ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 6, 1992
By Steve Newton
When I mentioned I was going to be interviewing Joan Jett, one of my well-informed fellow workers said, “Well, be sure to ask her about the sect in California that worships her as a god.” So, when J.J. called from Minneapolis—in advance of her Saturday (February 8) show at 86 Street—I took the plunge, hoping to hell this guy wasn’t just pulling my leg.
“No, he’s not kiddin’,” explained the raven-haired rocker. “They’re in San Francisco. I can’t remember the name of it, but they’re there, definitely. In fact, somebody just showed me a picture of something spray-painted on a wall in San Francisco, some big graffiti on the street that said, ‘Joan Jett is God’.
“It’s a strange thing,” she added, “ ’cause you don’t know how to feel. I don’t really know what they do, if they sit there and worship a picture or something. But I know that there is an organization of some sort that at least talks like that. I’ve spoken to them, and they were real nice to me.”
If Jett’s San Francisco-based followers are into her musical side, as well, they might just do their worshipping while cranking out tunes from her latest album, Notorious, a nifty disc that sports collaborations with the Replacements’ Paul Westerberg and songwriter-to-the-stars Desmond Child (Bon Jovi, Aerosmith). But in comparison to previous platinum-plus albums such as I Love Rock ’n’ Roll and Up Your Alley (with its Grammy-nominated single, “I Hate Myself for Loving You”), the lukewarm sales of Notorious are a little disappointing.
“Yeah, I suppose you could say that,” admitted Jett. “But then, you also need record company support. If you don’t have the displays, and you don’t have people saying to the radio stations, ‘We want you to play this record,’ then what can you do? I could get frustrated and freak out, but that doesn’t do any good, so I just put my energies into doin’ great shows and hope that the power of the people can overcome it, because it certainly did with “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” [the million-selling title song of the aforementioned album].
“That was a people record, the people demanded to hear it. I mean, at that point, the record companies didn’t want anything to do with me. It was like they thought, ‘A Runaway? She’s a Nazi. She hangs out with Sid Vicious. We don’t want anything to do with her.’ ”
But the Philly-born, New York-based Jett—who stole the screen from Michael J. Fox in her acting debut, Light of Day—has proven as tough and resilient in real life as her streetwise image would suggest. She’s got no complaints.
“I feel very lucky,” she said. “I’m in a band, I get to travel, I get to write songs and get on stage and play. I mean, the reason I got into this is because I enjoy relatin’ to the people, and I like seeing them smile. It’s a really great thing to be able to do.”
To hear the full audio of my 1992 interview with Joan Jett subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can also eavesdrop on my uncut, one-on-one conversations with:
Dave Martone, 2020
Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, 2006
Joss Stone, 2012
Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest, 2005
Jack Blades of Night Ranger, 1984
Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard, 1992
Colin James, 1995
Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown, 1998
Tom Cochrane of Red Rider, 1983
Ed Roland of Collective Soul, 1995
Taj Mahal, 2001
Tom Wilson of Junkhouse, 1995
Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, 2003
David Lindley, 2002
Marty Friedman of Megadeth, 1991
John Hiatt, 2010
Nancy Wilson of Heart, 2006
Jeff Golub, 1989
Moe Berg of the Pursuit of Happiness, 1990
Todd Rundgren, 2006
Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, 2001
Steve Earle, 1987
Gabby Gaborno of the Cadillac Tramps, 1991
Terry Bozzio, 2003
Roger Glover, 1985
Matthew Sweet, 1995
Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds, 2003
Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars, 2001
John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, 1995
Steve Hackett from Genesis, 1993
Grace Potter, 2008
Buddy Guy, 1993
Steve Lynch of Autograph, 1985
Don Wilson of the Ventures, 1997
Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar, 1998
Trevor Rabin of Yes, 1984
Albert Lee, 1986
Yngwie Malmsteen, 1985
Robert Cray, 1996
Tony Carey, 1984
Ian Hunter, 1988
Kate Bush, 1985
David Gilmour from Pink Floyd, 1984
Jeff Healey, 1988
Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, 1996
Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi, 1993
Colin Linden, 1993
Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 1995
Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, 1986
Elliot Easton from the Cars, 1996
Wayne Kramer from the MC5, 2004
Bob Rock, 1992
Nick Gilder, 1985
Klaus Meine of Scorpions, 1988
Jason Bonham, 1989
Tom Johnston of the Doobie Brothers, 1991
Joey Spampinato of NRBQ, 1985
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers, 2003
Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, 2003
Steve Kilbey of the Church, 1990
Edgar Winter, 2005
Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, 1990
Randy Hansen, 2001
Dan McCafferty of Nazareth, 1984
Davy Knowles of Back Door Slam, 2007
Jimmy Barnes from Cold Chisel, 1986
Steve Stevens of Atomic Playboys, 1989
Billy Idol, 1984
Stuart Adamson of Big Country, 1993
Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, 1992
Warren Haynes of Gov’t Mule, 1998
John Bell of Widespread Panic, 1992
Robben Ford, 1993
Barry Hay of Golden Earring, 1984
Jason Isbell, 2007
Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, 1991
Joe Satriani, 1990
Vernon Reid of Living Colour, 1988
Brad Delp of Boston, 1988
Zakk Wylde of Pride & Glory, 1994
John Sykes of Blue Murder, 1989
Alice Cooper, 1986
Lars Ulrich of Metallica, 1985
John Doe, 1990
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon, 1992
Myles Goodwyn of April Wine, 2001
John Mellencamp, 1999
Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, 1999
Kenny Aronoff, 1999
Doyle Bramhall II, 2001
Jon Bon Jovi, 1986
Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers, 1992
Randy Bachman, 2001
Little Steven, 1987
Stevie Salas, 1990
…with hundreds more to come