Nancy Wilson (rock musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nancy Wilson
Wilson in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Nancy Lamoureux Wilson
Born	(1954-03-16) March 16, 1954 (age 71) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Origin	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock folk rock pop rock arena rock
Occupation(s)	Musician singer songwriter
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1973–present

Nancy Lamoureux Wilson (born March 16, 1954) is an American musician. She became famous with her older sister Ann. Nancy was the guitarist and second singer in the rock band Heart.

Nancy grew up in Bellevue, Washington. She started playing music when she was a teenager. During college, she joined her sister Ann in the band Heart. Heart was one of the first successful hard rock bands led by women.

Heart released many albums in the late 1970s and 1980s. Albums like Dreamboat Annie (1975) and Little Queen (1977) had hit songs. These included "Magic Man", "Crazy on You", and "Barracuda". Later albums like Heart (1985), Bad Animals (1987), and Brigade (1990) were also very popular. Heart has sold over 35 million records worldwide.

Nancy Wilson is known for her guitar playing. She mixes flamenco and classical guitar styles with hard rock. In 2016, Gibson magazine named her one of the greatest female guitarists ever. Nancy is also a talented singer. She sang lead vocals on "These Dreams", which was Heart's first number-one song. In 2013, Nancy was welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Heart.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Nancy Lamoureux Wilson was born on March 16, 1954. Her birthplace was San Francisco, California. She was the youngest of three children. Her parents were John and Lois Wilson. Nancy has two older sisters, Lynn and Ann.

Her family moved around a lot because her father was in the U.S. Marine Corps. They lived in Southern California and Taiwan. When Nancy was six, they settled in Bellevue, Washington.

On February 9, 1964, Nancy and Ann watched the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. This moment changed their lives. Nancy said it was like a "lightning bolt" that made them want to be rock musicians. They started pretending to play guitar and sing right away. In 1966, they saw the Beatles perform live in Seattle. This also inspired them greatly.

Ann went to Sammamish High School. Nancy attended Interlake High School. After high school, Nancy went to Pacific University and then Portland State University. In 1973, she returned to Seattle and studied at the University of Washington.

First Music Groups

Nancy and Ann formed their first music group called the Viewpoints. They sang in four-part harmony. Ann bought her first guitar, an acoustic Kent guitar. Nancy soon started playing Ann's guitar too.

The Viewpoints played their first public show in 1967. It was a folk festival on Vashon Island. They performed at places like drive-ins and church events.

Nancy and Ann also performed as a duo at their church. They sang songs by Peter, Paul and Mary, Elvis Presley, and The Doors. Some people were surprised by their song choices. But Nancy felt it showed them that their music could make an impact.

While in high school, Ann joined a band. They recorded songs for a country songwriter. Nancy and Ann also recorded their own song, "Through Eyes and Glass." They even had 500 copies made, but it was credited to "Ann Wilson and the Daybreaks."

Joining Heart and Early Success

While in college, Nancy played solo acoustic shows. She sang songs by Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. She also performed her own original music.

Ann Wilson met guitarist Roger Fisher and bass player Steve Fossen. They were looking for a singer. Ann joined their band, which was called Hocus Pocus.

The group soon changed its name to Heart. Ann convinced Nancy to join the band. Nancy moved to West Vancouver. Some band members were unsure about Nancy joining at first. She had to audition by playing the introduction to the Yes song "Clap." After she played it perfectly, she officially became a member.

Heart recorded a demo with Mushroom Records. Producer Mike Flicker was impressed by Nancy. He saw her as a talented female rock guitarist.

Mushroom Records released "Magic Man" as a single. This was before Heart's first album, Dreamboat Annie, was finished. The song became popular in Vancouver. Heart's second album, Little Queen, came out in 1977. It included the hit song "Barracuda," which reached number 11 on the Billboard charts.

Heart's third album, Magazine, was released early by Mushroom Records. It caused a legal dispute that lasted almost two years.

Wilson (left) and Roger Fisher on stage in 1978

Nancy and the band wrote their fourth album, Dog & Butterfly, with their friend Sue Ennis. The album was released in 1978. It sold a million copies in its first month. It became a triple-platinum album. This was Heart's fourth album in a row to sell over a million copies.

During the Dog & Butterfly tour, Nancy and Roger Fisher broke up. This caused tension in the band. In 1979, Roger Fisher left Heart. This allowed Nancy to play more lead guitar.

Heart's Journey Through the Decades

Heart's fifth album, Bébé le Strange, was released in 1980. Their sixth album, Private Audition, came out in 1982. It did not sell as well as their previous albums. However, Heart still had successful concerts. They had one of the highest-grossing tours that year.

After Private Audition, bassist Steve Fossen and drummer Michael Derosier left the band. They were replaced by Mark Andes and Denny Carmassi.

The band's next album was Passionworks (1983). After this album, CBS Records stopped working with Heart because of lower sales.

Big Hits and New Challenges

The self-titled album Heart (1985) became the band's first number-one album. The song "What About Love" was released first and became a big hit. The album stayed on the charts for 78 weeks. It sold over five million copies.

This album had five hit singles. One of them was "These Dreams", which featured Nancy Wilson singing lead. The song was offered to Heart after Stevie Nicks turned it down. Nancy loved the song and fought to sing it. Some band members thought it didn't sound like a "Heart song."

During the recording of "These Dreams," Nancy met a young fan named Sharon Hess. Sharon was very ill and loved the song. Nancy dedicated the song to her. "These Dreams" became Heart's first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1986.

