Ann Wilson (born June 19, 1950) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the hard rock band Heart. Regarded as one of the best female vocalists in rock music history, Wilson was listed as one of the "Top Heavy Metal Vocalists of All Time" by Hit Parader magazine in 2006. (More from Wikipedia)
Many women perform with their sisters in order to have company in otherwise all-male bands, and that is true of Heart, one of the most successful and longest-lived hard rock bands in history. This is another band that would have been a good one to add to the discussion some months back about bands with a hidden history. Everyone thinks of lead vocalist Ann Wilson and her sister, guitarist and vocalist Nancy Wilson when they think of Heart; but actually, Heart began in Vancouver, British Columbia all the way back in 1963, when bass guitarist Steve Fossen and guitarist brothers Roger Fisher and Mike Fisher started a band initially called the Army that later took the name White Heart. The Wilson sisters became romantically involved with the Fisher brothers – Ann with Mike, and Nancy with Roger – and Nancy Wilson officially joined the band in 1974 following shortly by Ann Wilson. After Mike Fisher became the band's engineer, keyboardist Howard Leese and drummer Michael Derosier rounded out the band.
In addition to Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson of Heart, there are a host of Wilsons who have made popular music over the years. The Beach Boys – "America's band" according to no less than President Ronald Reagan (whose middle name is Wilson, come to think of it) – was founded in 1961 by Brian Wilson, his brothers Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson, and their cousin Mike Love; Al Jardine was the one original bandmember not in the family. Another Nancy Wilson is a top-notch jazz vocalist who started in the 1960's and frequently crossed over to the R&B and rock charts. Mary Wilson was one of the founding members of the Supremes; the story of the other bandmembers being eclipsed by lead singer Diana Ross formed the main storyline for the Broadway musical Dreamgirls that later made Jennifer Hudson a star in the film version, Dreamgirls. Then there are R&B singers Jackie Wilson and Wilson Pickett, country star Gretchen Wilson, comedian and chef Justin Wilson, and many others.
