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From Hart to Heart: A Rock 'n' roll Love Story


luisam

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It all began in 1967,when bassist Steve Fossen formed a band, Army, along with Roger Fisher on guitar, Don Wilhelm on guitar, keyboards and lead vocals, and Ray Schaefer on drums. They played for several years in and around the Bothell, Washington area (northeast of Seattle). In 1969 the band went through line-up changes  Gary Ziegelman (former lead singer of Buffalo Clancy), on lead vocals, Roger on guitar, Steve on bass, James Cirrello on guitar, Ron Rudge on drums, Ken Hansen on percussion, and a new name, White Heart. The name was a creation of Cooper Edens, a nationally known artist/illustrator in Seattle for a band that included his future brother in law, lead guitarist, Toby Cyr.  This name was an "inspiration" from the title of the classic SF short story compilation of Arthur Clarke, "Tales from The White Hart".

 

Army asked and received permission from Toby Cyr to use the name White Heart. For a brief time in 1970 this line-up shortened its name to Heart and dropped "White"; however, the band went through more personnel changes. In 1971, Heart consisted of Steve Fossen, Roger Fisher, David Belzer (keys) and Jeff Johnson (drums). After Ann Wilson joined  in 1972, the band was renamed Hocus Pocus.

 

Mike Fisher, Roger's brother, was set to be drafted into the military. Nancy Wilson has stated that when he did not report for duty, his home was raided, but he slipped out a rear window, escaped to Canada and became a Vietnam War "draft dodger". One day in 1972, Mike crossed the border to visit family and, by chance, met Ann Wilson at a Hocus Pocus show, they fell in love and Ann decided to follow Mike back to Canada. Steve Fossen finished his college education before he also decided to move to Canada in late 1972, and Roger followed later.

 

Along with Mike and Ann, the band "Heart" was officially formed. Her sister Nancy Wilson joined in 1974, and soon after became romantically involved with Roger, who once said that the Heart Partnership is what he called the two romantically involved couples: himself with Nancy Wilson, and his brother Mike Fisher with Ann Wilson.

 

Epilogue:  In 1979 the Wilson-Fisher liaisons ended. Roger Fisher was voted out of the band by the other members and Mike also departed within a month... "Heart" continued beating until late 2016, when the Wilson sisters split up,  for now with each working toward their own side projects in 2017.

 

 

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