Ann Dustin Wilson is an American musician born on 19 June 1950 in San Diego, California USA to mother Lou who was a concert pianist and choir singer, and father John, a former Marine and also a musician. Wilson is best known as the lead singer of the American rock band Heart. In addition to that, she is also a flute player, occasional guitarist, as well as the songwriter of her band. Being a well known name in rock music history has made her one of the richer people in this industry.
A famous rock star, how rich is Ann Wilson? It has been estimated by sources that her net worth is as high as $18 million as of early 2016, her wealth having been earned from her long carrier as the leading vocalist of Heart.
Ann Wilson Net Worth $18 Million
During her childhood, Wilson and her family had to move around frequently, as her father was in the Marine Corps. Eventually, the family settled in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, WA in the early 60s. As a teenager, she fell ill with mononucleosis while also suffering from obesity and a stutter. In order to overcome her health problems and gain self-confidence, she turned to singing and soon developed a beautiful voice. Along with her younger sister Nancy, who became a talented guitarist, Wilson performed in short-lived local bands. In 1968 she graduated from Sammamish High School in Bellevue and devoted herself to music full time, singing with several bar bands.
In 1970 she joined a local band called White Heart which consisted of a bassist Steve Fossen and a guitarist Roger Fisher who were impressed by Wilson’s powerful voice and they immediately brought her in as the lead singer. Within a few months the band moved to Vancouver and became one of the best new bands in Canada, changing its name to Heart in 1974. Wilson’s sister joined them as a skillful guitarist the same year. In 1976 the band released its debut album “Dreamboat Annie” which became an unexpected success. Other successful albums of this time include “Little Queen”, “Dog & Butterfly”, “Bebe le Strange” and “Private Audition”. All contributed significantly to Ann’s net worth.
Heart’s full lineup changed over the band’s long career, however both Wilson and her sister remained its driving force as well as its primary songwriters. Their 1985 album Heart was a huge success reaching No. 1 on the US charts and selling over five million copies. Along with the follow-ups “Bad Animals” and “Brigade”, it marked the peak of Heart’s success, and earned Ann additions to her net worth.
In 1992, Wilson sang vocals on the Brother, Am I Inside and Love Song on the Alice in Chains EP Sap. The Wilson sisters briefly disbanded Heart in the mid-90’s and formed a new band called The Lovemongers which contributed the song The Battle of Evermore for the soundtrack of Cameron Crowe’s movie “Singles”. It also released a four-song EP and an album “Whirlygig” in 1977. The sisters then reformed Heart and released a come-back album “Jupiter’s Darling” in 2004, but the album wasn’t as successful as the previous ones. In 2007, Wilson issued her first-ever solo album, a collection of covers entitled “Hope & Glory”. 2010 saw the band’s album “The Velvet Car” which was an instant success. Last year the singer released her first EP, “The Ann Wilson Thing!” Ann’s net worth continued to rise.
In her personal life, during the 70s Wilson fell in love with her band-mate’s brother Mike Fisher who became the band’s manager, and the couple lived together for nine years. In 1991 she adopted her daughter Marie, and her son Dustin in 1998. As she has struggled with obesity all her life, Wilson underwent weight-loss surgery in 2002. In 2012 she revealed her past struggles with alcoholism and cocaine and stated that she had been sober since 2009. In 2015 she married Dean Wetter whom she had dated briefly back in the 80s.
Regardless, Wilson has established an enduring legacy in the world of rock ‘n’ roll as the Heart’s vocalist and her career has made her one of the most popular stars in show business.
