Widely recognized as one of the greatest voices in the history of rock and roll, Ann Wilson is known far and wide as lead singer and songwriter of the groundbreaking rock band Heart. Ann, and her sister, Nancy Wilson, guitarist and vocalist, and Heart have sold over 35 million records worldwide. The band's US Top 40 singles include “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda,” “What About Love,” “Never” and “All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You,” along with number one hits “These Dreams” and “Alone.” They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.

The legendary vocalist’s third solo studio album, Fierce Bliss, will drop on April 29, 2022, on Silver Lining Music. This is her first solo album that contains original material, rather than strictly cover songs. She and her band, the Amazing Dawgs, are scheduled to tour over the summer months of 2022.

In a recent interview with Smashing Interviews Magazine, Heart icon Ann Wilson discussed the unauthorized use of Heart music at Republican political events, especially while promoting political agendas they were adamantly against.

The pertinent excerpt from the interview:

Smashing Interviews Magazine: In 2008, I believe you and Nancy asked the Republicans to stop using “Barracuda” at political rallies?

Ann Wilson: Yeah. It was Sarah Palin, and they were using the song as her big campaign theme where they’d go, “Okay. Here comes Sarah Barracuda!” Then they’d play “Barracuda,” and she’d come out. I saw that once on television, and I just went, “What?” That was about as far away as we wanted the song to be used as you can get. So we asked them to cease and desist, and they did as far as we knew. There’s not really a way to police that unless you’ve got somebody out at every campaign stop. You can threaten them with legal action, but it’s all so negative, and it makes artists who have been through that like Neil Young and Springsteen and all these artists that have had that happen to them, seem like these old, shriveled up musical prudes who don’t want to let their songs out there.

But it’s not about that. It’s just about what’s being put forward with their song playing in the background (laughs). Like in our case, it was guns and all these different things that we really, really were against.

Smashing Interviews Magazine: Yes, and it makes it look like if your music is playing, then you support a certain political agenda that you do not support.

Ann Wilson: That’s right. So we just said to them, “Well, Ted Nugent and Kid Rock have plenty of songs you can choose from.” (laughs)

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Ann Wilson Article Heart Kid Rock Politics Ted Nugent