Iconic rock band Heart – fronted by the indefatigable sisters, Ann and Nancy Wilson – pulls into Gas South Arena on Sunday, Feb. 15, for a stop on their “Royal Flush Tour.”
The tour was extended after Ann was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and underwent surgery and treatment. Just as the band was headed back out on the road, Ann fell and suffered a severe break to her arm and elbow.
As soon as she was able, Ann was back on stage – often seen in a wheelchair in social media clips – but her instantly recognizable voice was mighty as ever.
“She’s going gangbusters now,” Nancy said in a recent interview with Rough Draft. “Every show she’s stronger and stronger.”
Fans can expect to hear all the hits, including “Barracuda,” “Crazy On You,” “Alone” and “These Dreams,” which features Nancy on lead vocals. Nancy is, of course, Heart’s dynamic guitarist – considered one of the greatest in rock history.
When the Wilsons first began making music together in Seattle during the early 1970s, the sisters helped carve out a space for women in a male-dominated rock scene with a sound that blended hard rock and folk.
Heart broke through in 1975 with their debut album “Dreamboat Annie,” featuring the now-classic hits “Magic Man” and “Crazy on You.” The band weathered shifting musical trends and industry pressures in the 1980s, reinventing themselves with a string of chart-topping hits including “Alone,” “These Dreams,” “What About Love,” and “Never.” Their self-titled 1985 album shot them to superstardom, introducing Heart to a new generation of fans. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
“One of the best things about being on the road this year is seeing the age range of fans in the audience,” Nancy said. “We’ve got college-aged kids and little kids. There was a nine-year-old in the front row at a recent show playing air guitar to ‘Barracuda.’ I love that.”
With 35 million records sold and cemented as rock royalty, Nancy said she’s become more and more aware of how she and her sister broke the glass ceiling when it came to women in rock.
“All of our influencers were all guys – Led Zeppelin, The Who, Elton John, The Beatles,” she recalled. “We were young when we started and a novelty when we got into it, two sisters fronting a rock band. But we realized that what we were doing was giving courage to women who wanted to make music.”
Encouraging new musicians is still a priority for Nancy. She and her husband, Geoff Bywater, created Roadcase, an artist management company to mentor and support emerging musical talent.
But Heart remains at the forefront as the sisters have started writing music for what Nancy hopes will be their first new album in more than a decade.
“When we’re off the road, it makes me want to create,” Nancy said. “So, as soon as I got home, I started writing.”
Tickets for the “Royal Flush Tour,” featuring special guest Lucinda Williams, are still available. Get tickets and more details here.