Legendary Bellevue Band Heart Nominated for Rock Hall of Fame

Heart, legendary rock band with ties to Bellevue, was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Tuesday.

The family of Ann and Nancy Wilson, sisters who have been leaders of the group since the 1970s, settled in Bellevue after their father retired from military service. Ann Wilson, Heart's lead singer, graduated from in the 1960s. Her sister Nancy, guitarist, also graduated from Bellevue schools.

Heart released its first record, Dreamboat Annie, in Canada in 1975 and have had hit albums in every decade since then.

Their notable hits include "Barracuda," "Crazy on You," "What About Love," and "Alone," which has become a staple of American Idol hopefuls.

Ann and Nancy Wilson have been the constants in the band since the early 1970s, with the rest of the personnel changing over the years.

The Wilson sisters have co-written some of their hits with Sue Ennis, a friend from high school and now an instructor at Shoreline Community College.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said this about Heart in its press release:

With a mix of hard rock riffs and lush, driving harmonies, Heart emerged from the Pacific Northwest with one of the most original sounds of the 1970s.  Behind Ann Wilson’s powerhouse voice—one of the best in rock—and Nancy Wilson’s percussive guitar playing, along with guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve Fossen, guitarist/keyboard player Howard Leese and drummer Michael DeRosier, Heart recorded a series of albums that stand as the best mix of hard rock and folk rock of their era:  Dreamboat Annie, Little Queen, Dog And Butterfly and Bebe Le Strange. All those records included hit singles that remain standards of rock radio: “Magic Man,” “Crazy On You,” “Heartless” and “Barracuda.”  Over their long career, Heart has released six Top 10 albums and twenty Top 40 singles. The first women to front a hard rock band, Ann and Nancy Wilson were pioneers, claiming the stage in a way that inspired women to pick up an electric guitar or start a band. When MTV transformed mainstream rock in the 1980s, Heart adapted and recorded some of the signature songs of the era: “Alone,” “What About Love” and “These Dreams.”  In the 1990s, they returned to their roots with Desire Walks On and The Road Home, and in the last decade, they’ve released two of the strongest albums of their careers:  Jupiters Darling and Red Velvet Car. Live, they have always been one of the most exciting and consistent hard rock bands on the scene.

Other nominees are:

·    Beastie Boys
·    The Cure
·    Donovan
·    Eric B. & Rakim
·    Guns 'N Roses
·    Heart
·    Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
·    Freddie King
·    Laura Nyro
·    Red Hot Chili Peppers
·    Rufus with Chaka Khan
·    The Small Faces/The Faces
·    The Spinners
·    Donna Summer
·    War

In a prepared statement released by the band, Ann and Nancy Wilson said:

"We are honored to be included among these greats. They have all rocked our lives, and sometimes saved them. We're very happy!"

According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the inductees will be announced in the next few weeks. Inductees are selected from the nominees after a vote of 1,000 rock experts, according to the foundation. Those performers who receive the highest number of votes, and more than 50 percent of the vote, are inducted. The Foundation generally inducts five to seven performers each year.