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Joan
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Joan Jett Facts and Biography
,oaa Jett-Faet Paet.
Birthdqy : September 22nd
Born : Philadelphia, PA, USA
Heigbl : Five feet flve and a half inches
Eyest Brown
Eiair. Black
FavourFte Cutrent Bands : Pugezi, Lungtbh, L7, Babes in Toyland, Hildni Kill
Kenny Laguna is loan Jext's lo!gdme n>aavger, coltabarator, produoer and fiend . Kenny first met
loan in 1979 at the Riot House on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, Califomia Initially he was asked
to meet and produce what tumed out to be the lut Rutmways album, Joan's fonaer band . The
Runaways were a group of five teeneage girls Brom Southern California formed by Jest . and Runaways
drunaaer Sandy West . Contrtxrcial succesc eluded the band 'm America, but they found masgive
suecess in Japan, where the group recorded their legendary live album Liw in Japorr in 197T . The
Runaways gave their last perfarmaace A'ew Yeafs Eve 1978 in San Francisco . In the spft of 1979.
Joan was in England trying to get a solo projeet gotng . Whua there, she out thres songs with e :-Sax
Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones, two of which camo out as a single in Holland only . (The third
song, "I Love RocknRoIl" was included on the 1993 "odds and aods" releaae FlasJrback .) Back in
Los Angeles, Toan produced the debut album by local punk mctars, the Germs and acted in a movie
based on the Runaways (with actresses playing the rast ofthe band) called Weya .[il CsnryNaw! (the
title was taken from the Slade song) . The movie was never released, but one good thing came out of
the projec4 loan met Kenny Laguna . °Ha old managcr cal;ed tnc and wanted to know if I would be
willing to write some songs in a huay with Joan Jett," n :called Kenny . "My wife, Meryt, told me that
I should go and meet Joan bewuse she rually liked whu; she had bcen reading about her in the press .
So I weat to Los Angeles and checked into the Riot House and in walked Joan )ett . ibat's how I met
her_ We wrote some songs that weekend, one of which was "You Don't Know What Y"ou Got ."w
'Mvea before meeting Joan, I used to know the ltunawsys! old manager, who was a publicist I met
through The Who organization . They wanted me to produce one ofthe'v albums . I remember that I
was actually going to the airport to to fly to Amsterdam and meet them when I ran into Matthew
King Kanfman of Beserldys Records in the lobby of the hotel I was staying in . He ofterod to driw me
to the airport and ou the way he said, 2ooIS you could ;p to Amsterdam and meet a band you're not
even confirmed with or you could come to San Ftzncisco, California and produce Greg Kiln with
me .' At the time I thought that was a better ides, co I wemt to San Francisco instead . I did hear from
the Runaways ottoE during the recording of their albutn because they weren'C happy with what was
going on and they wanted me to jump in, but I didat I wound up forgettEng the whole thing until
their old manager called and wanted me to write with Joan . He was very concerned about a $5000 .00
investment he had in her and he wacted to make sure he got that back . He said a few rhings about
Joan like she was wild and other nasty things that eventually got back to her . She was a IiWe unhappy
withltim . Then she ran into S[eve Leber firom LebedKreba Stesro thought ahe was a etar and wanted
to maasge htr, so she flew to New York and stayed at my house . Steve's partner decided that punk
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Ioan Iett Facts and
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rockers ware Nazrs and he dida't want one in the office . So here I was with this gui who had fired her
manager and dldnt have anyone to do business for ber ."
InitiaIIy, Kenny wac intereated only in co-wrfting with Joan and producinna an album for her . I never
wanted to be caIled a manaEer," stated I :tarmy. 'I daze back to a time when the msnagQ was your
buddy from high school who carried your bags . I wanted to be Jmown as a producer. I figured we'd
do a littb shit together and forgec about it Eke I normally did as an independent producer . Joan and I
went to a few managers, one of them was a really big guy who stole a song idea of ours, another gay
did this, oae did that, and by the time we were done we hsd fiaisbad the album, but we still hadat
tbund a ruanager. I became her nwnager because I was doing a lot of the work unoffidally for a while
and Setting more and more involved'
Joan's solo debut with Iaguna and Ritchis Cordell producing, usiag the Josus-Cook British tracks
ph>a gaest mtuirrsna Sean Tyla and Blondie's ClemBurice and Frank Iaflante was released inF,urope
only simply entitled, Jomt Jen. The all+um was rejected by no ten thsn 23 ntq)or and minor lebds,
before Joan and Kenny deoided to reltue it independerrcly on their own Blackheart label . "I really dug
loan and I thought she was really talented . It really got me that no-one would sign her to the point
that it pissed me off I thought she .lrally deserved it. It was very discouraging because every Iabd
tumed her down . We wuldn't think of anything else to do, but print up records outselves, and that's
how Blacldteart Records atarted . It was more or less Joan's idea to do it ourselvea '
Joan and Kenny used their personal savings to press records and set up their own system of
indepeudent distlibutors. Kenny was uaable to keep up with demand £or 7oan's albtun, yet no
AraErican record company was ev®a remotely intemsiw9 in signing Joan . Eventually the album was
picked up by Ned BoQart who signed Joan to his new labeL Boardwalk Records . He re-released the
album in January of 1981 under the new title Hqd $gpytat . The albam was given adequate
distribution and was a moderate success, beericg witnats to Joan's spirited sense of commitment .
