Here’s wishing Ann Wilson a very happy 70th birthday.

The Heart frontwoman has long been considered one of the most powerful singers in rock. The band, which also includes Wilson’s sister Nancy, began making its mark in the 1970s with hits like “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda” and “Straight On,” all of which were co-written by the Wilson siblings.

In 1984, Ann scored a top-10 solo hit with “Almost Paradise,” a duet with Loverboy‘s Mike Reno that appeared on the soundtrack to the film Footloose.

Heart’s popularity surged during the second half of the 1980s and early ’90s when the group embraced a more slickly produced pop sound. Among the major hits for the band that Ann sang on during this period: “What About Love,” “Never,” “Nothin’ at All,” the number-one hit “Alone,” “Who Will You Run To” and “All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You.”

In 2007, Ann released her debut solo album, the covers-heavy Hope and Glory.

Heart was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013; in 2016, the band took a hiatus that lasted almost three years.

In 2018, Ann released her second full-length solo album, Immortal, which paid tribute to a number of artists who’d died in recent years.

Heart got back together to headline a major 2019 tour that also featured Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Sheryl Crow and a number of other female acts.

Ann had scheduled another solo tour for this spring, but that was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson told ABC Audio recently that before the health crisis hit, Heart had been planning to tour later in 2020 and throughout 2021. She also revealed that she’s working on a couple of new original solo songs.

By Matt Friedlander
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