f'd up part of town. They said to stay in the station because it's a
big crack neighborhood.
DAY6 and 7
I got back to the bus stop and got on the bus with no trouble and had
an all night trip to Mobil Alabama, down thru Gulfport, and back up to
Hattiesburg. I got there at 10:30am the next day and started to try and
find a motel. They were all booked until December. I lucked out and
found a motel six with a room for the night. I hung around there until
my flight out the next morning. I woke up at 4:30am and got home at
5:00pm.
I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures and mostly tried while I was walking dogs so here are the best ones I shot.
Chris
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| Elizabethtown [ 10/5/2005 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | Hey Heartmongers and Heart people ~
Well, we are circling the bullseye now with Elizabethtown, it's hard to
even believe it will be in theaters everywhere Friday the 14th! A whole
lotta love and hard work is about to whoosh out into the whole wide
world. Kinda scary but really really exciting. I know I might be rather
PARTIAL to this movie, but so far at all the public screenings I have
attended, everyone was laughing, crying and clapping. We got quite a
few standing O's as well.
SOOOOOOO ~ Don't forget to tell all your freinds and family (it's a PG
movie) to come out IN DROVES for this one. Can't wait to share it with
the world!
Love rules ~ Nancy
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| Hold On [ 9/13/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson | Two weeks have gone by since Katrina hit. We have been blessed on this
site to have had all our Southern Mongers check in safe. I guess all we
can do now is whatever we can to help and support those who haven't
been so lucky, those who have lost so much; maybe everything. I hope
this site can serve as a central place where people who need to can
unburden themselves and talk about what's happened to them, or throw a
kind word some one's way. We are Heartmongers after all.
Once again, we are with you as you get
yourselves resettled and resituated. Those in the Carolinas...bless you
tonight. Hang on.
Much love to you all
Ann
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| To our Southern Mongers [ 8/31/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
My dear Southern Mongers,
My heart goes out to you in so many ways.
Though the monster has blown herself out, she has left you in a changed
world. As hard as it is to understand, you must hang on and breathe.
One breath after another, one foot in front of the other. If you are
reading this you know that as horrendous as all this is, your number
has not been called. You are still here to live and breathe. You keep
the heartbroken land alive with your breath, and you nourish it with
your tears.
Please take my love with you on your journey,
however it winds. Try and be strong and use your head. That's important
when building a future. Music will be there with you to whisper in your
ear and support your heart. We'll see you again, and lordy lord will we
party. Hang on people!
All my love and support to you,
Ann |
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| To Carl - [ 8/31/2005 ]
- Posted by : Mike Inez | Hey Carl,
I'm thinking of you and all of the other Heartmongers in the hurricane
path (Dianne, Michelle, Brandy, Sid, Tracy, Shelley, Leslie, Tina,
Debbie & Becky). The South is full of ghosts, and some of them are
real live people. Stiil breathing,still not really aware of the pain or
happiness or the priviledge of breath and sun. Maybe Katrina created
this for some people,maybe just being born does it for others... THIS
IS NOT YOU!!! Don't forget about the love!! Don't forget about the
life!!! The music is waiting to be sung!!! Have a speedy recovery and
post on the site to tell your Heart family that you are all OK.
CHIN UP, SHOULDERS BACK !!!
You will, and must, make it through.
A survivor's soul is a thing of resiliant beauty, touched by things that should not have touched it,
kicked around by things that come from the sky and sea. I think that
when you get through a tradgedy like this,it sort of stretches
you,bends your head in strange ways. It's up to you to fill the space
with something...hopefully something that inspires you to "keep
on,keeping on".
Best,
Mike Inez
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| Kentucky Derby 2005 - The Last Bash [ 7/20/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
The race is over...but Tracy and I are not
quite finished partying. We have been invited to a party at the home of
movie producer Jerry Bruckheimer and his wife in the countryside
outside of Louisville. The invitation says " southern
hospitality...good music...southern food " and nothing sounds better to
us after all the crowds and excitement than some country air.
