Page updated on April 30, 2017
All news is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves.
Have Joan Jett news to report? Email us at jettfc@aol.com, and please include the source of the information so it can be validated. JOAN JETT - I Love Rock And Roll - Countdown Australia - 12 December 1982 from: YouTube.com
How Duran Duran, JOAN JETT, more got on air: WLIR's story documented at Tribeca Film Festival from: ibtimes.co.uk By Glenn Gamboa
Ellen Goldfarb knows the exact moment that she first realized how much WLIR changed her life.
It was the first time Goldfarb, then an 18-year-old from Plainview, walked into Spit nightclub in Levittown in 1982. "I was addicted to 'LIR then," says Goldfarb, whose documentary "Dare to Be Different," about the former Hempstead radio station's remarkable influence in the '80s, will make its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 27. "I walked into this huge nightclub and thought, 'Wow, this is so cool!' Seeing hundreds of people dancing to the music I listened to every day on the radio, I felt like I was at home with all these strange people, like I was home with a new family. It was a magical feeling."
And she was not alone.
Between 1982 and 1987, when it was forced off the air due to a complicated licensing dispute with the FCC, WLIR/92.7 FM was arguably the most influential radio station in the United States. Through its groundbreaking playlist created by program director Denis McNamara, WLIR introduced the area to New Wave â€" the post-punk movement that was commandeering the cultural mainstream in England and, with the station's help, America, through its pioneering use of synthesizers and music videos. The station was the first in the country to play Rock and Roll Hall of Famers like Irish imports U2 and homegrown rebels like JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, who are part of the documentary, as well as superstars like Duran Duran, The Cure and Depeche Mode.
"'LIR was so key in breaking so many acts," says Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. "They gave these people a shot."
Peresman, who was an agent in the 1980s representing Duran Duran, Depeche Mode and dozens of British New Wave artists, says that when his bands succeeded on WLIR, he was quickly able to prove to those who hadn't heard of these new acts that they would have an audience in America. "They showed there was such a thirst for these artists," says Peresman, who was interviewed for the documentary. "Their support meant you could bring a band over and do dates. . . . That gave the bands the opportunity to show how great live they were." [more] Tribeca Film Festival 2017: The Handmaid's Tale, I Am Heath Ledger and other titles to look out for from: ibtimes.co.uk By Amy West | Photo by Mario Anzuoni, Reuters
Tribeca Film Festival kicks off in New York today (Wednesday 19 April) and there's bound to be titles for everyone to enjoy, from old classics to premieres of new films and documentaries, across the next 11 days. But with so many showings on offer, how do you decide which ones not to missed?
Ahead of the event -- founded by by Jane Rosenthal, Craig Hatkoff and Robert De Niro in 2002 -- IBTimes UK lists a few titles that are definitely worth checking out...
The Handmaid's Tale
This year, the festival is opening up to incorporate TV in its line-up too, as Hulu's upcoming sci-fi drama The Handmaid's Tale gears up to make its debut. Set in a dark dystopian future where extremists have created their own government rules, it sees a number of women become 'sexual slaves' for men and infertile couples as they try to reproduce.
Specifically, the story centres around Offred (Elisabeth Moss) who, torn away from husband and daughter when the new system deems all divorces void, is considered an adulteress due to her other half having been married once before. Forced to live with her Commander (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife, Offred can't help but dream of the life she had before; the one she shared with her family before the revolution.
Dare To Be Different
Dare to be Different is a look-back on WLIR 92.7, the Long Island-based radio station which defied convention back in the 1980s by playing global imports before their release by "literally picking up the singles at the airport,rushing back to the studio and spinning them live."
The film features interviews with the likes of JOAN JETT, Debbie Harry, U2, Duran Duran, The Cure and Billy Idol as they relay how the channel carved out a new wave and punk scene in the New York state.
The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson
Oscar-nominated director David France (How to Survive a Plague) returns to the medium for The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson; a documentary about the titular American "street queen" who was a legendary figure and activist in New York's gay and trans community from the 1960s up until her death in 1992.
In that year, her body was mysteriously found in the Hudson River which the New York Police Department put down as a suicide. However, those who knew her strongly rejected that conclusion. This film explores and speculates on what really happened.
