Seattle band Heart nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

They were two Bellevue sisters from a modest upbringing that made it ok for women to rock. And today the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored Ann and Nancy Wilson, nominating Heart for induction into the Hall of Fame.

Listen to Roger Fisher, guitarist for Heart

Seattle rock writer Charles Cross is currently putting the finishing touches on a book about the band (it follows his best selling books including biographies of Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix.) He says while their music pioneered a certain sound in the 70’s with hits like Barricuda, their influence is far more profound.

“Every single female musician that is playing rock music that I’ve ever interviewed has mentioned them as an influence.”

But he says their music impacted both men and women.

Cross says the sisters first decided to become a band after seeing the Beatles in Seattle.

“Many women growing up just thought of their roles as housewives or girlfriends of the Beatles. But the women of Heart said we don’t want to be the girlfriends. We want to be the Beatles.”

While they’re being honored for the classic albums like Dreamboat Annie, the Wilson sisters are still going strong. They’re most recent release “Red Velvet Car” debuted in the top 10, and they’ve been drawing big crowds touring with Def Leppard.

“There are very few bands who’ve had such a long run in the music industry and that makes the story have a fascinating arc,” Cross says about what inspired him to write about the band. The book is due out next year.

The rest of the 2012 nominees: Beastie Boys, The Cure, Donovan, Guns ‘N Roses, Eric B. & Rakim, Freddie King, The Spinners, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Donna Summer, Laura Nyro, War, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Laura Nyro, The Small Faces/The Faces.

-Josh Kerns/97.3 KIRO FM