Ann Wilson of Heart

Episode notes

Photo: Maximum Fun 2026

In 1967, Ann Wilson and her sister, Nancy, founded the rock band Heart. In the beginning, they’d play folk covers together. Then, they started developing their own rock and roll sound, and stepped into the genre with success. Wilson has fronted the band for over 50 years. And she’s still performing today.

She’s also the subject of a new documentary: Ann Wilson – In My Voice. She just wrapped up a national screening tour of the documentary with plans for an eventual wider release. Ann Wilson joins Bullseye to talk about finding her voice while covering Led Zeppelin songs, navigating the masculine-centric world of 70s rock and roll, and maintaining a sibling relationship through a 50-year career.

In this episode...

Jesse Thorn

Host

Kevin Ferguson

Senior Producer

Jesus Ambrosio

Producer

Richard Robey

Maximum Fun Producer

Daniel Arón Speer

Video Editor

Hannah Moroz

Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Guests

Ann Wilson

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

If you would like to pitch a guest for Bullseye, please CLICK HERE. You can also follow Bullseye on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. For more about Bullseye and to see a list of stations that carry it, please click here.