Ann Wilson

As half of the sister duo that makes up arena rock veterans Heart, vocalist Ann Wilson has sung on some of the biggest rock radio hits of the '70s and '80s. Born on June 19, 1950, Wilson's family moved often when she was young (her father was a Marine Corps captain), before eventually settling down for good in Seattle, WA. As a shy teenager (due to a stutter), Wilson turned to music and singing as an outlet. By the late '60s, she became equally interested in such hard rockers as Led Zeppelin and folk artists as Joni Mitchell, and as a result, her vocals could adapt between the two styles. The early '70s saw Ann join a local rock outfit, Heart (then White Heart), which led to her trying to unsuccessfully convince her younger sister, guitarist Nancy Wilson, to join up as well. Heart continued on, during which time Ann and Heart guitarist Mike Fisher began a romantic relationship. But before recording could begin on a debut album, Fisher had decided to vacate his guitar spot in favor of becoming the group's sound engineer, which led to Nancy being offered once more to join the group -- and this time, she accepted.