The album Bad Animals (1987) had the single "Alone." This song became Heart's second number-one hit. It was one of the biggest songs of the year. The Bad Animals tour in 1987 sold out many shows. During this tour, Ann sometimes had stage fright. Nancy would play extra guitar solos to give Ann time to feel better.

Work on the next album, Brigade, began in 1989.

The 1990s and Beyond

Wilson in 1998

Around 1990, Nancy and Ann were asked to play a benefit concert for troops. Most of the Heart band members had left. So, Nancy and Ann formed a new group called Lovemongers. They played with their friends Sue Ennis and Frank Cox. The group's name was a peaceful message during the Gulf War.

The Lovemongers played at a party for the movie Singles (1992). Nancy's husband, Cameron Crowe, directed the film. The Lovemongers released a four-song album in 1992. It included a live version of Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore." This song also appeared on the movie's soundtrack.

In 1991, Heart released Rock the House Live!. This album showed songs from their 1990 tour. The music scene was changing with grunge music becoming popular. The album did not have big hits.

The album Desire Walks On was released in 1993. It sold well enough to be certified gold. But it did not reach the huge success of their 1980s albums.

Heart owed Capitol Records one more album. They decided to record an "unplugged" album. This meant playing acoustic versions of their songs. They called it The Road Home. John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin produced it. Other famous musicians also contributed. The album did not chart very high, and Heart left Capitol Records.

In 1995, Nancy asked Heart to take a break. She wanted to spend more time with her husband, Cameron Crowe. She also wanted to start a family. Nancy was undergoing fertility treatments, which were hard to do while touring.

Nancy worked on film scores with Cameron Crowe. She contributed guitar to his 1989 film Say Anything.... She also wrote the score for his film Jerry Maguire.

During her break from Heart, Nancy still performed sometimes. She played acoustic shows. In 1999, a recording of one of her solo shows was released as an album. It was called Live from McCabe's Guitar Shop. It had Heart songs, cover songs, and new material.

The Lovemongers released a full album, Whirlygig, in 1997. They also released a Christmas album in 1998. This Christmas album was later re-released as a Heart album.

For Cameron Crowe's 2000 film Almost Famous, Nancy wrote the main music. She also helped the actors learn how to look like musicians. Nancy was nominated for several awards for her work on the film.

The 2000s and 2010s

In 2002, Heart went on tour again. It was their first tour in 10 years for Nancy. The tour ended in Seattle, and that performance was released as a DVD called Alive in Seattle.

Nancy also wrote music for the films Vanilla Sky (2001) and Elizabethtown (2005). She received nominations for her film music.

The sisters decided to record a new Heart studio album, Jupiters Darling, in 2004. Nancy co-produced the album. They wrote almost all the songs together. Friends like Jerry Cantrell and Mike McCready played guitar on the album. It charted on Billboard but did not sell as many copies as earlier albums.

In 2009, Nancy released Baby Guitars. This was a solo album of instrumental lullabies for children. Later that year, Nancy and Ann began recording Heart's 14th album, Red Velvet Car. It was released in 2010. The album included two songs by Nancy: "Hey You" and "Sunflower." "Hey You" reached the top 40 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The album peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Wilson performing in Sydney in 2011

In 2011, Heart was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On December 11, 2012, Heart was announced as part of the 2013 inductees. Nancy and Ann also received a star for Heart on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2012.

Heart released their 15th album, Fanatic, in 2012. It debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200.

In 2016, Heart released their 16th album, Beautiful Broken. Nancy sang lead vocals on two songs, "Two" and "One Word." In August 2016, an incident occurred that strained the sisters' relationship. Ann confirmed that Heart would take a break.

In late 2016, Nancy formed a new band called Roadcase Royale. They released their first song, "Get Loud," in 2017. Their first full album, First Things First, came out in September 2017.

In February 2019, Heart announced that their break was over. The band went on the Love Alive tour in the summer of 2019.

The 2020s

In 2021, Nancy released her first solo rock album, You and Me. In 2022, she started touring with a new band called Nancy Wilson's Heart. This band includes singer Kimberly Nichole and former Heart members.

Nancy Wilson's Personal Life

Nancy Wilson dated bandmates Roger Fisher and Michael Derosier in Heart's early years. In 1981, Nancy met screenwriter Cameron Crowe. They married on July 27, 1986. Nancy and Cameron had twin sons, Curtis and William, in January 2000. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2010.

In 2011, Nancy started dating Geoff Bywater. He worked in music production for television. They got engaged in 2012 and married on April 28, 2012.

In August 2016, an incident happened that caused tension between Nancy and Ann. Nancy later said that she is hopeful their strong family bond will help them get through difficult times. In February 2019, Heart announced they would tour again.

Nancy Wilson's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Other Songs and Appearances

Live Albums

DVDs

Nancy Wilson: Instructional Acoustic Guitar (2007, DVD)

Awards and Recognition

Awards

• 1997: ASCAP Award for Jerry Maguire (Top Box Office Films)
• 2012: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (with Ann Wilson)
• 2013: Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of Heart)

Nominations

• 2000: Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards (Best Score) for Almost Famous
• 2001: Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards (Best Original Score) for Almost Famous
• 2001: BAFTA (Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music) for Almost Famous
• 2002: Saturn Award (Best Music) for Vanilla Sky
• 2006: Critics Choice Award (Best Composer) for Elizabethtown

See also

In Spanish: Nancy Wilson (guitarrista) para niños

• Heart discography