Marianne drives us through the warm darkness
for nearly an hour out of town till we find ourselves truly at the
gates of Tara. We are received on the front porch with smiles and
softer voices saying ' please make yourselves at home...'. It is a
beautiful place, a big old southern house lovingly restored to period.
From glistening hardwood floors to 19th century-era paintings on the
cream colored walls, the place is elegant, understated and respectful
of another age of design. We wander through the main part of the house
admiring the attention to detail. There are groups sitting around
tables deep in conversation, erupting into laughter, everyone is
sipping bourbon. We wander outside across the lawns. There are settees
and chairs set about on the grass for the guests. There is an R&B
band playing by the food tent where fried chicken, waldorf salad and
other tasty things are being served. The mood is relaxed and romantic.
No one is people-watching, it seems people are just breathing the night
air and enjoying each other's company.
Tracy and I find some friends from the table
at the race and join them for a glass of local bourbon (very fine!).
Soon we all wander over to the big cedar barn where yet another group
is playing, this time acoustic blues, and coffee and dessert are being
served. The sounds, the smells, the flavors all mix to make us feel
wonderful and very greatful to have been invited here to end our Derby
weekend. A little creek runs alongside the barn and ducks splash in the
water or waddle along the banks. We meet the barn cat who is as relaxed
and serene as we are.
Too soon we realize we must get back to
town...it's a long drive. Thanks to our hosts and farewell to our
friends and Marianne is driving us back along the dark country roads
twinkling with fireflies toward soft pillows and dreams of horses.
The next day we are back at the airport headed
out for Seattle. It seems impossible we've only been gone three days.
We've made a friend in Marianne and when the time comes to leave her at
airport security I don't know whether to give her a brisk handshake or
a hug. I do both. She has helped us so much and played a big part in
keeping us safe. We turn to go and a few moments later Tracy and I sing
"I see my Marianne walking away....." Bye bye! Thanks!
Last scene; two big hatboxes floating down the
jetway on their way back to a city where people barely wear anything
but polarfleece.
Go figure.
Love, Ann
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| Derby Day II [ 7/11/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
No one sees Giacomo coming. The odds on this
horse are 40-1, and only a tiny handful of lucky or 'clued in' people
put money on him. To me, all the horses are miraculous. They are
extreme athletes; big, buff, cut, shiny equine royalty...nothing like
the sweet old riding horses we have on the farm in Seattle (though
there have been moments my little Morgan mare does dare to dream!).
The moment they leave the starting gate
everyone in the place is on their feet. All eyes are locked on the
pack. Whoops turn to yells, yells turn to screams as every person
throws every bit of energy into his or her chosen horse. Blood is
pumping wildly, people are up on their chairs. Afleet Alex is doing
well, but strangely doesn't spark...and then out of the blue, here
comes Giacomo like a locomotive on fire right up through the pack!
People can't believe what they're seeing, people suck in their breath,
hearts do an odd dance, eyes struggle to focus and brains to believe
what they are witnessing. The horses are still building steam as they
get closer to the finish...Giacomo has his mind made up. He gives it a
blast and crosses the line...several horses together with him. The
jockeys stand in the stirrups. They are the only ones who know the
truth at this moment.
There is chaos in the stands and in the
infield. No one understands who has won, no one has expected this. It
is a photo finish, so there is a long moment where people can be heard
saying "who won? Who won?" Finally the giant reader boards down on the
track read "Giacomo". It is an upset. One for the books. Where did this
horse come from? People are indignant, and the whiskey in their veins
makes them yell about it. I look around me...'wow! These folks are
serious.' From another table we hear the overjoyed yell of a winner. He
has won and won big. With Giacomo's odds at 40-1, he has won $40,000.
People let out a collective sigh and collapse in their seats. I look
down at this wonderful horse who now has roses draped across his wet
withers, and stands proudly in the winner's circle being photographed.
