...when it was Martha's voice in the recording.
Oh, here's what Martha looks like:
Posted on 03/21/2021 5:44:54 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Ann Wilson has detailed the “cruel and nasty” body shaming that gave her anxiety during the height of Heart’s career.
“Anxiety about that really peaked for me in the 1980s when Heart was having its biggest commercial success,” the singer recalled on Mind Wide Open, the IGTV series and podcast hosted by Chris Cornell's daughter, Lily Cornell Silver. “When that happens, you get into this really intense cross section of spotlights. And, on top of that, it was MTV days when you had to not only be in a band, you had to look like a model, you had to be able to sing and dance and act, and look just fantastic all the time from every angle.”
For Wilson, the harshest body shaming came from critics assigned to cover Heart’s concerts.
“I kept getting criticized for not looking like a model. For being real,” the rocker recalled. “There were a couple of reviews I remember that were just so cruel. So personal and just cruel and nasty.”
One review in particular left Wilson speechless.
"We were in an airport and I read this review from the night before that really just landed on me for everything that was ‘wrong’ with me. And didn't even mention that I sang,” the singer noted. “I had to go find a restroom and get into a stall and just chill because I felt I was going to go crazy. I felt it was just all too much. I couldn't take all that kind of personal criticism on such a huge public scale. When I chilled out and finally came out, I was okay, but that kind of thing started happening. That led to me having stage fright. Like, 'I don't even want to go out there.’ That kind of critique, all heaped upon one person in the band, it’s all my fault, that was too much of a cross to bear for me. I couldn’t handle it.”
Wilson developed unhealthy habits in an effort to cope with her anxiety.
“I partied to relax. To escape those feelings of anxiety. Pretty classic reasoning,” the Heart rocker admitted. “If something is really terrifying and off-putting and you can’t face it, you might retreat into drugs and alcohol, which is what I did at the time.”
Ann wasn’t criticized for being ‘real,’ she was criticized for being fat. People who heard Heart on the radio and were attracted by the music turned away disappointed when they saw how obese Ann allowed herself to become. Ann has no one to blame but herself, she ruined her life one mouthful at a time. It’s a damn shame.
As for the haters, as the Brits would say, sod 'em.
And never forget Kate Smith, she owned Radio back in the ‘30s through the 50s..
Leslie West is another one
And Adele before she lost all her weight.
Couple points.
When government completely takes over healthcare they start imposing restrictions on receiving healthcare such that you have to be in certain weight ranges to be eligible for surgeries.
Like any business, appearance is part of the product. All things being equal, a more attractive product is going to do better than an unattractive product. Being overweight probably reduced sales and cost her some opportunities but she has done well overall. It was her choice in life selections, it was the customers and songwriters choice as well. There is nothing wrong with allowing people choices.
Nice list there.
And John Popper from Blues Traveler. I remember the “Runaround” video where they had some skinny guy singing, while John was hidden in the back.
Yeah forget the fat shaming. She needs bad rock shaming.
Sorry but I only focused in Nancy Wilson. Hot as hell!
...when it was Martha's voice in the recording.
Oh, here's what Martha looks like:
That just rots. Heart plays amazing music and I never cared what any performer looked like.
Have you seen Ann sing Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Center Honors for Zepplin?
I can watch it every day and still get shivers.
The video is marred by Bath House and His Manly Beard but just for a second.
Please to enjoy
Steve Nicks gained weight too. She’s still a great singer.
That is a very young Vince Clarke behind her, one of the most brilliant electronic composers and performers in history. Founding member of Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure. Genius.
Not everyone can be Kieth Richards!
Seriously, I’m kind of not as sympathetic as I could be. Unhealthy lifestyles create unhealthy results.
Their music was great.
Stevie Nicks is NOT a great singer. She is a great sheep impressionist, perhaps the greatest bleeter of all time.
We called it the ‘Ann cam’ because in the 80s they would just show her face and then cut to Nancy and the band in some of the videos. She has great rocker pipes, recently I got into Mistral Wind again, just a really heavy song.
Freegards
Power asked Plant what his thoughts were when he was watching Heart play the song. “How much had been lost and how this great glorification was so far away from the initial intention of the song,” Plant said.
“And the way that time modifies and these are occasions which celebrate the connection between music and people and its effect, which is great, but I thought this environment was like so far out and so … It was just like ‘What am I doing here?’ and ‘What’s happened to the song?’ and ‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ But did I like it for the last previous 20 years? No.”
Plant appeared moved in the video, Power pointed out. “Absolutely, yeah,” Plant said. “I’m in floods. It’s a good job they didn’t play ‘The Lemon Song!'”
“But, you know, the thing is, it’s like what the hell has happened to everything? Plant said. “And how beautiful was that in its first … conceptually, to achieve a song, take it from start to finish in that sort of almost symphonic build, even with the fact it gets faster, it’s great. Intentional drama and all that, it’s super.”
“But it’s kind of … I’d gone so far away from the whole idea of bow ties and evening dress and celebrating Led Zep like that because we were the guys that weren’t allowed into bars because they didn’t like the look of us. And we were given the keys to the city of Memphis, Tennessee by the mayor at 7pm on stage and under house arrest at 10pm.”
Now, he co-wrote the song so who am I to criticize his feelings? But basically the guy felt Heart was all part of a conflagration of HIS song, of HIS history.
Well, then, why the F did you do it? You have NEVER been honored by the govt of the U.K. America facilitated your acquisition of several fortunes. I think Heart and Ann did more justice to your song than Zeppelin did after 1977, and you are all in floods because of a situation TO WHICH YOU AGREED?
Jerry Cantrell, possibly the greatest guitarist of the grunge era, is tight with the Heart crew. He wasn't allowed to induct Heart into the Rock Hall because they didn't think he was a big enough star. That's a load of crap.
I'd rather see Cantrell and Heart over a Zeppelin reunion any day. At least it'd be sincere. And good.
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