JOAN JETT ON THE COVER OF WOMEN WHO ROCK MAGAZINE!

JOAN JETT
Queen of the Hill
by Jaan Uhelszki

It could be argued that the era of the rock star is dead, pinpricked a decade ago by the regular Joes and Janes of the grunge movement. Today, few stars, if any, remain from the rock ’n’ roll generation, and even fewer are as loyal to the concept as Joan Jett. WWR talked to Joan about stardom, her hopes and regrets, and that cool belt she gave to the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious back in 1978.
Joan Jett has always been rock royalty, beginning with her titular leadership of the Runaways, the much-maligned, all-girl hard rock group from the mean strip of Hollywood that burst onto the scene in 1975 with their self-titled release when Jett was a mere 16. The band was relentlessly heckled for their underage kittenish sexuality, and most of their fans totally disregarded their burgeoning musicianship. The band took to the road, tightening up their act and garnering mostly male fans, from the cornfields of Topeka to the groomed temples of Japan, where they were mega-stars. The road took its toll, however, and after two years the Runaways began to fragment, with lead singer Cherie Currie and bassist Jackie Fox leaving in 1977. After recruiting new members, Joan—now handling all the vocals—managed to keep the band together for another year; they opened for the Ramones and released a total of four albums before disintegrating in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve, 1978.

But Joan didn’t let the grass grow under her feet. She hooked up with former and future Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook in London and recorded three singles that were released in Holland. Besides some raucous times (and some unrepeatable stories), the association went no further. Adrift, Joan had a fortuitous meeting of the minds with producer Kenny Laguna, who had earned his stripes as the producer of Andy Warhol’s Lonesome Cowboys and had also masterminded “I Want Candy” for Bow Wow Wow. With Joan, Laguna had found his aesthetic soul mate, and the two began plotting her solo career. They recorded her self-titled debut and released it themselves in Europe, founding Blackheart Records in the process. Joan and Kenny followed that up with a cover of “I Love Rock & Roll,” an obscure B-side written by a little-known UK band called the Arrows, that—excuse the expression—jetted to the top of the Billboard charts for seven weeks running, making her the darling of the MTV set.

During her four-decade career, Joan produced the Germs’ seminal punk debut; starred in Light of Day opposite Michael J. Fox; recorded a duet with good friend Paul Westerberg; wrote songs with Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna; recorded a barking version of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” for an Iggy Pop tribute album; palled around with the likes of Charles Bronson, the Baltimore Orioles, and Mike Tyson; lent her name and energies to the pro-choice movement; and has been working with the Seattle-based anti-violence organization Home Alive, helping law authorities track down Mia Zapata’s killer and going so far as to front Zapata’s band, the Gits. Whew! This woman does it all!

Currently working on a new album, Joan, who’s but a whisper past 40, divides her time among the road—still playing up to 150 dates a year—a beachfront house on Long Island, and an apartment in Manhattan. She’s still as eager to rock as she was when she started out, and intends to do it until they “put her in her box.” Which is unlikely to be anytime soon.

Joan has always brought a danger and fierceness to rock ’n’ roll, unafraid to explore her own dark side or speak her mind. In fact, it wouldn’t be going too far to call Joan Jett the last American rock star. She’s a remarkably independent woman who fights the good fight and follows her heart—whether she’s performing in a burka for troops in Afghanistan, shaving her head, or giving the world the finger. In legendary rock star fashion, it’s now impossible to separate Joan from her larger-than-life persona. Not to mention that no matter what it is she’s doing, the woman always looks hot doing it.