I wish I could touch him and smell his horsy scent and tell him
personally I thought he truly rocked. But...he knows.
People start making their preparations to
leave. The race day is over for most. They have parties to go to. They
need to go freshen up before the next round of social events. Tracy and
I are having a little trouble leaving though. There are a couple of
more races as the sun starts to set, and we chill and watch them,
betting the rest of our money. We don't win. Our luck has turned and as
the last race ends we clink our glasses together and toast each other.
Here's to friendship and horses and Marianne and Louisville! Oh yes,
and here's to our hats!
To be continued.
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| Kentucky Derby day [ 7/7/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
"Oh when you're sitting back
in your rose-pink Cadillac
making bets on Kentucky Derby Day..."
The big day dawns. May 7, Derby Day. The
excitement in the air is palpable. Tracy and I have all TVs in our
suite on (ESPN, Local channels devoted to pre-derby coverage) as we eat
breakfast, shower and start our preparation process. We try to keep our
eyes and ears peeled to the buzz about the horses, since neither one of
us really has a clue where to place our bets. The name 'Afleet Alex'
keeps coming up as a real contender and I log that name.
At last the moment arrives. Time to put on our
derby hats. Never underestimate the importance of hats at the Kentucky
Derby. It is a wonderful, whimsical tradition that makes everyone feel
beautiful and certainly very happy. A big part of the Derby experience
is hat watching.
We get out the camera and Marianne takes some
shots of us before we leave. I must say both Tracy and I were all the
way in the spirit of things as we rode down in the elevator and
Marianne shepherded us through the crowded lobby. You could hear the
comments from people who had already been hitting the juleps at 1:00
pm, " ah shore as hell am gonna stay out of yer way, ma'am!" Marianne
is awesome.
We ride through the streets of Louisville
toward Churchill Downs, our hats filling all the space in the back of
the car. It is much different today than it was yesterday. People are
dressed to the nines, where yesterday they dressed more to the sevens
and eights. Upon arrival at the entrance gate there is much more
excitement among onlookers, and the hats floating by are
amazing...magical. I think, 'this is great! A time and place where
imagination rules, and no one is rolling their eyes, shaking
disapproving heads murmuring "TACKY!" '.
Upstairs in the jockey club we are received by
the Barnstable Brown sisters who are our hosts for the weekend. They
are having lunch (filet mignon, lobster, asparagus, coffee-milk...other
delicacies) with other members of their family, and they invite us to
sit down with them and eat. After a few bites we all move outside to a
table on what is called 'Millionaire's row'. The best seats in the
house maybe. We are seated at a table with Meatloaf and his wife, and a
lovely couple from New York who we make friends with immediately. Tracy
and I have discussed the whole mint julep thing in great detail,
knowing that neither one of us has much capacity for amber liquor, we
go slow. It is going to be a long, full day and we both want to be
present to enjoy it. Having said that, there is bourbon everywhere, and
just taking a breath sort of produces a contact swoon.
We start placing bets using the same technique
we used yesterday...read up on the horse and rider, think about the
name. We start out with smaller bets and do moderately well. The next
table to our right is the house of Usher. He is there with his mother,
other family members, security people etc. and is a very big
distraction for press people and fans. It seems everyone is calling his
name for hours and pointing their camera phones and cameras at him,
even as the horses rush by. Finally, he sits down in his seat with his
back to the people and puts on his headphones, the only way he can get
a moment's peace. In a strange moment of revelation, looking at this
handsome, talented young man, this A-list, most desired, highly paid
person of the moment, I feel lucky.
As the races go on, our luck seems to turn. We
up the ante and get more serious with our money. The fine glow of the
afternoon changes as the biggest race of all, the Derby gets closer.
Everyone around us is talking horses. The names shoot around us like
bats...'Sun King', 'Giacomo", 'Afleet Alex'...everyone has their own
idea based on information gotten from some secret inside source who
will win the big race and take the day. I believe it will be Alfleet
Alex. I just have a feeling about this horse, and I'm not alone. They
have been hyping the horse all day long on the TV event coverage. We
put our money down and grit our teeth.