I Am Heath Ledger
Directed by Derik Murray and Adrian Buitenhuis, documentary I Am Heath Ledger is set to detail the late actor's life and passions -- particularly his love of directing -- as well as his personal struggles with fame and the pressures of the industry. It will unveil never-before-seen footage of the Australian actor. [more] That song doesn't mean what you think from: cnn.com By Breeanna Hare, CNN
(CNN)At this very moment, there's a couple out there realizing that "their" song, the 2005 hit ballad "You're Beautiful," has nothing to do with a loving, body-positive relationship and everything to do with a stalker who's stoned out of his mind.
Easy topics to confuse, we know.
But UK artist James Blunt has set the record straight.
"'You're Beautiful' is not this soft romantic f*****g song," Blunt told The Huffington Post in March. "It's about a guy who's high as a f*****g kite on drugs in the subway stalking someone else's girlfriend when that guy is there in front of him, and he should be locked up or put in prison for being some kind of perv."
People who say, "Ah, he's so romantic. I want 'You're Beautiful' as my wedding song' ... These people are f****d up," Blunt continued.
Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to judge Blunt's fans. Some of the most famous songs in American pop culture, including ones that appear in CNN's new series "Soundtracks: Songs that Defined History," are often misunderstood. Here are 10 of them:
"Born in the USA," Bruce Springsteen
People usually think this song is about: Being uber patriotic. [more] JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS - I Love Playin' With Fire [2010 Version] from: iTunes.apple.com
"I Love Playin' With Fire" (2010 Version) is available for purchase by clicking here! How to Look Like JOAN JETT from: YouTube.com By How To
How to Look Like JOAN JETT
00:00:59 Part 1 Crafting Your Coif
00:01:06 1 - Keep your hair short and textured
00:01:53 2 - Use products at home for everyday styling
00:02:34 3 - Experiment with color
00:03:28 Part 2 Nailing the Makeup
00:03:34 1 - Master the smoky eye
00:05:13 2 - Keep makeup on your cheeks muted
00:06:05 3 - Coat your lips in a matte nude tone
00:06:56 Part 3 Dressing the Part
00:07:03 1 - Lay the foundation of your outfit with the right pair of jeans
00:08:31 2 - Layer your tops for maximum effect
00:09:26 3 - Wear Chuck Taylor sneakers or boots
00:10:21 4 - Accessorize with bold and eclectic jewelry
00:11:08 5 - Loop a black, studded leather belt through your pair of jeans
00:11:49 6 - Tack some pins and badges onto your bag and jacket
00:12:09 Tips
00:12:39 Things JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS to Perform at Millersville University from: millersville.edu By Stephanie Schulte
Millersville University will rock and roll on April 29 when singer, songwriter and Hall-of-Famers JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS perform as part of MU's music event, Hall of Fame Festi-Ville.
The two-day musical event will begin on Friday, April 28 with the Spring Concert featuring rapper and singer Tory Lanez. This event is put on by the Concert Committee. The Tory Lanez concert is only open to attendees 18 and older.
The following day, a series of student rock bands will take to the stage in a show that is open to the public. President John Anderson will also take part, performing with one of the bands.
"It's a four and a half hour event," says Barry Atticks, coordinator of MU's Music Business Technology (MBT) program. "There will be a festival atmosphere in Marauder Courts."
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, will take to the stage later in the night around 9 p.m. [more] Billy Joel w/ JOAN JETT - Nassau Coliseum from: YouTube.com By Rob Shanberg
Billy Joel opens new Nassau Coliseum with multiple LI references from: newsday.com Photo by Glenn Gamboa | Photo by J. Conrad Williams Jr.
HIGHLIGHTS
Highlights include rarely performed songs with LI roots
JOAN JETT, Kevin James, Leah Remini are surprise guests
Billy Joel ushered in the new, aluminum-finned era of the renovated Nassau Coliseum Wednesday night with a powerful set filled with Long Island references.
"We kind of have an attitude here," Joel said, introducing the hard-rocking "No Man's Land," with lyrics written for Long Island that are still timely, right down to the cocaine bust news in the morning's paper.
Joel's concert was the first since the $165 million, 20-month renovation of the NYCB Live's Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and he gave its sound high marks as he rolled through songs he rarely plays anywhere else â€" like "The Downeaster ‘Alexa,' " about the plight of Long Island's baymen. For "Goodnight Saigon," Joel filled the stage with Armed Services veterans, who were greeted with huge ovations and chants of "U-S-A!"
"Lest we forget that this is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum," Joel said as the group left the stage.