Kenny's assiatanse, loan formed The Blackbearts with three ob3cure New York area musirians :
Gary Ryut on bass, Bric Abel (replaced shortly thereafter by Rick Byrd) on guitar and Lee Crystal on
drnms. After almost a year of touring, Joan's ffist album with the Blackhearts, entided I Love
BoW;IM came out in Decmnbe{ of 1981 . The album included a version of'little Drummr Boy"
on the pre-Christmas editions .l'he album's impact on the music scene was immediate with the Lp
reaahing the Top Five, while the sihele "I Love Rook'n"RoiP hit the very top of the BiQboard's Cbarts
on March 20, 1982 and stayed #1 for 7 weelrs . Joan Jett had cDme baclc from nowherem
Through it all, one thing has remained consistent in Joan Jett's career and personal lifb - Kenny
Laguna. He was tham at the bepnRing and has weathered the good times and the bad . "We're very
good, close Sdesuls. In the world that I live in, loyalty iti one of the most irnportant things . There's
never been a thouehr of waLl=g away from Joan, although hre heard it before and been advised many
times to walk away. Ifs like this is my fiend and regardless of what the business is, Tm QoinB to stay
with my ftiead. We have a uurtual reapect for one another and we've nova been in competition . We
both fed that the other is reaIly the better . There's never a rivalry about who wrote what or who
wrote more. Our friendship and respect is what holds it all together," says Kenny.
"We have a business that is a partnenhip . I do more of the mamgement than Joan does, but thae's a
lot about the managrmoat that is dcfined by Joaa A lot of the artistry that I get involved in, or the
production Joaa gets involved in epat might not be aedited . We do everything along with bkryi
(Laguna) as a team . For people to understand, everybodies roles are defined on the record jaekds and
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for businexs . It's my job as the manager to take the heavy shit, but a lot of tlu business decisions cotne
directly Som loan and Metyl "
And now, 15 years since Joan fust met Kenny the two sull share a love for what brought them
together in the fuat place: music . "We have a unique relationship that sometimes has incedtble
advantages . We've been together so fong that we have ti teal understanding about what kind of tmtsic
we should do together, which is a little bit of my pop sembility and a little bit of her punk sensibility
split right down the middto. It's been termed POWfiRPtJNK but whatever it is, it is our unique
hybrid of 'Yummy Yummy" meets'Ihe Gelms .'
During Joan'a career, she's worked :with the Sex Piatols, the Beach Boys, Pau1 Westerberg . L7 and
Bikini Kill to name a few, had a ntimber one hit with I Love Rock'dAalP phuf a atrio$ on Top 40
hits, looking back on Joan's career'is a whole . ICantry remembered several avenu that avnd out .
"Obviously'i Love Rock'aRoY" explodiBg and becoming a big record was an ineredible moment . We
played a stadium when'I Love Rotlt'n4LoIP was hot in F!q ;land, and I turned to my right and there
was David Bowie and Freddie Merwry standing then . :I thought that was an incredbk momaat .
Going to Esst Germany was special too because loan was the ffrst act, musicien, poet or anything to
go thera She refusad to have any publicity on it . she jwt wanted to go there and play for the fans . .
loan getting the movie role over any saress and singer in Hollywood for tight ofDay' was a
woaderAtl and satisfyittg ttwmerrt . Headlining fbr 60,OOA people in Thailand was really good . The
moet incredible moment on protnodng a record wu 4 H ;ate mysetf Por Loving You' which was left Sor
dead . It was the longest developing record in 1983 and was a very record bard to break Those are
the beat ottes if you can get titam . That was a very special moment."
