HEART’s NANCY WILSON Says A Lot Of Musicians Are ‘Not Equipped With The Armor That It Takes To Soldier Through’ Their Fame

In a new interview with Radio Forrest, a radio DJ on 96.9 The Eagle in Boise, Idaho, HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson reflected on the list of estimable Seattle singers who have died prematurely in recent decades, including SOUNDGARDEN’s Chris Cornell, whose 2017 death was ruled a suicide by hanging; NIRVANA’s Kurt Cobain, who committed suicide in 1994; and ALICE IN CHAINS’ Layne Staley, who died of drug abuse in 2002. Asked if she thinks “those three specifically were, in a way, tortured individuals” or if the fame eventually became “too much” for them to handle, Nancy replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Good question. I mean, it’s yes to both. You can have all the talent and all of the mindfulness and energy to make great creative statement in the arts and in music and in the world, but sustaining the capability of knowing how to handle it is a whole other skill that a lot of people can’t deal with. And Chris Cornell and [late FOO FIGHTERS drummer] Taylor [Hawkins] — I mean, Taylor was not one of those; he would have gone till 110. But he just had a physical problem. An ex-addict, though, so probably dealing with his own issues, trying to get through the gauntlet of being a famous person and just really loving what you do and having to deal with a lot of the roadblocks. And it’s kind of a minefield, in a lot of ways, emotionally to become a rock star or a famous person.”She added: “And so I think, yeah, that’s a good question. And a lot of people are not exactly equipped with the armor that it takes to kind of soldier through the fame [involved].”The 2025 North American leg of HEART’s “Royal Flush” tour kicked off on February 28 at the BleauLive Theater in Las Vegas. The show marked HEART’s first live performance since the band postponed the remaining dates of its 2024 North American tour in July in order for singer Ann Wilson to undergo cancer treatments.The rescheduled “Royal Flush” tour will wrap up on April 16 in New York City.Last week, HEART announced the “An Evening With Heart” spring/summer 2025 U.S. tour. The trek, which will see the band performing two separate sets each night, will kick off May 31 at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City and conclude on June 28 in Hollywood, Florida.The current members of HEART feature Nancy Wilson (rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals),Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute),Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar),Ryan Waters (guitars),Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals),Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums and bike).When Ann and Nancy formed HEART, the idea of two women leading a rock band was still groundbreaking. From the moment 1975’s “Dreamboat Annie” was released, they became stars. With hits like “Magic Man”, “Crazy On You”, “Barracuda”, “Alone”, “What About Love” and “These Dreams”, the band became one of the biggest hit-makers in the Seventies and Eighties, selling more than 35 million records. In 2012, their memoir “Kicking & Dreaming: A Story Of Heart, Soul And Rock & Roll” became a New York Times bestseller.[embedded content]