I Met A Hall of Famer This Summer

Last summer, I got another chance to meet a band I've been a fan of since I was a teenager and tell one of them of the crush I've had almost as long. That in itself was very cool, but made cooler yesterday as Heart was announced as part of next year's class to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The picture above has Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart in between me and my friend Amy Ellsworth (Jukebox Zeroes, Sioux City Rockestra) who may be the biggest Heart fan I know. They played Grand Falls Casino as part of their Summer Concert Series and put on one hell of a show, proving even at 62 (Ann) and 58 (Nancy) they rock as hard as people half their age and sound as good if not better.

I got a chance to tell Nancy before the show about seeing them for the first time as a teenager in Seattle in 1978 under the space needle at the end of their tour with Head East opening their homecoming show. I remember sitting there with my cousins and step-brother on a blanket maybe 30 feet from the stage when these two incredibly gorgeous women walked on stage. It was love at first sight. Then they started playing and singing. Mind. Blown. I'd heard them on the radio, but THIS was what it was all about! LIVE MUSIC!

They were part of what made me become such a music fan and live music supporter. To know that they are finally taking their rightful place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame makes my 30+ year love affair with the band just that much sweeter.

A couple of weeks before the show, I even got a chance to interview Nancy. One of the few times in my career that I was actually a little nervous. You can listen to the interview here.

I know the headline is that Rush is finally going in to the Rock Hall, and I'm happy about it too, but knowing that one of the finest female voices and female guitar players are finally getting their due is what makes me happiest about the announcement.