Iconic rock and roll innovator Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will perform at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on July 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 10 at noon.
Joan Jett is an originator, an innovator and a visionary. As the leader of the hard-rocking Blackhearts, she’s had eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including the classics “Bad Reputation,” “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” and “Crimson and Clover.” Jett was one of only two women named to Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 greatest guitar players of all time.
Since co-founding the Runaways, the pioneering all-girl punk quintet, at age 15, Jett’s determination and drive have kept her in the public eye. Her profile skyrocketed, yet, again, with the recent release of the feature film of the same name based on lead singer Cherie Currie’s book Neon Angel. Jett served as an executive producer on the film.
Her music has become a permanent force in mainstream culture. Faith Hill sings “I Hate Myself for Loving You” as the theme for NBC’s Sunday Night Football and “Bad Reputation” was the theme song for the “Hit Girl” heroine of the hit film, Kick Ass. Her cover of “Love is All Around” (the theme song of The Mary Tyler Moore Show) became an anthem in women’s sports and was used by the NCAA to promote the Women’s Final Four. Jett supplied theme songs for the ESPN X-Games premiere and has contributed music to all of their games since.
Adding to Jett’s list of accomplishments is Blackheart Records, an independent label she founded with long time songwriting partner and producer Kenny Laguna, in 1980 – which made her the first female artist to own and operate an independent record company. Blackheart Records is also currently home to such up-and-coming groups as San Antonio-based female threesome Girl in A Coma and Los Angeles’ pop-punk trio the Dollyrots.
The multi-talented Jett has acted in movies, including 1987’s Light of Day, and in the Tony-nominated Broadway musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As a producer, she has overseen albums by Bikini Kill, Circus Lupus, as well as the Germs’ LA punk masterpiece, GI. Additionally, she is a spokesperson for PETA and a devoted supporter of the U.S. Military.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the hit “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Joan Jett and the Blackhearts released the certified platinum-selling album on 180-gram clear vinyl on April 16. The exclusive Record Store Day reissue is a one-time pressing with only 1,000 copies available. The limited edition LP includes a download card of the entire album recorded at a 320 bit rate for optimal sound quality.
Tickets cost $69, $59 and $49*; all seats are available at the Hard Rock Live Box Office, Tuesday – Saturday from noon – 6 p.m. and Sunday – Monday only open on event days at noon. Tickets also are available at all Ticketmaster outlets online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge by phone: 1-800-745-3000. Doors open one-hour prior to show start time. *Additional fees may apply.