Heart’s Ann Wilson Covers Lesbian Icon Lesley Gore, Other “Immortals” Live

On February 13, Heart’s Ann Wilson saluted dearly departed icons including Lesley Gore, Amy Winehouse and Tom Petty in an intimate performance.

Ann Wilson Rocked the Room

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Ann Wilson appropriately stood in front of the giant, heart-shaped logo of iHeartRadio and delivered a performance that proved her voice still soars. And Metrosource was there to hear it all.

The evening included solo versions of big hits from her band Heart, including “Barracuda”, “Crazy on You” and “Alone”. The crowd roared their approval in response.

Wilson also announced that she and fellow Heart member Nancy Wilson would embark on a 29-city summer tour. The pair will be joined by other powerhouse female performers including Joan Jett, Sheryl Crown and recent Grammy-winner (and LGBTQ community member) Brandi Carlile.

Wilson Shared “Immortal” Inspiration

In addition to her hits, Wilson performed tracks from her new album Immortal, which she crafted to salute artists who have died.

Among these artists was Tom Petty, whom Wilson described as a “sultry country gentleman.” She said she chose to sing his song “Luna” because, “I’m a romantic, and I’m sticking to it.”

Describing her as a talent that “burned hot and burned short,” Wilson also called out Amy Winehouse. Her arrangement of the Winehouse hit “Back to Black” is designed to reflect the darkness of its lyrics.

But the evening’s definitive highlight was a cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me.” Calling it a song for “anyone who demands respect for who they are,” Wilson breathed new life into the number. Not since Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton performed it in the finale of First Wives Club has the song felt more electrifying.

The full set list and images from the event are available at iHeart.com.

Image by John Lill was cropped and licensed under CCNY 3.0

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