By this time, the infield at Churchill downs
is one huge party. People are camping, grilling, drinking, wearing
costumes, sleeping in the afternoon sun and waiting impatiently for the
moment. Radio and TV stations broadcast from the infield, capturing the
true crazy nature of the Derby down away from millionaire's circle.
Back up in the stands, Tracy and I order a mint julep and take deep
breaths.
MORE
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| "Bling Bling" The Derby Part 4 [ 7/5/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
The mansion house where the gala is being held
is in the middle of a neighborhood, sitting way up in a hill in the
midst. As our car pulls carefully through the streets toward the
mansion driveway, the car is surrounded by curious folks...Moms, Dads
and kids all peering in the car windows at the hoi-foloi. When we get
to the drop off point it is only a rope that is opened for you and you
are steered toward the press tent immediately. The whole environment is
torch lit, giving everything a strange unreal cast. Nothing strange
about the press though. The want to know why I am here, where is Nancy,
what have we been doing, what are we going to do in the future, who
designed the dress, what does the Derby Hat for tomorrow look
like...and most importantly who I think gave the sexiest onscreen kiss
in any movie of all time. Wow that's a hard one. I said
Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin in the 'Big Easy' Muy Caliente!
When that is done we begin our walk up the
long torch lit drive to the mansion house. As you look up at the big
house, you go back in time. It seems every light in the house is lit
and there are good smells and much music pouring down the drive
beckoning. We notice as we walk (being careful to keep our hems off the
ground) that both sides of the drive are lined with little stages. On
these stages performances are going on. The performers are children. In
groups of 2 or 3 they go out to the middle of the little stage dressed
as Dolly Parton, or Willy Nelson or Loretta Lynn and do a short song,
then when the mothers who are standing in the shadows give the signal,
they sit down and the next group dressed as say, Paris Hilton, Britney
Spears and Ashley Simpson will do their little performance and so on.
All these young performers are no more than 5 years old and there is a
creepy sort of Jon Benet Ramsay vibe to all of this. Especially in the
torchlight.
Well, we make our way through the singing,
dancing Munchkins and finally reach the front door. We are welcomed in
and work our way through the crush of beautifully dressed people to our
table. I am finally glad to be at a place where I can people
watch...because the surely is a lot to see!
In the first five minutes I spot Kid Rock, who
is very much in a party mood and comes over to hang a bit, Tammy Faye
Baker passes by (yes on the make-up) Usher comes causing many many
young women' s hearts to spin, Cuba Gooding comes by, Michael McDonald,
Meatloaf, Tara Reid. Many of the women wear extreme formals and mighty
jewelry. Their manicured nails, piled up hair and cosmetically
perfected faces are a really strange vision for ths Seattle girl. All
the members of ZZ Top are there with their blonde wives and on and on.
When Michael Jordan arrives though ,the atmosphere changes. Suddenly
there is a crushing panic to see him. It seems the room is suddenly
twice as full and no longer comfortable to be in. We look around wildly
for Marianne who has been watching us the whole time. She makes her way
into the surging crowd, grabs a-hold of me, I grab a-hold of Tracy and we
begin to pull ourselves out. Inside the surging, twisting mass of
people it feels like it feels to be inside a riptide being pulled this
way and that. Finally we do make it back out onto the torch lit porch,
and I take some deep breaths.
This time the dancing gnomes going back down
the hill seem stranger than ever, 5 year old girls being the Dallas
Cowboys cheerleaders, a 4 year old Elvis, a bunch of really really
young ones doing the Mexican hat dance, a 4 year old Patsy Cline in
tight gold lame, Madonna (5 years old) singing 20 seconds of 'Like a
Virgin'. Uh huh.
Marriane has us back in the car pronto. " We'd like to go back to the hotel, Marriane"
"Yes ma'am."
