Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock & Roll

by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Charles R. Cross

Overview

The story of Heart is a story of heart and soul and rock ’n’ roll. Since finding their love of music and performing as teenagers in Seattle, Washington, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson, have been part of the American rock music landscape. From 70s classics like “Magic Man” and “Barracuda” to chart- topping 80s ballads like “Alone,” and all the way up to 2012, when they will release their latest studio album, Fanatic, Heart has been thrilling their fans and producing hit after hit. In Kicking and Dreaming, the Wilsons recount their story as two sisters who have a shared over three decades on the stage, as songwriters, as musicians, and as the leaders of one of our most beloved rock bands. An intimate, honest, and a uniquely female take on the rock and roll life, readers of bestselling music memoirs like Life by Keith Richards and Steven Tyler’s Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? will love this quintessential music story finally told from a female perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062101693
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	349
Sales rank:	208,836
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Ann and Nancy Wilson first showed the world that women can rock when their band, Heart, stormed the charts in the ’70s with hits like “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Straight On,” and so many more. Not only did the Wilson sisters lead the band, they wrote the songs and played the instruments too, making them the first women in rock to do so. Heart continued topping the charts through the ’80s and ’90s with huge hits like “These Dreams,” “Alone,” “What About Love,” “If Looks Could Kill,” “Never,” and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters’ enormous talents as musicians, singers, and songwriters. Heart sold more than 35 million albums, sold out arenas worldwide, and found their way into the soundtrack of American life through radio, motion pictures, television, and associations with branded sponsors.
 
As individuals, the sisters have also achieved significant success. Ann has contributed to songs that were both chart successes and motion-picture themes, like “Almost Paradise” from Footloose, “Best Man in the World” from The Golden Child, and “Surrender to Me” from Tequila Sunrise, while Nancy has composed and performed the scores to a half dozen motion pictures including the award winning Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous.
 
In 2012, Ann and Nancy released their first-ever memoir, Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock & Roll, which was a New York Times bestseller. They also wrote and illustrated Dog & Butterfly, a picture book for all ages, inspired by the song of the same name.

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

1 The Lady Axe Killer 9

2 The Big Five 21

3 Dust Off Your Shoes 31

4 Meet the Beatles 41

5 Blood Harmony 49

6 Cryin's in the Chapel 59

7 A Boy and His Dog 69

8 She's Here to Sing 77

9 The Whisper That Calls 85

10 The Impossible Perfect Thing 93

11 The Northern Lights 101

12 Burn to the Wick 111

13 Natural Fantasies 121

14 Ocean upon the Sky 131

15 Blows Against the Empire 143

16 Heartless 155

17 Leave It to Cleavage 167

18 Junior's Farm 179

19 The Battle of Evermore 191

20 Live from the DoubleTree Inn 203

21 The Other Half of the Sky 213

22 The Boys March In 223

23 Send Up a Flare 233

24 I Can See Russia 243

25 Hope and Glory 251

26 Glimmer of a Dream 263

Acknowledgments 275

Heart Is 277

Permissions 280

Editorial Reviews

After years of playing small clubs around Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest for little-to-nothing and enduring numerous indignities at the hands of spiteful club owners, sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson finally got their break when Heart's "Crazy On You" hit the airwaves in 1975, thus realizing a dream born when the girls first saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. But while venues got bigger and paychecks increased, they still struggled with rampant sexism in the music industry, and Ann continued to face criticism for her fluctuating weight. Nevertheless, the duo persevered to attain huge commercial success, paving the way for countless female musicians who would follow. Here, the sisters—with the aid of Cross (Heavier than Heaven)—recount failures and victories big and small, as well as the stories behind classic songs like "Magic Man," "Barracuda," and "What About Love" with equal parts candor and humility. Unfortunately, Heart's career arc is all too typical, characterized by success, substance abuse, decline, and a comeback. Still, the sisters' grounded approach and appreciation for each other adds a refreshing element to an oft-told tale. Photos. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Righteously entertaining….[it] shows just what it’s like to be a woman who rocks, then and now.” — New York Daily News

“Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson—better known as the faces and voices of Heart—look back on the personal and professional struggles and triumphs that define their legacy as one of rock’s pioneering female-fronted, creatively autonomous acts.” — USA Today

“Thorough and entertaining….[Kicking and Dreaming is] satisfying for its breadth and spirit….the Wilsons write movingly and with a sense of humor.” — Miami Herald

“An interesting duet that details precisely how women truly rock.” — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson—better known as the faces and voices of Heart—look back on the personal and professional struggles and triumphs that define their legacy as one of rock’s pioneering female-fronted, creatively autonomous acts.

USA Today

Righteously entertaining….[it] shows just what it’s like to be a woman who rocks, then and now.

New York Daily News

Thorough and entertaining….[Kicking and Dreaming is] satisfying for its breadth and spirit….the Wilsons write movingly and with a sense of humor.

Miami Herald

Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson—better known as the faces and voices of Heart—look back on the personal and professional struggles and triumphs that define their legacy as one of rock’s pioneering female-fronted, creatively autonomous acts.

USA Today

Thorough and entertaining….[Kicking and Dreaming is] satisfying for its breadth and spirit….the Wilsons write movingly and with a sense of humor.

Miami Herald

Righteously entertaining….[it] shows just what it’s like to be a woman who rocks, then and now.

New York Daily News