Nancy Wilson answers questions about who she is
Interview conducted May , 2018
By Daniel Locke
Nancy Wilson is celebrated as one of the seminal musicians in the history of Rock n’ Roll. A guitar virtuoso from the age of 10, Nancy, and her sister Ann, led the multi-platinum rock group, Heart. Together they have gone on to sell 35 million records. Nancy is revered as an ingenious guitar player and a gifted vocalist. As a songwriter, Nancy has co-written a collection of indelible songs that have earned their way into the classic rock canon including, “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda,” and “Straight On.”
During an era when females in rock n’ roll were scarce, Nancy helped carve out a place for women to front a band and dominate a rock stage. Her icon status was cemented when Heart was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. That same year, she and her sister received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Wilson sisters celebrated another career milestone in 2013 when they performed Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” at the Kennedy Center Honors. Their note-perfect performance was met with rowdy cheers and a standing ovation in the staid hall and brought members of Led Zeppelin to tears.
Nancy has also built a successful career as a film composer. Her composing credits include scores for the following films:
2005 Elizabethtown
2001 Vanilla Sky
2000 Almost Famous
1995 Jerry Maguire (main theme)
1989 Say Anything
In 2017, Nancy stands at the starting line of exciting new co-writing/performance opportunities with her powerhouse band ROADCASE ROYALE, revitalized, as she pushes forward into a fresh artistic world.- Roadcase Royale Website
Mary J. Blige and Sarah McLachland with Ann and Nancy Wilson (credit: Dan Locke)
Unratedmagazine: What type of training did you have, to learn how to play guitar? And do you remember the first time you played in front of an audience?
Nancy Wilson: I was already a player of the ukulele and the piano and singing when I picked up the guitar – it was a natural thing to teach myself and learn by ear.
What was the first song you wrote?
The first song I wrote by myself was called Rain Song – It appears on the Live at McCabe’s CD and I was 12 years old when I wrote that.
Did you have any classical guitar training?
I did but not til later – when Heart first started touring in the mid-70s, I took some classical lessons because I was interested in it, but I didn’t have time to pursue it further because Heart’s first tour was underway, and we were just getting started and touring and figuring out scheduling on our first tour took so much time to get used to.
What were some of the key points in your musical career?
Some of the top points were the first album, “Dreamboat Annie,” being successful. Another key point was our first concert on a big stage opening for Rod Stewart in Montreal when everyone held up their lighters. Also, playing at Radio City Music Hall was a highlight for me in 1986 for the first time and then when playing at the Royal Albert Hall in 2016. Also, the Kennedy Center Honors to honor Led Zeppelin with our rendition of “Stairway to Heaven,” was an outstanding highlight.
How did you get involved with Roadcase Royale?
I met Liv Warfield backstage at the Hollywood Bowl along with Ryan Waters (our guitar player) from Prince’s New Power Generation when they opened for Heart in 2015. And the rest is Roadcase Royale history!!!
How did they get their name?
Roadcase Royale ( Credit: Jeremy Danger)
The six of us in the band think tanked a name for the band when we first started out together and we finally had to take a vote and the majority won! The image of Royale came from the Prince camp and the Roadcase came from the Heart touring with so many roadcases was a clear choice for all of us at the end of the day.
How is it to work with Liv Warfield?
It’s unbelievably fine working with Liv. I have a new sister!
I have seen you performed, many times over the years. Which song do you enjoy performing the most live?
My favorite is Mistral Wind for a rocker.
For a ballad, my favorite is Alone.
You have done composing for your ex-husband’s (Cameron Crowe) movies. Do you give him any creative input into the films?
I was always involved in working on the musical side of the film as well as the story and script side of the film because it was the type of film where the music and the story go hand in hand together.
What was the hardest song for you to master?
The hardest song for me to master has always been These Dreams. It’s complicated musically, and it’s really complicated melodically. My favorite version of this song is actually on the new Roadcase Royale album, “First Things First”. If you haven’t had a moment to check it out, please do so – it’s my absolute favorite version!
If you had to create a Supergroup who would you like to have in the band with you?
(Laughs!)
Liv Warfield on vocals – Ryan Waters on guitar – Chris Joyner on keyboards, Ben Smith on drums and Dan Rothchild on bass – who, coincidentally make up Roadcase Royale!!!! I have my supergroup!!!
Nancy Wilson (credit: Daniel Locke)
What is your favorite guitar, and did you have anything special done to it?
My favorite acoustic guitar is my signature Martin and my favorite electric guitar is my 1963 Lake Placid blue telecaster. The classic guitars are better left untouched so nothing custom on my telecaster.
Anything you would like to say in closing
We’re excited to be going back out on the road this summer billed as Nancy Wilson of Heart with Roadcase Royale. We hope to see you at a show nearby and please check out roadcaseroyale.com for the forthcoming tour updates! We hope to see you at a show near you soon!
You must be logged in to post a comment.