The three bands (and one stage play) that made Joan Jett fall in love with rock ‘n’ roll: “Those were really crystallising”
Joan Jett, best known as the frontwoman of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, has revealed that her love of performing began not with rock music but with a school production of the musical Cabaret, which ignited her interest in singing, acting and stage performance. Speaking to the Mississippi Free Press in 2009, Jett explained that her tastes shifted dramatically as a teenager, moving away from lighter pop acts such as the Osmond Brothers towards heavier, more abrasive sounds as she discovered bands including Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and the New York Dolls.
Jett recalled attending gigs by Black Sabbath at just 13 years old and the New York Dolls a year later, describing these experiences as "crystallising" moments that revealed the elements of performance that first drew her to music. She noted that the theatrical, decadent flavour of Cabaret, set in 1920s Berlin, resonated with her as a teenager grappling with themes of love and sexuality, and that this blend of blues, metal, glam and theatrical flair can be traced through to her own band's sound, including their hit single "I Love Rock 'n' Roll".
- Joan Jett says Cabaret, not rock, first sparked her love of performing.
- She cites Black Sabbath, New York Dolls and Led Zeppelin as key influences.
- Saw Black Sabbath at 13 and the Dolls at 14, shaping her sound.
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Joan Jett is widely known for fronting Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the band behind the 1982 hit "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". In a resurfaced 2009 interview with the Mississippi Free Press, she looked back at the influences that shaped her as a young performer, well before her own career took off.
Jett described how her tastes changed sharply as a teenager, moving from mainstream pop acts like the Osmond Brothers towards heavier and more theatrical acts such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and the New York Dolls, whom she saw live while still in her early teens. She also credited a school production of the musical Cabaret, set in 1920s Berlin, as an early spark for her interest in performing.
Understanding these formative experiences helps explain the mix of blues, metal, glam and theatrical style that later became a hallmark of her music, offering fans and newcomers alike some insight into the roots of her sound.