According to Heart rocker Ann Wilson, a band is harder to keep together than a marriage.
The singer compared the two during a recent appearance on the The Mistress Carrie Podcast.
Wilson, who has been married to Dean Wetter since 2015, was asked if it’s harder to keep a marriage or a band together. “I think it’s harder to keep a band together — in my experience,” she said with a laugh (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “And I’ve only been married once and I’m still loving it and feel great about it. It’s harder to keep a band together because you have other people coming, like wives and significant others, talking in your bandmates’ ears and maybe saying things that pit them against you or against the group unity. It’s really hard. It’s kind of a revolving door with a band.”
The elder Wilson’s comments come on the heels of an announcement by her younger sister, Nancy, who revealed plans to tour later this year without Ann, under the Nancy Wilson’s Heart moniker. Lead vocals will come from Seattle native and finalist on Season 8 of The Voice, Kimberly Nichole, who also performed on Broadway in 2018 for a limited engagement of Rocktopia. Nancy said Heart songs will be performed in a different way with Nichole, and there will be “no comparison to Ann singing or Kimberly singing those same songs, just because it’s apples and oranges; you can’t compare that stuff. So I figure that’s a way to let them know that it’s not just Nancy Wilson of Heart doing whatever, but it’s Nancy Wilson’s Heart, where you’re gonna hear more Heart stuff.”
For now, the Wilson sisters remain on separate paths. “Heart had a big offer on the table last year for a bigger tour, but Ann wasn’t interested in going out with my lineup of guys that we were out with before,” Nancy noted. ”She has a new lineup of guys that she wanted me to join up with. And I sort of [thought], I don’t really know them and don’t have loyalty yet for anybody like that. So I just kind of shined it on and decided when I do go out with my new singer Kimberly, I can telegraph to the people coming to the show that they’re gonna hear Heart songs in a whole different way.”
Ann recently released a cover of Eurythmics‘ 1986 song “Missionary Man,” featured on her upcoming solo album Fierce Bliss, which will be released on April 29.
Meanwhile, Nancy will join Melissa Etheridge, the Go-Go’s‘ Kathy Valentine and Orianthi as a co-leader of the first-ever women’s-only Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp over Mother’s Day weekend (May 6-9) in Los Angeles.
Rock’s Longest-Lasting Marriages
A look at rock stars who have been married for over 25 years.