When we're back in our room she asks if
there's anything else we need tonight or for tomorrow on the big race
day.
"Just some gaffer tape. My hatbox sorta got trashed on the plane"
" yes ma'am. Just let me take the box tonight and I'll do some repair on it for you."
"Thanks very much Marianne, I guess that's all for tonight."
"Yes ma'am. Please lock up after I leave."
"Yes ma'am"
To be continued...
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| Derby Continued (part 3) [ 6/26/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
May 6th, the day before Derby day is called "The Oaks", It begins with
a fabulous brunch at Churchill Downs with much high-falutin' food and
eye-openers. This is when the fillies races are run. Women haven't put
on their big guns Derby outfits yet, but they look beautiful and
extremely well put together at the brunch. You can tell some of these
girls have been planning their outfits for several years.
Tracy and I don't have hats for The Oaks day. Back in Seattle we hadn't
heard it was required, so we do our best with the hair on our heads. We
look ladylike, but rawk. We sit at the table in the Jockey's loungue
and start betting. We have been given $1000 to wager with for the two
days, so we start slow. We soon find that Tracy has a talent for
picking them. We consult on each race, and that day we end up winning
every race we bet on. The combination of the juleps and the winning has
Tracy in a state. Her hair is standing on end and fire is shooting out
the ends of her fingers. I'm very happy too of course, but I don't have
the gambler's fever as much. My friend, on the other hand takes it very
very seriously. By the end of the afternoon we are up $1700 and ready
to party.
The night before the actual Kentucky Derby Race, Louisville is full of
partying; from barefoot kids in their shorts and tank tops selling
smoky bones on the sidewalk, to ladies in sparkling evening gowns
getting in and out of long black cars. Music pours from all the bars,
and there in the sound of big motorcycle engines revving, caught in
traffic. Our hotel is right on the Ohio River, and the riverboats tied
up there play their calliopes adding to the surreal romance of the May
night.
Up in our sumptuous two bedroom suite, Tracy and I have taken some
short naps and are now dressing for the Barnstable-Brown Gala, a black
tie/formal affair given by our hosts to benefit the Diabetes
Foundation. We are told that just EVERYONE will be there, and that
exciting because this isn't a hollywood event, or a rock or hip hop
one. Literally ANYONE might be there.
We dress carefully. Tracy chooses a floorlength black dress with a
plunging neckline, blood red Marc Jacobs heels and red roses in her
curly black hair. I put on a floor length silver gown with a short
tailored black velvet jacket over it. Tracy styles my hair so that the
cobalt blue and black pieces hang shiney and orientally straight. Some
shiney Etro flats and we are ready. The big purses are left behind.
Only a little sparkly clutch will do for this party. Lipstick, credit
card.
Then our security person, Marianne knocks on the door and sees us. Her eyes get wide.
"Y'all sure look purty t'night " she says. We know we've arrived. Off we go to the ball with our very own policewoman!
To be continued...
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| Where do i start... part 2 [ 6/23/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann |
...anyway, it turns out that since Kentucky is the home of America's
finest bourbon whiskey distilleries large and small, the drink of
choice at the Derby is the Mint Julep. If that makes your head spin
just thinking about it, just wait.
When we arrived at Louisville airport schlepping our big round boxes,
we headed on down toward baggage claim through an environment that had
been decorated to the hilt. There were teen-age girls in wide hoop
skirts handing out chocolates filled with (you guessed it) Bourbon, and
bluegrass music playing as a friendly cart stopped and offered to give
us a lift the rest of the way. Painted portraits of past Derby winners
graced the walls, and the airport shops were festooned with flowers.
When the cart came to the end of the line we dismounted and peered
nervously down the hallway. To our surprise there was a tall, uniformed
policewoman bearing down on us with a look of determination. We
wondered quickly what we could have done wrong. We needn't have
worried, it was Marianne, our own, personal security person provided by
our hosts. Her job was to guard us 24/7, to be on call should we need
anything, to drive us around, get us into places smoothly, to keep any
odd ones at a distance and generally take care of us. Marianne tuned
out to be our angel.
