Jane Wiedlin
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| Jane Wiedlin | |
|---|---|
 Jane Wiedlin - Philadelphia, PA - 1988.
Photo By Sam Cali. |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin |
| Born | May 20, 1958 |
| Genre(s) | Punk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Rhythm guitar |
| Associated acts | The Go-Go's |
Jane Marie Genevieve Wiedlin (born May 20, 1958 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, United States) is the rhythm guitarist of the all-female multi-platinum New Wave band The Go-Go's.
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[edit] Biography
Wiedlin was part of the LA punk scene that spawned bands like X and The Dickies and went by the name "Jane Drano." As a member of The Go-Go's, she had a brief love affair with Specials and Fun Boy Three member Terry Hall. It was the ups and downs of this long-distance celebrity relationship with Hall that inspired the hit Go-Go's song "Our Lips Are Sealed". In 1983, Jane Wiedlin recorded "Cool Places" with the new wave band Sparks.
In 1984, Wiedlin was the first to leave the Go-Go's to pursue a solo career. She released four solo albums, Jane Wiedlin (1985), Fur (1988) which included the top 10 hit single "Rush Hour", Tangled (1990). Her first three efforts sold poorly and she was dropped from EMI Records. She formed a punk band, froSTed (the unusual orthography coming from the fact Wiedlin is a huge Star Trek fan), which released an album in 1995 to good reviews but poor sales. Kissproof World was released in 2000 on Painful Discs Records. In addition to "Rush Hour," notable singles include "Blue Kiss", "Inside a Dream" and "World on Fire", the latter of which sported a semi-controversial video.
After a successful tour and clearing of the animosity which had contributed to the original split, The Go-Go's reformed as a regular unit in 2000. The band released God Bless the Go-Go's in 2001, on Beyond Records, its first studio effort in 17 years. However it failed to crack the top 40. Beyond Records folded soon after.
[edit] Acting career
Wiedlin has also acted in movies and provided the voice for several characters on TV and the big screen, including a one-liner role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Her other roles include Joan of Arc (with no spoken lines in English) in the time travel comedy Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and an ill-fated singing telegram girl in the cult comedy/mystery film Clue. In 2000, she sang in the choir on the Frasier episode "They're Playing Our Song".
In an interview with Stuck in the 80s, Jane said this about her acting career in the 80s: "It turned out to be much harder than it looks, and as much as I enjoyed those experiences, I don't think I'm very good at it." [1]
She appeared as herself on the fourth season of VH1's The Surreal Life in 2005, wherein she revealed her interest in BDSM.[2]
Wiedlin also appeared as the bus station lady wearing a neck brace in Steve Balderson's 2005 surrealist crime drama Firecracker. Roger Ebert named Firecracker on his list of the year's best films.
Wiedlin has done voice acting work, such as appearances on the animated program Mission Hill as Gwen, Andy's girlfriend, seemingly made out to be cooler and more mature than border-line deadbeat Andy.
[edit] PETA and related
Wiedlin is a long-time animal rights activist, and has frequently worked with PETA, which also explains both her 1988 album title and the lyrical content of the song with same name, "Fur".
In addition to animal rights activism, Wiedlin supports the fight against breast cancer by promoting and participating in "Bowling for Boobies", a fund-raising event that centers around bowling and breast cancer awareness. In 2006, Wiedlin auctioned off three positions on her team on eBay, allowing fans to bid online for a chance to participate on her team.
[edit] Solo discography
- Jane Wiedlin — 1985 (IRS Records #IRSD 5638) US #127
- Fur — 1988 (EMI-Manhattan #CDP-7-48683-2) US #105
- Tangled — 1990 (EMI USA #CDP 79 0741 2)
- Cold — 1996 (Geffen Records) - as froSTed
- Kissproof World — 2000 (Painful Discs)
[edit] Other releases
- Pretty Woman soundtrack — 1990
- The Very Best of Jane Wiedlin — 1993 (Capitol Records)
 Cover of the 1985 album Jane Wiedlin. |
 Cover of the 1988 album Fur. |
 Cover of the 1990 album Tangled. |
 Cover of the 2000 album Kissproof World. |
[edit] Singles
| Title | Release date |
U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. Dance | U.K. Singles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Cool Places" (with Sparks) | 1983 Apr | 49 | 13 | - |
| "Blue Kiss" | 1985 Sep | 77 | 30 | - |
| "Rush Hour" | 1988 Jul | 9 | - | 12 |
| "Inside a Dream" | 1988 Oct | 52 | - | 64 |
| "World on Fire" | 1990 | - | - | - |
[edit] References
- ^ Stuck in the '80s | tampabay.com: Archives
- ^ Wiedlin reveals (and demonstrates) her BDSM predilections in the Surreal Life episode "I'm With Cupid". First aired February 20, 2005. Prod Code: SL406.
[edit] External links
- Jane Wiedlin Official Site
- Official Jane Wiedlin MySpace Page
- Jane Wiedlin at the Internet Movie Database
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