Page updated on Novemember 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& The BLACKHEARTS to hit the ice after Milwaukee Admirals game this February from: TMJ4 By Today's TMJ4
JOAN JETT, Robin Williams Documentaries to Premiere at Sundance from: rollingstone.com By Althea Legaspi | Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival has announced their selected feature films. Among the 110 independent films from around the globe, the festival will also premiere documentaries on JOAN JETT, Robin Williams and Studio 54.
Directed by Kevin Kerslake and written by Joel Marcus, Bad Reputation focuses on the life of JOAN JETT. It's described as chronicling "her early years as the founder of The RUNAWAYS and first meeting collaborator KENNY LAGUNA in 1980 to her enduring presence in pop culture as a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer."
Director Marina Zenovich culls never-before-seen footage and the story is told largely through the late comedian-actor's own voice for Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind. Described as an intimate portrait of Williams, "the film takes us through his extraordinary life and career and reveals the spark of madness that drove him."
The famed New York club Studio 54 is the subject of the film of the same name, directed by Matt Tyrnauer. The story is described as unfolding around two friends. "Studio 54 was the pulsating epicenter of 1970s hedonism: a disco hothouse of beautiful people, drugs, and sex. The journeys of Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell -- two best friends from Brooklyn who conquered New York City -- frame this history of the 'greatest club of all time.'"
In addition, a music-oriented film has been selected to compete in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, which includes 12 documentaries. MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A. is directed by Stephen Loveridge and is "Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions."
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival runs January 18th through 28th. Screenings will take place in Utah's Park City, Salt Lake City and Sundance Mountain Resort. 2018 Sundance Film Festival: Feature Films Announced from: sundance.org By TMJ4 | Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
Park City, UT -- Sundance Institute showcases bold, independent storytelling at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, beginning with today's announcement of feature films selected across all categories. The Festival hosts screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort, from January 18-28.
The Festival represents the flagship of the Institute's public programs, which also include Festivals in London and Hong Kong and other screenings throughout the year. Sundance Institute supports independent artists with year-round programs, granting more than $2.5 million and convening 25 global residency Labs focusing on theatre, film, New Frontier and episodic content.
Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, "The work of independent storytellers can challenge and possibly change culture, illuminating our world's imperfections and possibilities. This year's Festival is full of artfully-told stories that provoke thought, drive empathy and allow the audience to connect, in deeply personal ways, to the universal human experience." [more] JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS to hit the ice after Milwaukee Admirals game this February from: tmj4.com By TMJ4 | Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images
MILWAUKEE -- "Put another dime in the jukebox baby" because JOAN JETT is coming to Milwaukee.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and her BLACKHEARTS will perform after the Milwaukee Admirals game on Saturday, February 10 at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.
The concert is free to attend with a ticket to the game. In addition, a limited number exclusive on-ice passes will be available for just $20. The on-ice passes allow exclusive access to watch the concert from directly in front of the stage. On-ice passes need to be purchased in addition to a game ticket and will go on sale at a future date.
This is the second show the Admirals have announced in the 2018 Concert Series. November 18, 1981: "I Love Rock 'n Roll" by JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS Was Released from: mylifetime.com By SARI ROSENBERG | Photo: Waring Abbott/Getty Images
On November 18, 1981, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS' album "I Love Rock 'N Roll" was released. Thanks to the smash success of the title song, the album sold over 10 million copies. The title song, "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven weeks in a row and Billboard ranked "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" number 56 on their Greatest Songs of All Time list. Thirty-six years later, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS are still rocking out at stadiums around the globe, playing with bands like The Who and the Foo Fighters. Jett, also known as the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll and the Godmother of Punk, has been a feminist icon ever since she became one of the first women to don tight leather pants, heavy mascara and shred on her electric guitar.
Jett was born Joan Larkin on September 22, 1958. She got her first guitar when she was 14, but quit guitar lessons when her teacher wanted her to play folk music. Her family's move from Rockville, MD to Los Angeles, CA was instrumental in getting Jett into the LA glam rock/punk music scene. She became the founding member of the all-girl rock band, The RUNAWAYS, alongside drummer Sandy West. Jackie Fox, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie rounded out the band's classic lineup. The RUNAWAYS were an opening act for some of the hottest seventies rock bands, including Cheap Trick, The Ramones, Van Halen, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Although The RUNAWAYS were a global sensation, especially popular in Japan, they failed to achieve that same level of success in the United States.
