Ann Wilson

Ann Wilson, born in San Diego in 1950 and partly raised in Washington state after several moves tied to her father’s military career, emerged in the early 1970s on the Pacific Northwest rock scene when she joined the group that would become Heart. With her sister Nancy Wilson she helped define a sound mixing hard rock, classic rock, folk rock and electric ballads, supported by a wide voice that at times approaches a more lyrical register. Heart recorded Dreamboat Annie in 1975, Little Queen in 1977 and Dog & Butterfly in 1978, before continuing its trajectory across subsequent decades. Alongside the band, Ann Wilson pursued numerous side projects and collaborations, notably with Mike Reno on “Almost Paradise” in 1984 and with Alice in Chains on the EP Sap in 1992, which also links her to Seattle’s rock history. Her solo discography includes Hope & Glory (2007), built around covers and guest artists, Immortal (2018), a tribute to several deceased writers and performers, Fierce Bliss (2022), blending original compositions and reinterpretations, and Another Door (2023), recorded with Tripsitter. In the mid-2010s she also developed the stage format The Ann Wilson Thing!, confirming a career that alternates between band activity, personal projects and occasional appearances in American rock.