Ann & Nancy Wilson (of Heart) Share Their Story of Rock and Roll Survival in "Kicking & Dreaming"

True talent stands the test of time. After 35 years in the music business, Heart is still recording and touring and sounding as great as they ever have. How is that possible, when so many of their counterparts from the 1970's have fallen off the radar? Perhaps it was the adversity that sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson had to endure over the years. They were able to rise above all of the naysayers and emerged stronger and more intent on proving themselves and continue to demonstrate that they are the real deal. Sometimes when people are told that they cannot do something, they might give up on their dreams, but the Wilson sisters never did. Indeed, just over the past several months the band has released a box set, Strange Euphoria, a new CD, Fanatic, received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, received their second nomination for induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and have released a book about their career, Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock & Roll (It Books), by Ann & Nancy Wilson, with Charles R. Cross.

Even before entering the music business, the Wilson sisters had to overcome a childhood that found them moving around constantly as a result of their father's job with the Marine Corp. The constant upheaval was difficult for their entire family. In addition, their father, John, was seriously injured twice in combat and was even presumed dead on one occasion. Furthermore, Ann talks about her struggles with weight and a speech impediment which made attending school very difficult. As a result, she often found herself being ridiculed by her classmates and even a few teachers. However, she was able to throw herself into music, which helped to form a lifelong bond with younger sister, Nancy, that still exists today. Nancy details her struggles with relationships, with band mates Roger Fisher and Mike Derosier, and also talks candidly about her lengthy marriage to writer/director Cameron Crowe, as well as dealing with problems of infertility.

After making their mark in the music industry, Nancy and Ann struggled with acceptance as the female leaders of a rock and roll group, which had been predominantly a man's job. They had to endure disrespect from many industry types, including male journalists who would suggest that the sisters were lesbian lovers and others who would focus on Ann's weight instead of her concert performances. Of course, those comments helped to inspire at least one of Heart's biggest hits, "Barracuda." On the other hand, a few of Heart's other early hits were inspired by love and rooted in Ann's long term relationship with Michael Fisher, who was the guiding force behind the original band.

The Wilson sisters also reveal their musical influences and the lengths that they went to in order to feel closer to their idols, including The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Elton John. Nancy tells a particularly harrowing story about trying to find Joni Mitchell's farm in the days when it was relatively safe to hitchhike. Ann and Nancy discuss meeting some of those idols, as well as touring with John Mellencamp, Van Halen, Journey and Def Leppard. Nancy reveals an interesting story about Eddie Van Halen, while both sisters recount an unpleasant situation with John Mellencamp. Both make for interesting reading. I appreciated Ann filling in the blanks on some of her relationships, post Michael Fisher, as well as the stories of how she came to adopt her two children, Marie and Dustin. I also read with fascination about Nancy, who always seems so secure and confident on stage, but can be painfully shy off stage.

The story of Heart is a story of survival. The sisters recount their lives by taking turns in almost every chapter to detail their life story, both with Heart and in their personal lives. Of course, sometimes the two mixed and not always well. In addition, current and former band members and other associates of the band occasionally chime in with their recollections of Heart's long history. Even though I have followed the band closely for many years, several things caught me by surprise, including Ann's substance abuse problems, Nancy's departure from the band for several years, and an amusing story of a rather ominous figure from the Wilson family history. I also enjoyed learning about the early days of the "Big Five;" Ann, Nancy, their sister Lynn and parents John (Dotes) and Lois (Lou). Now that many of the puzzle pieces have been fit together in Kicking & Dreaming, it will be interesting to see what that future holds for the supremely talented sisters who have stood the test of time and appear to finally be receiving recognition that is long overdue.