Jett Fueled
What powers this punk icon may surprise you.

by Joanne Schenker | Posted August 2007

It was the spring of 1981 at Syracuse University and Joan Jett was delivering raw, gritty sounds from a makeshift stage. Punk rock was just hitting the airwaves and she was throwing punches with hits “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Bad Reputation” and “Do You Wanna Touch Me?” From the beginning Jett stood apart, not only as one of the first females to spearhead the music industry, but as an impassioned punker. While other rockers were strutting their irreverence at CBGB’s and the like, Jett and her band The Blackhearts were committed to a greater cause, playing in East Germany and Berlin when it was under Soviet occupation. She went on to perform in Bosnia and Kosovo, and in 2001 was the first civilian entertainer to play for troops in Afghanistan.

Her new CD Sinner, released in June 2006, coincided with the 25th anniversary of Blackheart Records, New York, which Jett owns with longtime creative and business partner, Kenny Laguna. Her voice is still as badass as ever, with the same unrelenting steam she let off in the 80s. With her signature black leather pants and clad in a bikini top that salutes her tattooed cleavage, she is still a force to be reckoned with—only now her motorcycle boots are kicking up some political dirt as well. The hit, “Riddles” is a below-the-belt Bush-basher with some sharp hooks to sink her throaty sound into. The gender-bender, “A.C.D.C.” is this heroine’s claim to fame—a post-punk tune that screams, ‘I’m comfortable in my skin’…and well she should be. Jett’s softer side brings equilibrium to the mix with quasi-ballads, “Bad Time” and “Baby Blue”.

Recently inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, Jett is a local icon. On a broader scale, Jettheads here and elsewhere can enjoy her Sirius Satellite radio show soon to be aired on punk rock satellite station, Faction. canvas caught some confessions from rock ‘n’ roll’s modern gladiatrix.

What brought you to Long Beach?
I started my career with The Runaways in Hollywood, but that’s its own story (laughs)…I was there for about five years and that’s where I met Kenny Laguna who became my songwriting partner, producer and manager. He lived in Long Beach so I relocated to New York in 1979. I moved into his house with his wife and three-month-old baby. I became Aunt Joan and now Kenny’s daughter, Carianne, pretty much runs Blackheart Records. I love living by the ocean. It keeps me balanced. It’s so intense, traveling and constantly dealing with people—I need to just psychically regenerate and the beach does that for me. I definitely consider myself a townie. I’m on the boardwalk riding my bike whenever I can. I love the west end of town. In the summertime, they’re always having block parties and it reminds me of being a kid when the neighborhood was tight and the families all knew each other.

On your new album, the song “Riddles” calls the politicians to the mat.
“Riddles” makes a few statements about some of the things going on in our country. I just wanted to say, “Does anybody see this or am I like the only one?” The way the government seems to use words in a very deceptive way—whether it’s about lack of jobs, the economy, the war or this illusion that everyone is doing well when really it’s the corporations that are swimming in profits. Meanwhile, the workers have not improved their situation in years. It seems unless people are directly affected by something, or someone they know has either lost their life or has been tragically deformed in the war; they’re not moved to act. They just sort of shake their heads. And I understand it. I’m not judging it, but I’ve had a chance to speak to some of the soldiers and it’s tragic. The kids are so young. A lot of them are babies right out of high school. If we can get people to feel some sense of sacrifice about this...

Do you feel the press has been judgmental of you?
Well, I think girls playing hard, sweaty rock ‘n’ roll is something that’s never been done before. Sometimes people, in general, don’t know what to do with that or they don’t know how to deal with it.

Is that why you started your own label, Blackheart Records?
Yeah, if I wanted to get my records out, I had no choice but to create my own label because I couldn’t get signed. We still have 23 rejection letters from all the majors and minors that said, “You have no songs here. Lose the guitar. Change your image.” And the songs they heard were, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Bad Reputation,” “Do You Want To Touch Me.” Four hits. That tells you either they can’t hear hits or they don’t listen to what they get. Or they’re blinded by some kind of prejudice and they don’t want to hear what you’re sending them. If I listened to what they said I would have been doomed to fail. So we went out and produced the records ourselves and sold them out of the trunk of Kenny’s Cadillac, and then we started playing gigs at The Malibu down in Lido Beach.

Back in the late 70s you paved the way for groups like the Go-Gos and The Bangles. Now you’re producing other girl bands under your label—are you mentoring those bands?
Well, I don’t know if I’d use that word … I feel kind of pompous saying, “Yeah, I’m a mentor.” (laughs) I’m just there for them if they need me. All of these bands we discovered because they opened for us. The Vacancies did a show with us and I thought they were great and they sent us some music and we put them on our label. The same goes for The Eyeliners. Girl In a Coma is a new band out of San Antonio and I think they’re great, as well … really interesting rock ‘n’ roll.

You’ve given a lot to the music industry and beyond. Tell us about some charities you’re involved with.
We just did a concert with Habitats for Humanity which I was really excited about. They do a great thing—building houses for people in need. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have your home taken away or a storm or fire destroying everything you own. We also do a lot of children’s cancer charities, Make-A-Wish, for example. I’m a big animal person, so anything to do with giving money to animals is something I do on a personal level. People feel very strongly about PETA one way or another. I think what they do is great in raising awareness about what happens to animals whether it’s food production or the making of clothing. Once people are informed, they can make their own decisions as far as what they’re going to do.