FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON
LOVEMONGER TAKES BEING A `ROCK MOM' TO HEART: For LOVEMONGERS' ANN
WILSON (also of Heart), balancing the roles of motherhood and rock
musician can be difficult. In a recent article in Seattle's
Rockrgrl--where ANN is a guest columnist--she recalls a telling moment
when she was torn between being a successful musician and mother.
Moments before ANN was scheduled to hit the stage at a crucial show in
Los Angeles in 1993, her daughter Marie--then four-years-old--tripped
and fell backstage at the Wiltern Theatre and was in need of immediate
medical attention. ANN describes the emotions she experienced when
she was forced to stay and perform as scheduled: "I was told that the
audience was getting really excited out there. The place was jammed.
It was LA; maybe the most critical gig on the itinerary...I felt a
ripping and tearing in my heart like I've never felt before as Marie
was pried screaming from my arms...The separation anxiety felt by
mothers has got to be one of life's darkest aches and most powerful
gravities...Marie was back at the theater by half time, with seven
stitches under a little bandage and exciting stories about the
hospital. Our second set was kind of an emotional, relieved blur, but
the message stuck. I am Rock Mom." The article also has joyful,
touching moments: "One night after a show in Indianapolis, I was
awakened by a little voice making a request. `Mama, sing
"Barracuda."' Balancing their time between music and family, ANN and
bandmates--sister NANCY WILSON (guitar, vocals), SUE ENNIS (keyboards,
guitar), FRANK COX (guitar, vocals) and BEN SMITH (drums)--are
busy with live shows, interviews, television appearances such as VH1's
`RuPaul Show' and `E! News Daily' and recording. ANN recently took
time out to join the recording of "Love Shouldn't Hurt" for the album
of the same name (benefiting the National Committee To Prevent Child
Abuse) which will also include "Runaway" from WHIRLYGIG, while ANN and
NANCY also own their own recording studio--Bad Animals--in Seattle.
Expect more tour dates from LOVEMONGERS in the near future, but in the
meantime you can check out live footage, photos, band news, lyrics and
tour diaries from the band at www.annandnancy.com. The website also
includes a bulletin board which gets hundreds of postings from fans
each week as well as recent feature stories and CD reviews.
LOVEMONGERS continue to receive critical acclaim for their debut album
WHIRLYGIG (Will Records). Request magazine wrote: "This full-length
debut harks back to those early days with down-to-earth arrangements
and songs that tap into the simple pleasures of folky pop (`Miracle
Girl,' `Sand') and sultry blues (`Kiss')," while Cleveland Scene
commented: "What the LOVEMONGERS' WHIRLYGIG shows us is that without
record company pressure and suits controlling the artistic and
creative process, great music with a message is still possible as we
approach the year 2000."
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