Joan Jett

Background

Joan Marie Larkin, famously known as Joan Jett is a legend when it comes to Rock and Roll. She became famous as the lead woman of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, an iconic band with over 30 years of career. Jett was born on September 22, 1958, in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia to her father, James, and her mother, Dorothy Larkin. Her father worked as an insurance salesman while her mother worked as a secretary. Together with her two siblings, they were raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia and relocated to Rockville, Maryland in 1967. There, she enrolled in Randolph Junior High, and later, went on to Wheaton High School. Her interest in music began at a very young age. She got her first guitar at the age of 13 and started taking guitar lessons, although she later gave them up because her instructor was only teaching her folk songs. When her family moved to West Covina, California, she had the opportunity to explore her music interests in a wider scope.

She changed her name shortly after the relocation and the separation of her parents. It was then and there that she adopted the alias of Joan Jett for musical purposes. She started by forming The Runaways, together with Sandy West. Later on, Micki Steele, Jackie Fox Lita Ford, and Cherie Currie joined them, and thus the original lineup of the band was complete. Even though Currie was the lead singer and Jett played the guitar, she also shared the lead vocals and co-wrote the songs. They released three albums, and “Live in Japan,” their most successful one, became one of the best-selling imports in the history of the U.S. and the U.K. They quickly became globally famous, especially in Japan and England. It was in England where she heard ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ for the first time when Arrows sang it on “Arrows,” their weekly television series. When Currie left the band, Jett took over the lead vocals, and the band produced two more albums before dismantling in 1979.

She returned to the United States the same year and while working on the “We’re All Crazee Now!” movie, she met record producer Kenny Laguna, and they relocated to New York. In 1980, they were prompted to create their own record label, Blackheart Records, to promote Jett’s self-titled solo debut. They also formed the Blackhearts Band together. Despite their financial problems, they toured around the U.S.and created a name for themselves. 1981 was a turning year for Jett & the Blackhearts after a career-defining performance at the concert in Palladium, New York City. Later on, they released the now-famous version of ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,’ and the rest is history.