After The RUNAWAYS broke up in 1979, Jett set out on her solo career. After putting out her first solo album, Jett formed JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS. Jett first heard the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" while watching The Arrows perform it on TV in 1976, and had been playing it for years in her live performances before she put it on the band's first album. The song, about a girl picking up a guy "by the record machine," became a female empowerment anthem. It further solidified Jett as a feminist role model. She once said, "At a very young age, I decided I was not going to follow women's rules." [more] See how rockers and pop stars have relaxed at home through the years from: chron.com By Craig Hlavaty | Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Guitarist JOAN JETT of the rock band "The RUNAWAYS" poses for a portrait in her bedroom at her family's home in Canoga Park just outside Los Angeles, CA in 1977.
Rockers and pop stars are just like us. After a hard day writing monstrous hits, performing in front of adoring thousands, and being treated like gods, they just want to go chill out at home.
Granted their houses are (usually) bigger than ours. They still appreciate a quality hang at the casa away from the insanity of the public eye.
We scoured the Getty Images archives for photos of some of our favorite rock stars and pop idols at home and away from the stage.
Some, like '70s-era Alice Cooper, seemed to have more fun at home than everyone else. If you know anything how Cooper partied during that decade everything will make a lot more sense. BMG's Zach Katz on Smart Acquisitions, Partnering With Icons & Betting on Facebook & Netflix from: billboard.com By Melinda Newman
Since Zach Katz ascended to president of repertoire and marketing at BMG U.S. in July 2016, the company has scored a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Blink-182, made its largest label acquisition with the $103 million purchase of BBR Music Group, partnered with Facebook, signed Pitbull to a publishing agreement and made a deal with Netflix to manage the streaming outlet's music rights outside the U.S.
As Katz, 46, sits in his 16th floor office in a high-rise in the mid-Wilshire section of Los Angeles, it's clear he's just getting started. In 2016, BMG worldwide generated roughly $500 million, with 75 percent coming from its publishing division and 25 percent from recorded music. Katz vows to make that an even 50-50 split within three years. "We're buying catalogs [and] signing artists," he says. "We're going to live up to doubling this business." They're already seeing results: For the week ending Nov. 2, BMG debuted four albums to the top 10 of the Independent Albums chart, a first for the company. Additionally, on Tuesday (Nov. 7). BGM writers busbee and Nate Cyphert took home song of the year honors at BMI's Country Music Awards for writing the Florida Georgia Line smash, "H.O.L.Y."
Katz, a former lawyer and artist manager for Sean Kingston and Jason Derulo, graduated from USC and Loyola Law School, and has worked at BMG since 2012. The company re-founded in October 2008 (following its merger and subsequent sale to Sony) and quickly ramped up through $1.5 billion in acquisitions, including Vagrant and S-Curve Records, as well as deals with artists like Janet Jackson and John Fogerty. The company also has moved into books and films, with a forthcoming documentary on JOAN JETT as its inaugural cinematic release.
"We want to be the sandbox filled with as many valuable toys as possible," says the Moscow-born father of two, who moved to Los Angeles at age 7. "The creative commitment is super important." [more] DLC WEEK OF 11/09: JOAN JETT AND VIOLENT FEMMES! from: harmonixmusic.com By Harmonix Blog
Embrace everything '80s this week with two great rock songs from JOAN JETT and Violent Femmes!
JOAN JETT released "Bad Reputation" as the opening track on her self-titled 1980 studio album. In the song Jett reacts to her tough personal experience with the music industry at the time, which is further narrated in the music video. "Bad Reputation" has become one of Jett’s best-known songs and has been featured in groundbreaking scenes from television shows and films. The power and confidence in this song has allowed many to connect and identify with Jett and her D.I.Y. spirit. Just like in Rock Band 2, drums will be the toughest, they switch up beats throughout the song while keeping the tempo fast and peppy. The guitar and bass will also need to keep up the speed with the fast chord and rhythm changes but they do get some breaks between Jett's vocal part, which also proves to be a challenge between the eighth note phrasing and key change.
