Joan Jett Biography, Age, Net Worth, Husband, Family

Jett was born on September 22, 1958, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, as Joan Marie Larkin, the first of her parents’ three children. Her father was an insurance salesman, and her mother worked as a secretary. Jett’s family relocated several times during her childhood, the first time to Rockville, Maryland, where Jett began taking guitar lessons. Her musical interests grew after another relocation to West Covina, California, in Los Angeles County. Soon after, her parents divorced, and Jett officially changed her name from Joan Jett to Joan Jett because she thought it sounded more rock and roll.

Personal Life

Jett has been dogged by rumours her entire life about whether she is a lesbian or bisexual, which she neither confirms nor denies. She is not known to be dating anyone publicly. Jackie Fuchs, formerly Fox of the Runaways, came forward in 2015 and accused Kim Fowley, the Runaways’ former manager, of raping her at a party in 1975. She claimed she was 16 at the time and was most likely given a sedative before the assault. She also claims that her bandmates, including Jett, were present during the incident. Jett has stated publicly that he did not witness the attack.

Career

The move to California proved very fortunate for Jett, as it was there that she co-founded the rock group, The Runaways, with drummer Sandy West, in 1975. Soon after, Micki Steele, Jackie Fox, Cherie Currie, and Lita Ford joined the band. Jett shared lead vocals and played rhythm guitar in the band. She also wrote a lot of the band’s songs. The Runaways were successful at home, opening for big names like Cheap Trick and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but they were more popular abroad, particularly in the United Kingdom and Japan. The Runaways disbanded in 1979 after five albums, leaving Jett to pursue her solo career.

Jett travelled to England shortly after The Runaways disbanded to record a few songs for her solo career. One of these was an early version of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” though this was not the version that became popular. Jett met producer Kenny Laguna in Los Angeles while working on a film project based on The Runaways. Jett released her first solo album on their own independent label in 1980, with Laguna’s assistance. Jett, despite being a strong solo artist, felt compelled to form a band again, prompting her to place an ad in the newspaper seeking band members.

Jett toured both the United States and Europe after forming Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. While the band gradually grew a fan base, it was difficult to keep the band afloat financially until a performance at the Palladium in New York City in 1981. Soon after, the band released an album, with the title track – a re-released version of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” – serving as the first single. This song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is currently the number 56 song of all time on the Billboard chart.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts followed up with Album in 1983 and Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth in 1984. The band had some top hits, including “Bad Reputation” and “(I’m Gonna) Run Away,” and they also had a lot of touring success, selling out shows with the Police and Aerosmith, among other big names, both in the US and around the world. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts have remained together and have released an album, Unvarnished, as recently as 2013. In 2015, the band opened for the Who, and in 2021, they will perform alongside Poison and Def Leppard.

Jett has also produced for several other artists and served as executive producer for the film The Runaways, starring Kirsten Stewart and following the success of The Runaways. Furthermore, Jett’s musical success has spilt over into the sports world, with a number of her songs being used in advertisements and theme songs for the NCAA, WWE, UFC, ESPN X Games, and Sunday Night Football.

Jett has also appeared in several movies and television shows. She made her film debut in 1987, alongside Michael J. Fox and Gena Rowlands in the film Light of Day. She has appeared in Ellen, Highlander: The Series, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, among other shows. Jett was the subject of the 1918 documentary Bad Reputation, which followed Jett’s life and career. Jett was named one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine, and she received an AP Icon Award in 2014. Jett was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

Net Worth

Joan Jett is a $10 million net-worth American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and occasional actress. Joan Jett is best known as the lead singer of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. She had several hit songs, including “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” which stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven weeks. Joan has been dubbed the “Queen of Rock and Roll” and the “Godmother of Punk” for her success as a rock and roll musician.