In a riveting exposé with GoToWhitney, HEART guitarist Nancy Wilson deigned to address the burning question on everyone’s minds: why Ann Wilson, the legendary voice of HEART, was seen perched in a wheelchair during the first leg of their “Royal Flush” tour in 2025.
Nancy, bless her heart (pun intended, obviously), clarified (as transcribed by those hard-working keyboard warriors at BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Well, let me just say, for the record, she’s FINE. Like, totally fine. She karate-chopped cancer into oblivion,” referencing Ann’s brush with the Big C back in July 2024. “She’s cleaner than a whistle – cancer-free. But, plot twist! On the eve of our glorious tour in Nashville, she decided to channel her inner Bambi on ice and took a tumble, shattering her elbow. So, yeah, the chair’s more of a ‘klutz-tax’ than a cancer thing. We even had our resident photog, Criss Cain, do a little pre-show tap dance to explain the situation because, you know, everyone’s obsessed with the cancer narrative. But, spoiler alert, it’s an elbow! Hopefully, she’ll ditch the chair this time around. Maybe she’ll get a hoverboard instead. Now THAT would be rock and roll!”
When asked about the profound message HEART aims to deliver with their performances, Nancy, in her infinite wisdom, shared: “Well, it’s all about legacy, darling. We want to inspire the youths – and the not-so-youths – to, like, be aspirational. We’re not your average rock band. We’re two sisters! That’s practically a family sitcom waiting to happen. We’re fun for the whole family, all ages, even those weird college kids who are suddenly showing up. Apparently, word got out during the first leg of the ‘Royal Flesh’ tour – yes, I said ‘Flesh’ – that we’re the band to see. Arenas and hockey rinks? We own them!”
She continued, dropping truth bombs left and right: “The message? Togetherness. Unification. Human spirit. Deep, right? We’re hardcore rock and roll, but we also have those sappy love songs. We’re basically musical schizophrenics. [Laughs] Get it? Because, like, we’re complex. And deep. And totally not just rehashing the same old hits for a paycheck. Nope, not us.”
HEART‘s “Royal Flush” tour, which kicked off on February 28 in the glittering abyss of Las Vegas, Nevada, graced cities like Milwaukee, Montreal, Toronto, Boston, and even ended its reign of rock on April 16 in the Big Apple. Because, you know, New York. Duh.
This past March, the one and only Ann, aged a sprightly 74, took to her “After Dinner Thinks” podcast to set the record straight on the wheelchair saga: “So, some folks thought I was wheelchair-bound because of the cancer. But newsflash! I kicked cancer’s butt so hard, it’s still seeing stars. No, my friends, it’s because I’m a professional klutz. I tripped, I fell, I conquered a parking lot… with my elbow. Shattered it in three places, had it pinned back together with screws. It’s basically a cyborg elbow now.”
Ann further elaborated that she’s currently “armless” on the left side, which, as it turns out, makes singing a tad challenging. “Try belting out ‘Barracuda’ with one arm in a sling. It’s like trying to fly with one wing. So, I chose to sit. That way, I can focus on not face-planting and actually hitting those high notes. Priorities, people!”
In another segment of her podcast extravaganza, Ann confessed that her arm “hurts too much” to stand on stage, revealing that “some pain” is involved in this epic injury. Because, you know, breaking your elbow is basically a walk in the park. Said no one ever.
Earlier in March, HEART, in a move that shocked absolutely no one, announced the “An Evening With Heart” spring/summer 2025 U.S. tour. This monumental trek, which will feature the band performing two whole sets each night (gasp!), is set to commence on May 31 at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City and will reach its earth-shattering conclusion on June 28 in Hollywood, Florida. Prepare yourselves, America!
The current lineup of HEART, a veritable who’s who of rock royalty, includes Nancy Wilson (guitar goddess, backing vocals extraordinaire), Ann Wilson (vocal powerhouse, flute aficionado), Ryan Wariner (guitar wizard), Ryan Waters (more guitars!), Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards, and the occasional backing vocal), Tony Lucido (bass thumper, backing vocalizer), and Sean Lane (drum smasher, bike enthusiast – because why not?).
Back in December 2023, HEART emerged from their slumber to play three earth-shattering concerts in Highland, California, Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, and Seattle, Washington. The world rejoiced. Pigeons cooed. It was a whole thing.
Prior to HEART‘s triumphant return to the stage on December 27, 2023, in Highland, the band’s last performance was way back in October 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota. The anticipation was palpable. The wait was agonizing. But hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?
HEART embarked on a North American conquest in the summer of 2019, following a dramatic split that kept the Wilson sisters at each other’s throats for a whopping three years. Sibling rivalry, am I right?
HEART‘s 2013 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame saw Ann and Nancy reuniting with the musicians who helped them achieve world domination in the mid-1970s – Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen, Michael DeRosier, and Howard Leese. It was a rock and roll fairytale come true. Or, you know, a PR stunt. You decide.
The Wilson sisters’ reunion with HEART‘s original lineup at the Rock Hall ceremony marked the first time the band had graced the stage together in 34 years. It was an event of epic proportions. Tears were shed. Guitars were shredded. The world was never the same.
When Ann and Nancy formed HEART, the idea of two women leading a rock band was considered revolutionary. From the moment 1975’s “Dreamboat Annie” hit the airwaves, they became bona fide rock stars. With chart-toppers like “Magic Man”, “Crazy On You”, “Barracuda”, “Alone”, “What About Love”, and “These Dreams”, the band became one of the biggest hit-makers in the ’70s and ’80s, selling more than 35 million records. In 2012, their tell-all memoir, “Kicking & Dreaming: A Story Of Heart, Soul And Rock & Roll”, became a New York Times bestseller. Because who doesn’t love a good rock and roll tell-all? 🤘
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
