Fresh off of a successful year-long solo tour, Heart’s iconic vocalist Ann Wilson has spent the early part of 2018 recording a new solo project. She has teamed up with original Heart producer Mick Flicker (Dreamboat Annie, Magazine and Little Queen among others) for the album which will pay homage to some of the legendary musicians that we have lost in the past few years.
“It’s a project very dear to me – a collection of songs by artists who have departed in the last several years including Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Tom Petty, Chris Cornell and Amy Winehouse to name a few,” Wilson explains. “I feel these souls have made a real lasting contribution to the art of the popular song and to honor them is my deepest pleasure.”
The upcoming release has a working title of Songs for the Living: Vol. 1 – which hopefully means that the singer has plans for multiple albums in the works – and will feature songs by some of her favorite musicians. The full track list will be announced in the upcoming weeks however, the first three songs confirmed to be on the album are Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” and the Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane” in honor of Glen Frey.
“Once again I am pushing my limits as a singer and it is thrilling work,” explains Wilson. “It’s my way of showing gratitude for these amazing expressions in words and music. This record was made in the old school way…on an actual tape recorder, so the sound is vibrant, present and powerful. This sound will no just massage the listener’s ego, it will stroke their heart and soul.”
Wilson will be performing a number of solo shows this spring and will then be joining Jeff Beck and Paul Rogers for the “Stars Align Tour” around the time that the album will be released.
“I am thrilled to have been asked to perform on the ‘Stars Align Tour’ with Jeff Beck and Paul Rodgers,” said Wilson. “They are both long time favorites of mine! They are masters at their craft and it is an honor to share the stage this summer.”
The tour will stop in 19 cities across the USA and Canada – launching on July 18 in West Valley City, Utah and wrapping up in Tampa, Florida on August 26. Fans can expect to hear a number of Heart’s classic hits as well as favorite tracks from her solo career. Check out a complete list of tour dates below:
Headlining Dates:
Mar 16 – Portland, ME – Aura
Mar 17 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore
Apr 5 – Niagara Falls, ON – Fallsview Casino
Apr 7 – Northfield, OH – Hard Rock Rocksino
Apr 8 – St. Charles, IL – Arcada Theatre
Stars Align Tour Dates:
Jul 18 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
Jul 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Five Point Amphitheatre
Jul 22 – Chula Vista, CA – Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
Jul 24 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
Jul 25 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Jul 28 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Jul 29 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Jul 31 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre
Aug 1 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Aug 3 – Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
Aug 4 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion
Aug 8 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Aug 10 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
Aug 12 – Holmdel, NJ – P.N.C. Bank Arts Center
Aug 14 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Aug 17 – Nashville, TN – Nashville Municipal Auditorium
Aug 19 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Aug 25 – West Palm Beach, FL – Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Aug 26 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
