Joan Jett
Some people might say that it's impossible to "accidentally" become the first female recording artist to start her own record label. To those people, we say: You haven't met Joan Jett.
Born Joan Marie Larkin, in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Joan Jett came into the world on September 22, 1958. Jett was raised in Pennsylvania and Maryland, but she got an early start to her career when she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 15.
As one of the founding members of the teen girl group, the Runaways, Joan sang lead vocals, played the rhythm guitar, and had a hand in writing most of the band's songs. The Runaways toured around the world, with opening acts that included Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Van Halen, and they gained worldwide popularity... They were huge in Japan.
Over the next few years, the Runaways released albums at a steady pace, producing five albums between 1975 and 1979. But the American public, and the music press, were not yet ready to embrace the musical sensibilities of teenage girls, and Joan Jett and the rest of The Runaways parted ways after they released their final album.
When The Runaways disbanded in the spring of 1979, Joan began pursuing a solo career. She went to England to work with Steve Jones and Paul Cook, two former members of The Sex Pistols. After cutting three songs with them, she made her way back to the States.
Back in Los Angeles, Joan began work on We're All Crazee Now!, a film that was loosely based on The Runaways. The film was never completed, but some of the footage was later used in the underground feature, DuBeat-Eo. On the set, Joan Jett met Kenny Laguna, a songwriter and producer who would help her forge a stellar career. The two clicked instantly, and they began their longtime collaboration.
Laguna helped Joan Jett cut her solo debut, and it was released without any problem in Europe. But the album had a harder time at home, and after being rejected by 28 major American music labels, Joan made a decision that would create rock history. She created her own label, Blackheart Records, and released her album independently.
After her solo debut, Jett decided to form a new band. With Kenny Laguna's help, and a well-placed ad in the LA Weekly, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were born. With a new band, and a few Hollywood gigs under their belt, The Blackhearts began a European tour and released one of the most seminal singles of all time. Maybe you've hear of it... "I Love Rock & Roll".
The single stayed at #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard charts, and is generally considered as one of the greatest songs of all time. All of which might help explain why Rolling Stone considers Joan Jett one of top 100 guitarists ever.
Following the success of I Love Rock & Roll, Jett continued to enjoy a successful career, with a string of hits and high profile tours with acts like Aerosmith and Queen. More recently, Joan has begun to foster new talent through Blackheart Records, the label that started it all.
Our Joan Jett T-shirts are fully licensed, endorsed and made from the softest, prewashed and shrunk cotton jesery. They faithfully reproduce the original article as tracked down by us from archive images.
Vintage T-shirts for today.
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