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Joan Jett is an originator, an innovator,
and a visionary. As the leader of the hard-rocking Blackhearts, she’s had
eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including the classics
"Bad Reputation," "I Love Rock 'N' Roll," "I Hate Myself
For Loving You," and "Crimson and Clover." She sits at the head
of her own independent label, Blackheart Records.
Jett has acted in movies, including 1987's Light Of Day, with
Michael J. Fox and Gena Rowlands, and in a Tony-nominated Broadway musical, The
Rocky Horror Show.
As a producer, she has overseen albums by Bikini Kill, Circus Lupus, and the Vacancies,
as well as the Germs’ LA punk masterpiece, GI. Jett was even one of only
two women named to Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitar players
of all time.
In the end, though, Joan Jett’s
life has been dedicated to one goal and one goal only – rocking the hell
out of every listener she can reach. “I remember times when I was at shows
and the person onstage locked eyes with me,” she recently told Esquire magazine.
“And in that moment, everything was right with the world. I think that's
part of my job, to create these thousands of moments every night.”
Since co-founding the Runaways, the pioneering all-girl punk quintet, at age 15,
Jett’s determination and drive have kept her in the public eye. This year,
however, her profile will skyrocket yet again, with the release of both a long-awaited
feature film telling the story of the Runaways and a new, two-disc Greatest Hits
collection.
The Runaways is based on lead singer Cherie Currie's book Neon Angel. Kristen
Stewart, star of the Twilight series films, plays
Jett, and her fellow A-Lister Dakota Fanning portrays Currie.
The movie chronicles the band’s early years; formed by teenage girls living
near Hollywood, CA., the Runaways became the first all-girl band to break into
the world of arena-filling hard rock acts.
After the success of their first single, “Cherry Bomb,” the Runaways
toured with such acts as the Ramones, Cheap Trick, and Tom Petty. But in Japan,
the band became huge stars - their arrival for a set of shows in 1977 was like
Beatlemania all over again. During the Japanese tour, Currie began to struggle,
and she left the band when they returned home – but Jett
decided to keep fighting the rock & roll fight, with the Runaways and then
on her own.
Jett has been close to the project:
She serves as an executive producer on the film, and she has described Kristen
Stewart as being “like a little sister.” For her part, the young actress
has said of Jett that “her story's important - it's an incredibly triumphant
feminist story, really.”
The two discs of the Greatest Hits set, meanwhile, present twenty blazing tracks
from Jett’s three-decade-plus
career. From “Cherry Bomb” through her smashes in the ‘80s and
‘90s, all the way up to the recent favorite “A.C.D.C.,” it’s
a comprehensive look at one of rock’s most iconic figures.
In addition, the compilation will feature eco-friendly packaging (100% recycled
paper and biodegradable trays). Jett,
who has been dedicated to protecting the environment for most of her life, couldn't
be more thrilled to be offering a "green" effort.
"I've always appreciated nature," she says, "trees, grass, birds,
sun, and even insects. I obsessively recycle. I almost never turn on lights; I
pretty much live in the dark. I don't use a lot of water. I'm a vegetarian, so
I avoid contributing to the major environmental damage that the meat industry
creates. I hope that soon we can make sure that everything we do is earth-friendly."
Of course, the hits collection will be released through Jett's
own Blackheart Records, a label she founded in 1980 - which made her the first
female artist to own and operate an independent record company. She and her longtime
songwriting partner/producer Kenny Laguna created Blackheart after being rejected
by 23 different labels when she was trying to release "I Love Rock n Roll,"
after she parted ways with the Runaways. (The song went on to spend eight weeks
at Number One in 1982, and remains one of Billboard magazine’s top thirty
songs of all time.)
Blackheart Records is currently home to such up-and-coming groups as San Antonio-based
female threesome Girl In A Coma (Both Before I'm Gone) and Los Angeles' pop-punk
trio the Dollyrots (Because I'm Awesome). The label continues to add new artists
to its roster.
"I keep my eyes open [for new acts to sign] all the time when I'm on the
road," says Jett. "We
made Blackheart Records what we wanted it to be. It's a place where musicians
can feel comfortable, both in a work environment and on an artistic level."
Since the release of Sinner in 2006, Jett
has continuously toured across the globe, including a summer as a headliner on
the Vans Warped Tour and stints alongside such bands as Aerosmith. Her music has
become a permanent force in mainstream culture. Faith Hill sings "I Hate
Myself for Loving You" as the theme for NBC’s Sunday Night Football,
and "Bad Reputation" is the theme for the hit show American Chopper.
Jett’s version of “Love
is All Around,” the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, became a popular
anthem for women’s sports. Her songs have also been featured in countless
films, including Shrek, Charlie's Angels, and Monster.
Joan Jett has spent her lifetime
breaking barriers and challenging expectations. She’s fought hard for all
of her historic accomplishments, yet she remains humble and appreciative.
"I've had a blessed career,” she says. “I consider myself so
lucky to have been able to do things my own way."
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