Going to the Derby or someplace like Mardi Gras is obviously alot
different than being on a Heart Tour where everything is the way we
like it, and the people around are respectful. No, all people aren't as
cool as our Heartmongers. It was amazing to me how just the sight of
Marianne, her uniform, her height, her no-nonsense air could clear us a
good path through a crowded hotel lobby. People just didn't mess with
her at all. She made getting around in the packed little city much much
easier.
The first night, we got our beauty sleep, set out hats and gowns and
shoes for the next two days of races and parties. We researched the
horses as best we could, hoping to make some intelligent bets if
possible...but that's another story. After a nice glass of wine and a
little recap of the first day, we went to our respective rooms and laid
down our heads.
To Be Continued......
Ann
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| Where do I start... [ 6/23/2005 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson |
Where to start?
I guess the Kentucky Derby would be a good place.
After a lot of traveling during the Winter and Spring to places like
Las Vegas, Chicago, Vancouver, Nashville and LA (all to do different
types of gigs) I thought it would be nice to have some sort of
non-working getaway. As luck would have it, I received an invitation
from Tricia Barnstable-Brown of Louisville to join a celebrity guest
list for the Derby and surrounding fun-filled days. It was all expenses
paid for me and one friend, so I offered this dream come true vaction
to my dear friend Tracy Pucci. For those of you who do not know her,
she has been stylist and close friend to both Nancy and I for seventeen
years, beginning way back in the 'Heart' album days.
Tracy and I got really
excited about the "girl" aspects of attending America's most famous
horserace...things like our hats for Derby day, and our gowns for the
black tie gala on Derby eve. We ordered our special hats six weeks in
advance from a fine milliner named Jill Henning (you can find her
website online if you're interested. She is truly an artist.) As the
weekend drew close, the huge round boxes arrived...
My LORD we're actually going to wear these things!!
What if they don't fit in the airline overhead bin? Well, Tracy and I
are nothing if not adventurers, so we blasted off from Seattle early
one morning bound for Louisville KY...or as we came to find out
"Loo-a-vull".
Yes the gigantic hatboxes
did just barely fit in the overhead bins, and everywhere along our
route people asked "going to the Derby?" When we got our connecting
flight in Minneapolis/St. Paul suddenly we were swimming in a sea of
hatboxes. There was real excitement in the air, and I noticed more that
just a little bit of bourbon being ordered...
Ann
Here's an old photo of Tracy and I from Halloween - I'll get sue our hat photos soon!
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| Nancy and Cameron go to the pacific northwest to show th film and support independant record stores [ 5/29/2005 ]
- Posted by : Motley for Nancy | The two shots on stage is when I jumped on stage with John Doe who
was playing a solo set at Chop Suey club in Seattle. 
He had
invited me to play and so we told no one till he called on me. We
played the Dylan song that starts out ~ "She's got everything
she needs, she's an artist she dot' look back...." He introduced me and then said, ah yeah ~ "this song
is about you!"
 Very sweet guy, and super talented. He played many new
great songs from an upcoming album. check him out at http://www.xtheband.com
the last photo is outside of a screening that Cameron and Jim did of
Elisabethtown(only about 20 minutes of the film) for a few people
from CIMS) pictured left to right are... Don Van Cleave(CIMS)
Jill Wheeler(CIMS) Scott Register(CIMS)Jim James (My Morning
Jacket)Andrea Paschal(CIMS)Melanie Nipper(CIMS)
Jim Fahy(CIMS) Cameron, Nancy.- This was a photo from the presentation
Cameron and Jim did for the group @ the Northwest Film Forum for his
new movie Elizabethtown.
Jim James in the back with curly hair and beard, had just done an
awesome solo acoustic set in the theater after the screening. He is the
lead singer of the Kentucky based band My Morning Jacket who's songs
show up in the movie. Jim and some of his band mates are also members
of the fictitious Etown rock band RUCKUS who play a small part in the
movie as well...a very funny small part.
