Spotlight On: JOAN JETT

ABOUT THIS WEEK’S SHERO IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

Our guest this week is a true legend and trailblazer who picked up her first guitar at thirteen years old, and at fifteen started her career with her first band, The Runaways. In 1975, an all-female band was almost unheard of, let alone a woman playing electric guitar. Now there are three Joan Jett Signature Gibson models, and a recently released Epiphone model. After The Runaways disbanded, Joan Jett soon met her future and now longtime manager, co-writer, and bandmate Kenny Laguna, and Joan Jett and The Blackhearts was born. After 23 rejection letters from record companies, they founded Blackheart Records, sold vinyl out of the trunk of Kenny’s Cadillac, and went on to score eight platinum and gold records, and nine Top 40 singles, and in 2015 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It goes without saying that Joan Jett is an icon and an inspiration, and five decades into her career, she is still defying expectations. The very first all acoustic retrospective Joan Jett and The Blackhearts album was just released, called Changeup, and over its 25 tracks, it reimagines some of the best songs of her catalog. Joan Jett is this week’s SHERO in the Spotlight.

Our playlist includes new music from Tomberlin, Flock of Dimes, Camp Cope, and Big Thief. 

SHERO BIRTHDAYS: We celebrate the milestone birthday of SHERO Emmylou Harris who is 75 on 4/2. Plus Happy Birthday to Jill Scott on 4/4 and Billie Holiday on 4/7!

This week’s Radio SHERO: We welcome Radio SHERO Sarah Bradshaw from one of our newest affiliate stations, The Bridge in Kansas City! Her guest DJ pick is the track “Pulp” from Lime Garden.