Ann Wilson Reveals ‘Project Dead Guys’ Album
Heart’s Ann Wilson has revealed she’s working on a tribute album to her fallen music heroes, with the working title of “Project Dead Guys,” on which she’ll honor her influences, including David Bowie, Tom Petty and Chris Cornell.
The announcement appears to suggest there’s no end in sight for the family disagreement that forced Heart onto hiatus last year.
In a short statement, Wilson explained that she was working with longtime Heart producer Mike Flicker on an LP that had only recently got underway. “It's a project very dear to me – a collection of songs by artists who have departed in the last several years: Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Tom Petty and Chris Cornell to name a few,” she said. “To honor these great artists is my deepest pleasure, and Mike Flicker is working with me on this new record. It is thrilling work and I can't wait for you to hear what we are doing.”
In the meantime, the latest Ann Wilson of Heart tour dates start on Jan. 12. “We're excited to be back, performing intimate shows for y'all,” she said. “We hope you can join us for this unique experience again this year.”
Ann and sister Nancy Wilson spent the closing weeks of Heart’s last tour in separate dressing rooms for the first time in their career after an incident that involved Ann’s husband in 2016. Dean Wetter was arrested for physically attacking Nancy’s children when an argument got out of hand. Since the dispute, Ann began touring solo as Ann Wilson of Heart while Nancy and several other members of the band formed Roadcase Royale.
Ann confirmed last year that the duo had found themselves in disagreement over the future of the band even before the fight. “[Nancy] has a vision of playing the same old meat-and-potatoes set in Europe," she noted. "It can just go on for ever.” Meanwhile, Ann wanted to avoid becoming “a static thing that’s going to ride into obscurity without at least trying to evolve.” “I don’t mean to say she’s wrong," she explained. "We just differ, that’s all.”
Wilson added that she could see the feud coming to an end at some point after they’d allowed time to heal and received counseling.