The Von Trapp Effect: Heart and the Power of Family

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Author: Haley Parsons

Cover Photo Designed by Deborah Shackleton

Seattle-area sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson, moved around quite a bit growing up because their father was a Marine. Despite the stress of lacking a real sense of home, their family was tight-knit and they all shared a common love of music. Eventually, they settled in Bellevue, Washington where the girls lived most of their lives. That was, until the 1970s when Ann fell in love, joined Heart, and moved to Canada. Soon, Nancy joined her in Vancouver and they became the first women to front a hard-rock band. The band’s lineup has changed over the years, but the sisters remained at the core and guided their group for four decades and all the way into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Yet, at the heart (haha) of this duo is their family ties, which have managed to keep them together, but also potentially tear them apart.

Heart have produced 16 studio albums over their long and successful career. Their 1975 debut Dreamboat Anniefeatures tracks that remain huge hits to this day like, “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You”. The band found success by proving that women could do everything that bands led by men such as Cheap Trick and Journey could do. They were girls and they ROCKED. Yet, they were greeted with as much sexism as you would expect from the media and even their own record label at the time. The situation came to a boil when their label, Mushroom Records, ran an ad featuring them back to back and bare-shouldered (an outtake from the Dreamboat Annie photoshoot) with the caption, “it was only our first time!” Which was meant to go along with the idea that the sisters were lovers, which obviously fascinated people, but the sisters saw it as disrespectful and sleazy. That wasn’t how they wanted to make a name for themselves, the Wilson Sisters wanted to become successful through their music, not their sex appeal. Thus, they left Mushroom and continued on their journey for respect. In the wake of all the insults they were subjected to by men in the business, Ann wrote their hit, “Barracuda” a biting anthem attacking their former label and everyone who made up rumors about the sisters rather than accepting their talent, driven by heavy guitars and rolling drums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0OX_8YvFxA

As the 70s came to a close, Heart revamped their sound and found their place among power ballads and huge hair. They performed smash hit after smash hit, from 1985’s “What About Love?” to 1987’s “Alone”; they evolved with the times and found a way to remain relevant. This mentality of motion helped solidify Heart’s place amongst some of the greatest rock groups of all time. The sisters reinvented themselves in order to stay fresh and interesting, rather than doing the same thing over and over. Since the end of the 80s, they have continued to produce new music and even tour. Ann and Nancy are both in their 60s now but feel exactly how they felt when they stepped on stage in their 20s. Being able to perform together has helped them maintain a close relationship and recapture the feelings of their youth.

Although, that close-knit, creative partnership was challenged in the Summer of 2016 while Heart was on tour, when Ann’s husband assaulted Nancy’s 16-year-old twin sons backstage during a stop at the White River Amphitheater. The police were called, and tensions rose. The two sisters finished the tour but opted to only communicate through third party members. Since then, they have not been on speaking terms. Both sisters do believe that with time to heal, they will be able to reconcile, but Heart is on hiatus until that happens.

Photo by Ron Galella

I think the lesson to be learned from the Wilson Sisters is that relationships are dynamic, not static. They have had one another’s backs since the beginning of their band, but they’ve disagreed about the direction of the group at times. Still, they were capable of overcoming that. Now, their individual families have grown, and they have to look out for them, too. But, I have very little doubt that they will come together again someday. Hopefully music will be the thing to unite them again like it did when they were kids.


HALEY PARSONS | Home is where the Heart is | KXSU Music Reporter

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