Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Marie Larkin known professionally as Joan Jett, is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and occasional actress, best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, preceded by success with The Runaways, including their hit song "Cherry Bomb". The Blackhearts' record "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982. Their other popular recordings include "Crimson and Clover", "I Hate Myself for Loving You", "Do...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMusician
Date of Birth22 September 1958
CountryUnited States of America
A lot of people ask me why I don't expand and explore other musical areas, but I like the plain three- and four-chord rock-and-roll that I call the the semi-blues.
I've been doing this stuff for so long it's the one aspect of my life that I've paid attention to and really sort of not paid attention to the rest of it.
So it was out of necessity that Blackheart was born. I think it's great that now, 25 years later, we're not only putting out our own music, but are able to put out music by other bands. That's really exciting for us.
Def Leppard is obviously a different band that we are, but the music work well tighter. And the audiences seem work well together too. We are opening, but we're having a good time.
One of the mistakes I made was believing that the rock n' roll genre as a genre was much more free than the whole pop or R&B scene.
We always play clubs. It's not something that I feel above. Those are my favorite shows because they're intimate, they're tight, their sweaty, they're hot. You're close to the people. Those are my favorites.
We all make judgments on people, but some are much more brutal than others. It's easy to say, 'Ya know, I'm not crazy about what she's wearing,' but you don't have to be nasty about it, and you don't have to be public about it.
Rock 'n' roll music is what gets me off.
When you're onstage and the audience is smiling and singing and bopping along and you're all on the same level, it's the best feeling in the world. It may sound dumb and corny to say it, but it's like pure love.
I wouldn't say no to other kinds of musical opportunities. I guess that it just depends on what it was or what it required me to do, and if I felt that it compromised my own soul.
My parents taught me I could be anything in the world I wanted to be.
People like to tear you down. People are always going to take shots. You've just got to go for it.
The better your base is, and the more you know from experience, the better off you'll be when you try and make the big move.
The Runaways' audience was 90 percent male. That was kind of depressing...Why don't women-our own gender-come out and support us?