ANN WILSON's Advice To Young Musicians: 'If You Really Wanna Go All The Way With It, You're Gonna Have To Give Up Everything Else'

On May 6, the Grammy Museum presented a high-definition screening of the documentary "In My Voice" with a discussion featuring HEART singer Ann Wilson and director Barbara Hall, offering audiences a rare opportunity to hear firsthand stories from one of rock's most powerful and enduring voices. Professionally filmed video of the question-and-answer session can be seen below.

Asked what advice she would give a young artist who is struggling to find their way, Ann said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the first thing I would think of to say would be, 'I'd turn back if I were you.' [Laughs] Because unless you're ready to sacrifice just about everything in life for it… But if you're someone who just wants to have fun with it and just enjoy it and not do it for a living, as your other half, you can do it and still have a job, still have a family, still have a life. But if you really wanna go all the way with it, you're gonna have to give up everything else and just try. Just like it says in the thing, don't take no for an answer, and just don't listen to anybody that tells you you can't."

Told in Ann's own words, "In My Voice" traces her extraordinary 75-year journey, from a nomadic childhood to the stages of the world's biggest arenas, and into a bold new creative chapter. Drawing from an extensive personal archive of home movies, photographs, journals, and never-before-seen footage, the film reveals the deeply personal experiences that shaped Wilson's artistry and helped lay the foundation for the rise of HEART. The documentary also features commentary from family members, bandmates, fellow artists, and industry figures who witnessed her singular path.

"This film is my story in my own words, told the way I've always wanted to tell it," Ann previously said. "It's about finding my voice, keeping it alive, and sharing the journey with the people who’ve been part of it all along."

"In My Voice" is directed by Barbara Hall, a Prime-Time Emmy-nominated producer and director known for her work on immersive music and cultural documentaries. With more than 25 years of experience developing and directing original programming, Hall has built a reputation for uncovering powerful human stories. She is a member of the Producers Guild Of America, the Guild Of Music Supervisors and the Documentary Producers Alliance, and was honored with the 2025 Women In Film/Nashville Alice Award Trailblazer Award.

"What an honor to tell the story of one of our greatest rock music voices of all time," Hall previously said in a statement. "Her voice notwithstanding, her story exceeds a scriptwriter's imagination, and her courage to share her story is inspiring."

By interweaving past and present, "In My Voice" explores Wilson's life against the backdrop of a changing America, from the Vietnam War era and the rise of MTV to the enduring cultural power of rock and roll. The film reveals not only how Ann Wilson shaped the sound of a generation, but how her voice continues to evolve decades later.

In July 2024, Ann announced HEART was canceling its tour so that she could undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis. In September 2024, Ann returned to her social media channels to share the news that her chemotherapy treatments were complete, and she was ready to tour in 2025.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest voices in the history of rock and roll, Ann is a true icon, known far and wide as lead singer and songwriter of the groundbreaking rock band HEART. Led by Wilson's extraordinary vocal power, HEART has thrilled audiences for five decades, earning sales of more than 35 million and well-deserved induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013. Indeed, as lead singer of the first female-fronted superstar hard rock band, Wilson blazed a trail for generations of women to come, while her songs — including "Barracuda", "Crazy On You", "Straight O" and "Magic Man", to name but a few — have become part of the very fabric of popular culture.

In December 2023, HEART played its first three concerts in more than four years — in Highland, California, at Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, and in Seattle, Washington.

Prior to HEART's December 27, 2023 show in Highland, the band's last performance took place in October 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

HEART toured North America in the summer of 2019 after a nasty split that kept the Wilson sisters estranged for three years.

HEART's 2013 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame saw Ann and Nancy reunited with the four musicians who helped HEART achieve its initial success in the mid-1970s — guitarist Roger Fisher, bassist Steve Fossen, drummer Michael DeRosier and longtime guitarist-keyboardist Howard Leese.

The Wilson sisters' reunion with HEART's original lineup at the Rock Hall ceremony marked the first time the group played together in 34 years.

When Ann and Nancy formed HEART, the idea of two women leading a rock band was still groundbreaking. From the moment 1975's "Dreamboat Annie" was released, they became stars. With hits 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 memoir "Kicking & Dreaming: A Story Of Heart, Soul And Rock & Roll" became a New York Times bestseller.