joan jett

Joan Jett is an originator, an
innovator, and a visionary. As
the leader of the hard-rocking
Blackhearts, she's had eight
platinum and gold albums and
nine Top 40 singles, including
the classics "Bad Reputation," "I
Love Rock 'N' Roll," "I Hate Myself
For Loving You," and "Crimson
and Clover." She sits at the head
of her own independent label,
Blackheart Records. Jett has
acted in movies, including
1987's Light Of Day, with Michael
J. Fox and Gena Rowlands, and in
a Tony-nominated Broadway
musical, The Rocky Horror Show.
As a producer, she has overseen
albums by Bikini Kill, Circus
Lupus, and the Vacancies, as well
as the Germs' LA punk
masterpiece, GI. Jett was even
one of only two women named
to Rolling Stone magazine's list
of the 100 greatest guitar
players of all time.
In the end, though, Joan Jett's life
has been dedicated to one goal
and one goal only - rocking the
hell out of every listener she can
reach. "I remember times when I
was at shows and the person
onstage locked eyes with me,"
she recently told Esquire
magazine. "And in that moment,
everything was right with the
world. I think that's part of my
job, to create these thousands of
moments every night."
Since co-founding the
Runaways, the pioneering all-girl
punk quintet, at age 15, Jett's
determination and drive have
kept her in the public eye. This
year, however, her profile will
skyrocket yet again, with the
release of both a long-awaited
feature film telling the story of
the Runaways and a new, two-
disc Greatest Hits collection.
The Runaways is based on lead
singer Cherie Currie's book Neon
Angel. Kristen Stewart, star of the
Twilight series films, plays Jett,
and her fellow A-Lister Dakota
Fanning portrays Currie. The
movie chronicles the band's
early years; formed by teenage
girls living near Hollywood, CA.,
the Runaways became the first
all-girl band to break into the
world of arena-filling hard rock
acts.
After the success of their first
single, "Cherry Bomb," the
Runaways toured with such acts
as the Ramones, Cheap Trick, and
Tom Petty. But in Japan, the band
became huge stars - their arrival
for a set of shows in 1977 was
like Beatlemania all over again.
During the Japanese tour, Currie
began to struggle, and she left
the band when they returned
home - but Jett decided to keep
fighting the rock & roll fight,
with the Runaways and then on
her own.
Jett has been close to the project:
She serves as an executive
producer on the film, and she
has described Kristen Stewart as
being "like a little sister." For her
part, the young actress has said
of Jett that "her story's
important - it's an incredibly
triumphant feminist story,
really."
The two discs of the Greatest Hits
set, meanwhile, present twenty
blazing tracks from Jett's three-
decade-plus career. From "Cherry
Bomb" through her smashes in
the '80s and '90s, all the way up
to the recent favorite "A.C.D.C.,"
it's a comprehensive look at one
of rock's most iconic figures.
In addition, the compilation will
feature eco-friendly packaging
(100% recycled paper and
biodegradable trays). Jett, who
has been dedicated to protecting
the environment for most of her
life, couldn't be more thrilled to
be offering a "green" effort.
"I've always appreciated nature,"
she says, "trees, grass, birds, sun,
and even insects. I obsessively
recycle. I almost never turn on
lights; I pretty much live in the
dark. I don't use a lot of water.
I'm a vegetarian, so I avoid
contributing to the major
environmental damage that the
meat industry creates. I hope
that soon we can make sure that
everything we do is earth-
friendly."
Of course, the hits collection will
be released through Jett's own
Blackheart Records, a label she
founded in 1980 - which made
her the first female artist to own
and operate an independent
record company. She and her
longtime songwriting partner/
producer Kenny Laguna created
Blackheart after being rejected
by 23 different labels when she
was trying to release "I Love
Rock n Roll," after she parted
ways with the Runaways. (The
song went on to spend eight
weeks at Number One in 1982,
and remains one of Billboard
magazine's top thirty songs of all
time.)
Blackheart Records is currently
home to such up-and-coming
groups as San Antonio-based
female threesome Girl In A Coma
(Both Before I'm Gone) and Los
Angeles' pop-punk trio the
Dollyrots (Because I'm
Awesome). The label continues to
add new artists to its roster.
"I keep my eyes open [for new
acts to sign] all the time when
I'm on the road," says Jett. "We
made Blackheart Records what
we wanted it to be. It's a place
where musicians can feel
comfortable, both in a work
environment and on an artistic
level."
Since the release of Sinner in
2006, Jett has continuously
toured across the globe,
including a summer as a
headliner on the Vans Warped
Tour and stints alongside such
bands as Aerosmith. Her music
has become a permanent force
in mainstream culture. Faith Hill
sings "I Hate Myself for Loving
You" as the theme for NBC's
Sunday Night Football, and "Bad
Reputation" is the theme for the
hit show American Chopper.
Jett’s version of "Love is All
Around," the theme from the
Mary Tyler Moore Show, became
a popular anthem for women's
sports. Her songs have also been
featured in countless films,
including Shrek, Charlie's Angels,
and Monster.
Joan Jett has spent her lifetime
breaking barriers and
challenging expectations. She’s
fought hard for all of her historic
accomplishments, yet she
remains humble and
appreciative.
"I've had a blessed career," she
says. "I consider myself so lucky
to have been able to do things
my own way."
Joan Jett And The Blackhearts