Sorry this info is a bit late.... :)
Nancy (as posted by Sue)
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| Scoring Elizabeth Town [ 5/16/2005 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | Hey there Heartmongers ~
Thought I'd update you on a cool little session that
happened at my house a few days back. Ben was in town working on a few
other music projects and I managed to vector him over to my studio for
an afternoon. Mike came trekking over too and we had a fine jam
session. Power trios beware! It could become a new Heart song,
something for Ann to sing, or something for Cameron's movie, ya never
know....
It's called Little Red Shoes.
We were so glad to just hang out and catch up with
each other, that the record button had to wait awhile while we just
couldn't help joking around and gossiping about our wacky lives.
Finally Carl Kaller, my engineer and music editor just had to ask us on
the headphones, "Is everything WORKING?" Or, he might have asked "Is
ANYONE working?"
Then we had to do the "work" which, of course is no work at all.
All we needed was Ann, Craig and Debbie and we could
have been thrown out of the neighborhood! Lucky it was a weekend
afternoon and not Sunday morning at 3AM!
So, not THAT much to report otherwise except that Elizabethtown is
starting to really take shape, and it's all getting quite exciting
around Paramount.
See ya at the July shows!
Cheers :~D
Nancy
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| Hey There Mongers! [ 4/11/2005 ]
- Posted by : Debbie Shair | Hey there Mongers!
It was great to see so many of you in Chicago (and, uh, I'm still a bit
blushy from your warm group welcome! :) We all sure had a blast there
and can't wait for July! It's been a busy several months here in my
neighborhood. Just a quick recap ... did some traveling, played some
harp for Nancy on the killer soundtrack she's putting together, did
some work on my local band's CD, got hooked up with the awesomely
talented Deana Carter (with whom I've been and will be playing
occasionally), bought a food processor and learned how to use it, swam
the English Channel, taught a chimpanzee how to read, reproduced the
Houdini underwater escape, and built a rocket in my backyard and
launched a communications satellite into orbit while my neighbors sat
and watched, puzzled.
:Debbie |
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| Spring has sprung [ 3/29/2005 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | Hey there Heartmongers ~
There is so much cool stuff going on right now it's hard to know where to start.
The score and soundtrack for Elizabethtown is going
swimmingly and looks like the movie will be out in October.
Here comes the CMT awards where we'll be ...
*edited so that we don't spoil the event!!*
Spring is springing up everywhere and music is in the air.
LIFE IS GOOD.....
LOVE to all ~ NANCY
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| What have I done... Well...since i left the witness protection program... [ 3/29/2005 ]
- Posted by : Craig | "Since I got out of the witness protection program and resumed my normal
life in vinyl repair, things have been darn good. Princess is in college
now and little Scooter can actually use the power tools on his own. That
gives the little woman and I plenty of time at night to play with our
Law And Order action figures. It also gives me time to finish up
another project that I'm pretty keen on. An all white version of The
Wiz..........
Actually gang, I've put the finishing touches on an amazing home
recording studio and I've just been cranking out new music right and
left now that there's no LA commute involved.
Life is good (even with no carpools lanes!).
I've been collaborating with some of the top writers in the business
lately and really focusing on producing what I feel is some of the best
stuff I've come up with in a while (well, at
least since Jupiter's Darling!!).
An artist that I produced named Brie Larson is coming out soon and I'm pretty excited about that as well.
I've also been getting back into writing and scoring symphonic music.
That's always been one of my biggest loves and now the technology exists
for one person to be a complete orchestra.
What a time we live in!
The PBS show in Chicago was amazing. It was like we never took a break
in between. When we all got on stage to rehearse, the magic was just
instantly there. And it was great just hanging with my brothers and
sisters again.
It's going to be good doing shows again this summer and seeing the fans too!