Switching gears we turn to a band that defies genres - Violent Femmes, who released their single “Blister In The Sun†on their self-titled debut album in 1983. The album received substantial airplay on college and early alternative radio and eventually went platinum. “Blister In The Sun†opens with the famous bass riff that is also the main vocal and guitar melody of the song; accompanied by snare hits that probably everyone claps together with right on cue. The song structure alternates between verse and chorus with an instrumental break, where each part gets their mini solo, right before the last chorus and outro. Although it may sound like a breezy folk song, the driving main riff during the verses will keep your hands moving and the guitar and bass parts during the choruses are constantly moving as well.
Songs can be purchased individually for $1.99 each. The Rock Band Rivals Season 3 Spotlight Pass can be purchased for $13.49. [more] JOAN JETT, 'Weird Al,' William Shatner Tapped for Dr. Demento Box Set from: rollingstone.com By Jon Blistein
'Dr. Demento Covered in Punk' boasts punk covers of radio personality's classic comedy tunes
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS, the Misfits, William Shatner and "Weird Al" Yankovic have contributed new punk covers of classic Dr. Demento songs to a new collection celebrating the work of the legendary radio personality and novelty song maestro. Dr. Demento Covered In Punk arrives January 12th, 2018 via Demented Punk.
The collection features over 30 covers of songs originally aired on the Dr. Demento radio show, as well as new "demented" covers of classic punk tunes. For example, "Weird Al" recorded a version of the Ramones' classic "Beat on the Brat," while Shatner turned in a growling and expertly melodramatic version of the Cramps "Garbageman," which is available to stream now.
Dr. Demento Covered in Punk also features contributions from the B-52s, Colleen Green, Fred Schneider, Nobunny, the Meatmen, Osaka Popstar, the Vandals, Philly Boy Roy (one of Jon Wurster's numerous characters from The Best Show), Elvira Mistress of the Dark and late Batman actor Adam West.
The new collection will be available digitally and as a two-CD or three-LP vinyl set. All versions are available to pre-order and will include a booklet featuring new liner notes, quotes from participating artists, plus an array of artwork, photographs and illustrations. John Cafiero, the frontman of Osaka Popstar and Covered in Punk's producer and curator, also penned a foreword for the booklet, while Dr. Demento contributed an afterward.
In a statement, Cafiero praised Dr. Demento's radio show and music for "creating a musical movement that echoes the spirit of punk with its own unique voice. There are no airs, and everyone's welcome. If you didn't fit in - you fit in."
Dr. Demento Covered in Punk Track List
Disc One
1. "Dr. Demento Opening Theme" (Pico & Sepulveda) - Osaka Popstar's Demented Punk Orchestra with the Roto Rooter Goodtime Christmas Band
2. "Demento Segment I" - Dr. Demento and Osaka Popstar
3. "Fish Heads" - Osaka Popstar
4. "Demento Segment II" - Dr. Demento and Barnes & Barnes
5. "Garbageman" - William Shatner
6. "Shaving Cream" (Punk Lyrics) - "Uncle Floyd" Vivino & Oogie
7. "Demento Segment III" - Dr. Demento
8. "Fluffy" - Fred Schneider
9. "Demento Segment IV" - Dr. Demento & Gloria Balsam
10. "Dead Puppies" - James Kochalka Superstar
11. "Demento Segment V" - Dr. Demento
12. "Surfin' Bird" - Nobunny
13. "Rat Fink" - Balzac
14. "Demento Segment VI" - Dr. Demento
15. "I Like" - Colleen Green
16. "Demento Segment VII" - Dr. Demento
17. "Creature With The Atom Brain" - Quintron & Miss Pussycat
18. "I Love Beans" - The Meatmen
19. "It's A Gas" - Los Straitjackets
20. "Demento Segment VIII" - Dr. Demento
21. "Brak Takeover" - Brak & Dr. Demento
22. "Institutionalized" - Brak
23. "Demento Segment IX" - Brak, Dr. Demento & Oglethorpe
24. "Eat It" - Shonen Knife
25. "Batman Theme" - The Hamburglars
26. "The Thing" - Adam West
27. "Adam West ID" - Adam West
28. "Science Fiction/Double Feature" - JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS
29. "Demento Segment X" - Dr. Demento
30. "Gloria Balsam Closing ID" - Gloria Balsam [more] A Rockin' Internship from: YouTube.com By AlbrightCollege1856
Albright senior Emily Sears, a business administration / music industry studies major, interned for BLACKHEART RECORDS, cataloging JOAN JETT's rock memorabilia & clothing. Learn more: www.albright.edu/spotlight/sears/.