Even Joel's surprise guests had Long Island roots. Long Beach's JOAN JETT was commanding on "Hate Myself for Loving You" and "I Love Rock ‘n' Roll." Stony Brook's Kevin James and his "King of Queens" "wife," Leah Remini, did an interpretive dance to "She's Got a Way," ending with James' passionate embrace of a hoagie.
When the singer paid tribute to the late Ray Charles with "What a Wonderful World," Joel turned it into a gorgeous duet with Baldwin's Carl Fischer on trumpet.
Throughout the show, Joel was in fine voice, taking more vocal chances than usual in songs like "New York State of Mind," where he opted for a bluesier take.
This was a happier Joel show than the bittersweet one in 2015 that closed the first chapter of the Coliseum. There was hope in Mike DelGuidice's poignant version of "Nessum Dorma" and even more joy in the way "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" became a singalong. Billy Joel re-opens hometown concert venue with help from JOAN JETT, veterans and a "King of Queens" reunion from: wjbdradio.com By Stephanie Schulte
Joel performed the final concert at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum -- the premiere concert venue in his native Long Island -- before it was closed for a $165 million renovation. On Wednesday night, the revamped and renovated Coliseum reopened, and Billy was back on stage to christen it with a string of hits and some surprise guests.
It was the Piano Man's 33rd sold-out concert overall at the venue, a fact highlighted by a special banner hanging in the venue rafters. His first was 40 years ago, which the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer noted from the stage Wednesday night.
"This is pretty cool," Billy said of returning to the revamped venue. "It's an honor to be here tonight." He also noted that the renovated arena "sounds a lot better" than the old one, adding, "There's a lot more ambience."
Being back in his old stomping grounds put Billy in a nostalgic mood, as he spoke fondly of the bars he used to perform in and around Uniondale, where the Coliseum is located, as well as a "Battle of the Bands" he competed in at a nearby park in 1965.
The 30-song concert touched on Billy's entire career, featuring songs from his very first album, 1971's Cold Spring Harbor, all the way through to his most recent collection of pop music, 1993's River of Dreams. But while his catalog is filled with enough hits to keep any audience entertained, he also brought on some special guests.
One was fellow Long Island rocker JOAN JETT, who joined Billy and his band for her hits "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and "I Love Rock and Roll." Another Long Island celebrity, Billy's pal Kevin James, came out during "She's Got a Way" and performed a comically terrible interpretive dance with Leah Remini, who played his wife on the hit sitcom The King of Queens.
After Leah pretended to get fed up with Kevin's pathetic attempts at dancing, she brought out Tony Dovolani -- her pro partner from her time on ABC's Dancing with the Stars -- and waltzed with him, while James danced romantically with a huge hero sandwich. James returned towards the end of the show to clown around during "You May Be Right."
The most touching moment, though, came when Billy brought on a large group of local veterans to sing the chorus "And we would all go down together" on his Vietnam War elegy "Goodnight Saigon." "Let us not forget," Billy said, "This is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum." He made sure to warmly greet each veteran and shake their hands after the number.
While the show was similar in many ways to the concerts that Billy has been doing monthly at New York's Madison Square Garden, right down to the spectacular video screen set-up and his super-talented backing band, Wednesday night's concert did feature a few rarely played numbers: "No Man's Land," from River of Dreams, which Billy wrote about the over-development of Long Island, and "Sleeping with the Television On," a deep cut from Glass Houses. He also threw in a cover of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." [more] THE JOY OF THE GUITAR RIFF from: YouTube.com By 777ruffdriver
JOAN JETT Live - I Hate Myself For Loving You - Morongo 2017 from: YouTube.com By justsayyeah7
Ellen Goldfarb knows the exact moment that she first realized how much WLIR changed her life.
Tribeca Film Festival kicks off in New York today (Wednesday 19 April) and there's bound to be titles for everyone to enjoy, from old classics to premieres of new films and documentaries, across the next 11 days. But with so many showings on offer, how do you decide which ones not to missed?
Millersville University will rock and roll on April 29 when singer, songwriter and Hall-of-Famers JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS perform as part of MU's music event, Hall of Fame Festi-Ville.
HIGHLIGHTS
Joel performed the final concert at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum -- the premiere concert venue in his native Long Island -- before it was closed for a $165 million renovation. On Wednesday night, the revamped and renovated Coliseum reopened, and Billy was back on stage to christen it with a string of hits and some surprise guests.