Also known as the Godmother of Punk, Joan Jett is the lead singer of the group ‘Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.’ With hits like “I Love Rock ‘n Roll,” which stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for seven days, she has earned another nickname besides godmother of punk, ‘Queen of Rock and Roll.’
She earned great success as a rock and roll musician. She is also an actress, this represents that she has had an amazing career and has earned a hefty amount of net worth. Let’s take a close look at her amazing career.
Joan Jett’s Early Life and Career Beginning
Joan Marie Larkin was born on September 22, 1958, in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. She is the oldest child of three children. Her father was an insurance salesman and her mother worked as a secretary.
Her family moved to Rockville, Maryland, in 1967. That’s when Jett started to show interest in music. She started learning guitar when she was only 13, but soon after she dropped her interest.
After moving to West Covina, California, she continued her lessons. Shortly after, their parents split up, and that’s when she got her stage name, Joan Jett, the future of rock and roll. She even admits that it sounded rock and roll name.
Moving to California became a great choice for Jett as she co-founded the group “The Runaways” in 1975 with the drummer, Sandy West soon after other members such as Cherie Currie, Lita Ford, Mickie Steele, and Jackie Fox joined the group.
Cherie was the frontman of the band and Jett had a prominent role, she was the co-singer of the band, rhythm guitarist, and writer of the band.
The band earned great success thanks to their Japan tour. After their tour in England in 1976, more people started to recognize them.
Jett did numerous tours with The Runaways and released five studio albums together. In 1979, she left the band and pursued her solo career.
Joan Jett’s Solo Career and Sucess
After The Runaways disbanded, she went back to England and recorded a few songs for her solo career. This was the time when she released the famous song, “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” which didn’t gain much attention during the early release,
Although she was very talented, she was having trouble finding a record label to sign her. She was rejected by 23 record labels, yet she continued and that’s when she finally found help.
Jett finally got a project when she was in Los Angeles. She encountered producer Kenny Laguna who worked on a film that was based on The Runaways. With the help of Kenny, she released her first self-titled album on an independent label in 1980.
With the help of producer Kenny Laguna, Joan established ‘Blackheart Records’. As a result, she became the first woman in the history of the United States to be the female president of a record label.
Joan was having a solid run as a solo artist, after having a successful solo career she wanted to form a band again. She advertised about seeking band members in the newspaper, and the band ‘Joan Jett & the Blackhearts’ was formed.
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts released their debut album ‘Bad Reputation; in 1981. The following year, they released their next album ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ and it was an instant hit. The album remained on top of several music charts for weeks.
Just after the release of their second album, they instantly started to work on their third ‘Album‘ named Album which was released in 1983. It wasn’t a great success as their previous albums yet some singles from this album became a great hit.
The group then released ‘Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth’ in 1984. The group was finally getting all the recognition and they were having a great tour success as well. They were selling tickets and were having shows besides some big names such as Aerosmith, The Police, and many more.
The group still remains together to this day. They recently released another album ‘Unvarnished’ in 2013 and released Changeup, their thirteen studio album in 2022. They are set to tour in the summer of 2024 alongside The Who, Green Day, Heart, Foo Fighters, and Alanis Morrissette.
Side Projects and Awards
Although her music career plays a vital role in her fortune, her acting career has also helped to extend her net worth. Jett has acted and been the executive producer of the movie The Runaways.
She has also been on movies and television numerous times. She first appeared in the movie in 1987 Light of Day starring Michael J. Fox and Gena Rowlands. Jett has also made appearances as guests in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Ellen, Highlander: The Series, Texas Ranger, and Walker.
Jett was also named one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in the Rolling Stones magazine. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. She even earned an AP Icon Award in 2014.
Personal Life & Controversies
For a long time, Jett was questioned whether she was bisexual or lesbian. She neither confirms nor denies the fact. During an interview with Out in 1994 she stated that people can assume the way they want; “I’m not saying no, I’m not saying yes, I’m saying believe what you want. Assume away—go ahead,” she said.
A major controversy appeared in 2015 when Jackie Fuchs, the former bandmate of The Runaways accused Kim Fowley, the former manager of the band raping her during a party in 1975.
She stated that Fowley raped her when she was 16 and the rest of the bandmates, including Jett was watching her misery. In 2015, Jett denied the statement and said, “Anyone who truly knows me understands that if I was aware of a friend or bandmate being violated, I would not stand by while it happened.”
She continued, “For a group of young teenagers thrust into ’70s rock stardom there were relationships that were bizarre, but I was not aware of this incident. Obviously, Jackie’s story is extremely upsetting and although we haven’t spoken in decades, I wish her peace and healing.”
What’s the Net Worth of Joan Jett?
The Queen of Rock and Roll has proved why she earns this name. She has gained mass success all over the years and remains an icon in the rock and roll community.
To this day, many fans visit her tours and she still makes money through touring, album sales, and merchandise. With all the success she gained in her musical career and acting career, she has earned a hefty amount of money.
Joan Jett’s estimated net worth is $10 million. With so many awards and hits under her name, she has been an inspiration to many fans.