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go put on some comfortable clothes
and go downstairs and get some more writing done!!! (A splendid time is
guaranteed for all)"
Craig
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| Mike Inez - checking in [ 3/23/2005 ]
- Posted by : Mike Inez | Hello Heartmongers,
I have just been sitting in my house in the forrest,watching the spread of democracy in a troubled world.
Apparently there is no topical cream for that.
And outside of getting f****d by our government every single day of my life,
I haven't been up to a whole lot, to be quite honest.
Try not to get your legs chewed off by unseen things.
sleep tight,
Mike Inez
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| From My family to yours [ 12/31/2004 ]
- Posted by : Ann Wilson | Well the mercury is sitting right at 32 degrees in Seattle today, and I
have decided to stay in my PJ's for awhile with a cup of coffee from my
new Coffee maker. The kids both have friends over and they are playing
with their new toys....Dustin and Truman Smith (Ben's son) prefer a
giant cut up shipping box, while Marie and friend Libby are working out
melodies on Marie's new autoharp.
New puppy Georgie, the West Highland white Terrier is sleeping next to
me. I wanted to reach out to you guys to say what an amazing year 2004
was and how wonderful it was to see your faces again. The sight of
those faces will never disappear from my memory. We took on a little
more than we normally do, so it took us all awhile to rest up when the
tour was over, but now we're all feeling great and are scanning the
future for the best way to return when Nancy is once more free from
scoring and can join us. We're always looking for something a little
different....not just the same old rounds every time. Lots of
interesting offers are coming in; all types. Luckily we have smart
management to sort it all out. Just let it be said, though, that you
will see us in 2005.
With the horrific events in Thailand, Sri Lanka, India etc it is not
the time to disappear, but rather to extend a hand. Music warms and
supports the world. It is our real job as artists to sing to the world
and right now it could really use a lullabye. I hope you all have had a
good year, and those who haven't are looking forward to 2005. It's
really really important to keep looking forward and looking for those
chances ahead. That's what's meant by "keeping your chin up" you know!
From My family to yours, Happy Holidays and a very happy and healthy new year!!
Love, Ann, Marie, Dustin & the pups |
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| Mongers of the world unite! [ 12/31/2004 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | Mongers of the world unite! What a doozy of a year we had! The album
was released and the third of three awesome summer tours was
accomplished, and no people or animals were injured in the process! As
always we want you to know how much we appreciate your mongering. What
would Heart be without Heartmongers? Like a flower without sunshine.
Thankyou all again for your loyal true friendship. We would never take
it for granted. You are what it's all about.
This new year should promise to be another inspiring one. Elisabethtown
will be released in the summer with new Nancy score music. The
Lovemongers will probably be forced to reunite and do a whole lot of
benefit shows for the Red Cross and getting our troops home for peace ~
AGAIN! Who knows, anything could happen this year...most of all, even
though this may sound corny, we wish the world peace and love...we need
peace on earth and good will to all men now more that ever!
Cheers! Happy New Year!
Nancy
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| Hellooo heartmongers!!! [ 10/6/2004 ]
- Posted by : Nancy Wilson | A Big Hearty Thank you to all Heartmongers~
Helloooo Heartmongers!
We have seen so many of you guys showing up at so many of our shows this summer that it was just unbelievable. While we were out here, slaving in the trenches, working harder than maybe ever, you guys and gals somehow found a way to come out to show after show - and it didn't go unnoticed! It really means everything to us.
You are like a band of merry traveling cheerleaders. It cheered us up to see your beaming faces....Beaming faces who know ALL the words to ALL the new songs!!!! It's been cool to have a little time to talk with some of you guys and gals here and there as well.
The fan banner is brilliant, Nancynsparky's scrapbook was stellar, Connie won the fan of the year award and the presents were perfect and the support was simply stupendous! Thank you for being there for us when and where you can. You are the reason why we do all this hard work to begin with. It's all about love, baby!
See you soon!
Ann and Nancy |
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