Now, loan lett aad the B1sclhearts have a brand new album. Pure and Simote . The band saem to
never stop touting . "We're bazaldtta a reeord right ttow ' noted ICeeny. "Radio is a little bit resisaus,
but we'll overcome that . Television and the press love Joaa . We're having a veay good year and a vety
bad year all at once . Wdre going to break this reeotd Pm hoping that Joan .va take some time out
and do one of the many movies affered to her . She's been sort of resismnt because she doesn't want to
¢ive up so much ofher rock and ruIl I'ik but evidefltSy I bope we 8nd a movfe that flta into the
achedule nicely. We received a fetV offers for partsf in nuovies by fatnous directors, but for di@'etent
teasons we were held baek . Light qfDv, • was not what ~we were looking foc in a movie role because it
was a roek thing . It wasn't Joan she was playiog, but we, want to find something where she can use
her irmnettse acting talent and be somebody other than 7oan Jett and that's a key faetor . Also, loan
doeant want to be comprotnised . F9r instancay we bad t Robert DeNtro ffim that was offered to Jeaa
a few years ago, but there was a nude scene that Joan didnY feel waa appropriate . They wanted to use
a body double and she thought tivt, was just as weird Tferda nothing wrong with Joan's body, it's
really special, but she didn't want to be oempromisud tLat way . Unfortunately, to do movies, most of
the time they want the woman to get undressed a some point tn the movie . We did do an episode of
The IiShlandet which was sort of a oo-incidrace because we were in Vancouver, Canada writing
withlun Vallence and we kept getting calls through our New York office . We talked to those guys
for about two days when we asked where it was geing to be filmed and they said Vancouver . We
were alraady in Vaaamva and thu iced it for ua It was no big deal."
Joan Jett and the Blackheatts have .a new record deal with Warner Brothen. but Joan and Kenny ptan
to continue to independently releasse albums by other artists through Bladthaartt Records . "We have a
Qzracten record that just came out, maybe a Noise Ba}s and hopefi :liy another Metal Church
recotd . Sometimes we release records through Blukhart because we like the people, other times
because we Bke the music . Either waY, we waot to keep the Blackheert label going as an outlet for
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beads who otherwise wouldn't have a chance ." Over the years, Joan Jett hai remained honest to her
viatoa of true roclc and roll. She is nnique and coatinues a career that has never been influenced by
style or passing fashiotu. "I woufd.lilce people to know that Joan is still very youn4~ People tend to
think that she's old because she's bixn around for so louy, but she statted in this business as a
teenea@er. [t's important to know she did start so youq ;" noted Kenny. "People should know that
loan doesn't do any commereials erhatsoevec She doesn't do any product pl9oement because she
thinks it's meaky. I would say that she has turaed dowrt at least 10 million dollars in mdarsementa
because the product people like her and know the fans trust her . Joan's integrity is untouchable .
There's no way that money could ever make a differmce to her . Joan is a very good person, very
sincere and what you see is always what you get without manipulation or pretence . She also has a lot
of concerns for cbatities. She does a lot of chitdrm's charities and works with widows and orphans .
She does a lot of things all the tinw that arent well knoam without any publicity, but that's the way
loan wants it "
Of course, there will be another recond, anether world tour, a possible movie role, but regardless of
where Joaa's wreer may lead, you can be sure that her ibt>a time 8riend, Kenny Laguna win always be
there for her.
A special mention must be made of the contributioas of Meryl Lagune .
Probably the 8sst women to be en Ost moasQer of a major tnodern rock act was l4teryl La4tmt .
Meryl had worked with Kenny Lasuna and other sinSer/sonSwriters suioe the trtid-sixties, when she
met Keany in juaior high school . .
In 1979, Maryl read about 7oan Jett in the rock press arid thought she was signiAcaett . ABer the
Runaways broke up, it was Meryl who convinced xemy to meet Joan and get involved in her aareer .
Meryl was clearly a pioneer in the 30s! video explosion, overseeing the usation of all Joads videas,
many of which were ground brealdrg during the birth of the M'N age . She has also directed all the
LP covers and art in the packages.
Mesyl worked with loan and helpqd reSna her hard aom turhetwesr and bridge the gap between
punk and high fashion . She emballished the studs and leather look for Joan with the leganduy Norms
Kamali
Meryt has also managed Metal Cfiitrxt, Dadeu Love and other aas .
-Da.id Satraden
AW!~)
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