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS Live @ RockFest 80's FL 11/4/2017 from: YouTube.com By Aie Rocks
"I Hate Myself for Loving You" live from RockFest 80's
November 4, 2017, Florida
Gold Coast International Film Festival to offer an eclectic lineup from: newsday.com By Rafer Guzman | Photo Credit: Jomyra Productions / Roger Senders
For the second year in a row, the Gold Coast International Film Festival has a surprise hit on its hands.
Last year it was Asghar Farhadi's "The Salesman," which proved so popular with the area's Iranian-American community that the festival had to book two additional screenings. This year it's "Dare to Be Different," a documentary on Long Island's beloved radio station WLIR, which has also sold out its first two screenings. A third screening was added on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Port Washington's Soundview Cinemas. (The film played at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, but the Gold Coast showings mark its Long Island premiere.)
That's a good sign for this still-young cultural event. Founded seven years ago by Regina Gil as an outgrowth of her Gold Coast Arts Center (formerly Great Neck Arts Center), the festival has made a name for itself by offering a roster of foreign films, American independents, Oscar contenders and several shorts programs that have proved surprisingly popular. This year marks the festival's first as a member of the Science on Screen program, which helps promote science-themed movies such as "Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story," a documentary about the screen siren and self-taught inventor who created a secure communications protocol during World War II. That film screens Thursday, Nov. 9.
BEN-GURION EPILOGUE (Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 at Squire Cinemas, 115 Middle Neck Rd., Great Neck). Yariv Mozer's documentary draws from six hours of recently discovered interviews with Israel's founding father, David Ben-Gurion, who was 82 at the time of recording. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the late Prime Minister's grandson, Alon Ben-Gurion.
FREE FILM FRIDAY: FAMILY SHORTS (Friday, Nov. 10 at noon at Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave., Huntington.) A selection of short films, some live-action, some animated, all family-friendly. Admission is indeed free, but you need to reserve seats in advance.
DOG YEARS (Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 at Port Washington Cinemas, 116 Main St.). Burt Reynolds plays an over-the-hill movie star who reluctantly accepts a lifetime achievement award from a semi-legitimate film festival. Ariel Winter, of ABC's "Modern Family," plays his foul-mouthed driver for the weekend. Also with Chevy Chase, Clark Duke and Nikki Blonsky.
STRAIGHT/CURVE: REDEFINING BODY IMAGE (Saturday, Nov. 11 at 4 at Soundview Cinemas, 7 Soundview Market Place, Port Washington). Jenny McQuaile's documentary looks at female bodies in fashion and the media, and listens to those who advocate for a wider range of sizes, ages and colors. McQuaile will hold a Q&A after the screening. [more] RockFest 80's Is Your Chance to Catch Three Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Bands in One Weekend from: miaminewtimes.com By CELIA ALMEIDA
Roy Anthony is a self-described "L.A. boy" who grew up frequenting the famed rock 'n' roll dive bars on the city's Sunset Strip. The Roxy, Troubadour, and Whisky are clubs so legendary they attained one-name status during the time they were pressure-cooker incubators for bands ranging from the Doors in the '60s to Mötley Crüe in its '80s glam-rock, hair-metal heyday.
