How hard is it for girl rock bands to be successful? Ask Joan Jett. Ok. It couldn’t have been as difficult it must be now for any rock band today male or female. All the good old rock radio stations are disappearing for pop formats.. In fact the only place to hear anything new or interesting is on a college radio station and they are always asking for money. But a girl like Joan Jett at least was surrounded by great rock bands that were successful although all male and it was the seventies, the height of rock music.

What should any musician do? Well, If your parents made you learn to play an instrument from about age 6-12 either you really hate it or for most people you love it and am proud you can do something with that musical instrument that most people can’t do when they pick up that instrument. And coincidently the emotions kick in. You start to sing with more passion and not that annoying little kid shouting sounds. You start to memorize the lyrics to songs, especially the songs about love. The testosterone and hormones start to kick in. Young girls get their period and want to know. Why me? And are forced to think of the dreadful possibility of motherhood at an early age if they are not very careful with their sexuality. Early teens are the perfect age to make a statement musically if you have the skills and knowledge to express yourself .

That is what Joan Jett did at age 14. Her problem was that she didn’t realize that she was a girl trying to be part of a thing that was all male dominated. Rock Music. Even if she was lucky enough to be heard by agents that didn’t reject her thing, she was told to sex it up. Wear sexy cloths or even be subject to sexual harassment to be heard. It probably wasn’t called that in those days either. She paved the way for girls who wanted to rock as much as the boys.

She taught herself how to play the guitar at age 14. A year later she made music history by forming the world’s first all girl rock band that made it big. They were called The Runaways. They captured a hard sound but was also good to look at. Some band members wore corsets and garters and black stockings. The band was ahead of its time with its aggressive sound and bad attitude. By the end of the seventies, The Runaways split up. Joan Jett was on the road to becoming a super star.

After being rejected by dozens of music labels, she founded her own company, Blackheart Records and released her unbelievable hit, I Love Rock N’ Roll. Now, her career spans more than 35 years, 21 albums and a impressive amount of chart topping hits. At 52 years old, she still looks hot and is on tour. She takes her craft very seriously and refers rock as her religion. She says, “It is very important to do what you love. When I grew up, rock had a context and a meaning. So, I feel like it is a religion to me. It still is difficult for people to consider women as rockers. There are many glass ceilings and I had a really hard time in The Runaways to be taken seriously. So, when you get pushed back, women need to push right back.”

Joan Jett’s Greatest Hits CD called Joan Jett and the Blackhearts is in stores now.