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Jett still loves rock 'n' roll
from: jsonline.com
by Larry Widen
At the ripe old age of 49, JOAN JETT can still serve up a guitar riff that explodes against the eardrums like a Stinger missile en route to a terrorist training camp.
Her sinewy arms, whippet-thin frame and mascara-laden eyes are capped off by a road-hardened whiskey voice that delivers three-chord ballads of unrequited love ("Hate Myself for Loving You") and abusive relationships ("Love is Pain," "Fetish").
In 1976, Jett joined a group of teenage Sunset Strippers who became the RUNAWAYS, an all-girl band who traded on trendy good looks and gut-crunching rock. The quintet found a fan base among teenage boys who lusted after the southern California heartbreakers.
When the RUNAWAYS broke up a few years later, it was Jett who emerged from the wreckage. She formed her own band, the BLACKHEARTS, and played nearly every electric ballroom, bar and rock club in America. By 1981, at age 24, Jett left an indelible mark on pop culture with the mega-hit "I Love Rock and Roll," the 25th bestselling record of all time.
"The Stones don't own 'Satisfaction,' " says BLACKHEARTS keyboard player KENNY LAGUNA. "But Joan owns 'I Love Rock and Roll.' She can live off that song for the rest of her life."
During a recent interview, Jett talked about balancing her love of performing with the downside of being famous.
Q.You've had one of the longest and steadiest careers in the business.
A. Very steady. I've never had to make a comeback because I never went away.
Q.You're lucky to have had that choice.
A. Some bands get tired and take a break. Then they'll do a "comeback" tour. I never did that because I love what I do. Playing music is all I know.
Q. Did you finish high school?
A. No, I dropped out in the 11th grade.
Q. Not many people would recommend that option.
A. I never saw dropping out of school as a dangerous move. I wanted to play in a band so badly, and I took the chance. I figured I could always go back to school if I had to. I actually did get my GED at one point.
Q. So if you could do it over again, you'd still make the same decisions?
A. Absolutely. Yeah.
Q. What bands were influencing you at that point?
A. I was listening to a lot of Bowie, T-Rex, pretty much all early '70s British glam rock.
Q. Name a great guitar player.
A. Keith Richards. He's one of the best ever. I mean, I'm a rhythm guitar player, so I really appreciate what he does.
Q.What's the worst thing about being famous?
A. The way I've been treated. As a female guitar player, my self-esteem has really taken a beating. People have been brutal to me at various points in my career.
Q.Is it easier to find success in the 21st century?
A. It's hard to say. Reality TV shows give the impression that anyone can become famous, but nothing could be further from the truth. The music business is very different from the way it was in the '70s. Still, Internet technologies like MySpace give anyone the opportunity to put their music in front of the public.
Q. The public has a pretty short attention span these days.
A. No kidding! Albums are virtually extinct now. It's like we've gone back to the '50s with everyone buying singles from iTunes. Most bands have a shelf life of six to eight months, and then the public moves on to the next one.
Q. Any advice you'd give to a young musician?
A. I'd tell them to go for the dream. Even if you don't make it, at least you tried, and at worst you'll have some interesting stories to tell. If you don't take your shot, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering if you could have made it.
Q. Some of your songs are pretty grim. Where does that come from?
A. I don't see them as grim. I have the same heartaches as anyone else. Everyone loses a relative or a friend, and they know what that feels like. People think I'm so tough because I wear black leather, but I'm not immune to pain. I'm a human being, too.
Q. What makes you laugh?
A. Life. Life makes me laugh, because it's full of paradoxes, and there's nothing anyone can do about it. I find that humorous.
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