Anthony hoped to find the same environment when he settled in South Florida after years of producing rock events around the world, but he found that the vibrant rock scene he'd encountered in various cities around the globe was largely absent here. The venues certainly exist -- Churchill's, Revolution Live, Culture Room, Hard Rock Live -- but some of them have diversified beyond a strictly rock audience, while others are proxies for Live Nation's artist bookings. On the Sunset Strip, he says, you "can jump into a van, jump out of a van, and go see five different local rock bands every night of the week." He sees a similar potential in South Florida, where he says rock fans are plenty, but they've been forgotten or increasingly ignored by radio programmers and live music venues as other genres surge.
Anthony looked to successful country music festivals such as Tortuga and Chili Cook-Off for inspiration as he set out to fill the void he perceives in live rock music programming in South Florida. The result is RockFest 80's -- a two-day celebration of rock 'n' roll in its diverse iterations, from the power-pop sheen of Cheap Trick to the foundational pop-punk of JOAN JETT to the gritty Southern rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd. "I'm not sure if anybody realized it, unless they really looked deep, but I brought three Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on the same weekend," Anthony beams.
Cheap Trick was inducted in 2016, after many years of fans clamoring for the band's inclusion. The group hovered on the cusp of cult classic and full-blown rock stardom in the '70s and '80s via songs such as "I Want You to Want Me" and the adolescent-angst anthem to end them all, "Surrender." JOAN JETT is also a recent inductee even though she's been making music history since she was a teenager as part of the pioneering punk band the RUNAWAYS. After their dissolution, she stepped out with her own band, the BLACKHEARTS, and became a chart-topper with hits such as "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." She remains one of the most influential female voices in rock history. Lynyrd Skynyrd is best known for putting Southern rock on the map via classic-rock radio staples such as "Sweet Home Alabama," but the famous guitar solo in "Free Bird" alone could have earned the band a spot in the annals of rock music. Skynyrd will headline Sunday night as RockFest, and Cheap Trick and JOAN JETT will headline the Saturday lineup.
Scoring those acts is an impressive feat for a festival entering only its second year in production, with plans to take it through to 2020. Another festival is also in Anthony's plans, one that caters to fans of late-'90s and early-'20s bands such as Shinedown and Three Doors Down. Anthony hopes the festivals will set off a chain reaction in the local scene, spurring programmers to remember rock fans and revive the rock programming that has largely subsided in favor of other genres. "I just think there's a void to be filled," he says. "The audience is here; [it's] just everybody forgot it, so I'm here to remind them." [more]
The 2018 Sundance Film Festival has announced their selected feature films. Among the 110 independent films from around the globe, the festival will also premiere documentaries on JOAN JETT, Robin Williams and Studio 54.
Park City, UT -- Sundance Institute showcases bold, independent storytelling at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, beginning with today's announcement of feature films selected across all categories. The Festival hosts screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort, from January 18-28.
MILWAUKEE -- "Put another dime in the jukebox baby" because JOAN JETT is coming to Milwaukee.
Since Zach Katz ascended to president of repertoire and marketing at BMG U.S. in July 2016, the company has scored a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Blink-182, made its largest label acquisition with the $103 million purchase of BBR Music Group, partnered with Facebook, signed Pitbull to a publishing agreement and made a deal with Netflix to manage the streaming outlet's music rights outside the U.S.
Embrace everything '80s this week with two great rock songs from JOAN JETT and Violent Femmes!
For the second year in a row, the Gold Coast International Film Festival has a surprise hit on its hands.
Last year it was Asghar Farhadi's "The Salesman," which proved so popular with the area's Iranian-American community that the festival had to book two additional screenings. This year it's "Dare to Be Different," a documentary on Long Island's beloved radio station WLIR, which has also sold out its first two screenings. A third screening was added on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at Port Washington's Soundview Cinemas. (The film played at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, but the Gold Coast showings mark its Long Island premiere.)
Roy Anthony is a self-described "L.A. boy" who grew up frequenting the famed rock 'n' roll dive bars on the city's Sunset Strip. The Roxy, Troubadour, and Whisky are clubs so legendary they attained one-name status during the time they were pressure-cooker incubators for bands ranging from the Doors in the '60s to Mötley Crüe in its '80s glam-rock, hair-metal heyday.