First Epiphone Guitar Designed by Nancy Wilson of Heart Out Today
Photo Credit: Sacha Guzy
Epiphone, the leading accessible guitar brand For Every Stage, presents the new Nancy Wilson Fanatic. The Fanatic is created and co-designed by Nancy Wilson of Heart and the luthiers at Epiphone in Nashville, TN,and marks Wilson’s first Epiphone signature guitar and her second guitar overall with Gibson Brands. The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic is now available worldwide www.epiphone.com. “In the midst of the distant eighties, I was approached by Gibson to design a signature model,” says Nancy Wilson. “I put pencil to paper to first design the body shape and chose a curvy female diminutive silhouette for the cut away. Many years later the body shape remains exact and the hardware I requested makes the Fanatic a solid citizen amongst the great rock guitar screamers.”
A guitar virtuoso from the age of 9, Nancy–and her sister Ann–lead the multi-platinum group, Heart, who have sold over 35 million albums, garnered 10, Top Ten albums, been nominated for four GRAMMY Awards, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Nancy is revered as an ingenious guitar player, as well as a gifted songwriter and lead vocalist. In an era when females in rock ‘n’ roll were scarce, Nancy carved out a place for women to front rock bands and dominate on stage across the globe. In fact, that’s Nancy singing on Heart’s first #1 hit song, “These Dreams.” As a songwriter, Nancy has co-written a collection of indelible songs that have earned their way into the classic rock canon including “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You,” “Barracuda,” “Straight On” and more.
In April 2021, Nancy will release the first-ever solo album of her storied career via Carry On Music. Nancy plays guitar and sings every song on the new album which features collaborations with Sammy Hagar, Duff McKagan, and Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters). The first single “The Rising,” is Nancy’s stunning rendition of the Bruce Springsteen song; listen to “The Rising”HERE.
Watch and share the interview below as Nancy Wilson discusses the creation of the new Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic.
“We are proud to present the exclusive, Nancy Wilson Fanatic guitar to the world,” says Krista Gilley, Brand Director of Epiphone and Kramer. “It’s such an honor to work with Nancy, an icon who has been instrumental and influential to generations of players around the world. She has paved the way for female musicians to believe in their passion, talent and in music, and that comes with an obligation for all of us at Epiphone to pay tribute to Nancy.”
The Nancy Wilson Fanatic features a classic Nighthawk shaped mahogany body and a figured maple veneer top. The Epiphone Nancy Wilson Fanatic comes equipped with ProBucker™ humbuckers, a 5-way pickup selector switch for a wide variety of tonal options, master volume and tone controls, a fast-playing rounded C profile mahogany neck with an Ebony fretboard, and an attractive Fireburst Gloss finish and hardshell case.
About Nancy Wilson:
Nancy Wilson is celebrated as a seminal musician in rock ‘n’ roll history. Nancy (and her sister Ann) lead the multi-platinum rock group, Heart. After 35 million albums sold worldwide, Nancy and Ann were honored with the ASCAP Founders Award (2009), ASCAP’s most prestigious honor, awarded to songwriters who have made pioneering contributions to music. Nancy’s status as a music icon was cemented further when Heart was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. That same year, she and her sister received a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. In 2013, the Wilson sisters celebrated another career milestone when they performed Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven” at the Kennedy Center Honors. Their note-perfect performance was met with rousing cheers and a standing ovation in the staid concert hall, which brought the members of Led Zeppelin to tears; the video went viral on YouTube Here. A longtime film buff, Nancy has an encyclopedic knowledge of the language of film and has built a successful career as a film composer. An instinctive musician, she has years of experience working as part of filmmaking teams, helping to craft scenes that support the emotional tone of the film and advance the story. Nancy has been recognized with many prestigious award nominations for her film score work. A handful of her composing credits include scores for the Cameron Crowe films: Say Anything (1989), Jerry Maguire (1995), Almost Famous (2000), Vanilla Sky (2001) and Elizabethtown (2005). Nancy Wilson will release her debut solo album titled You And Me March 2021 via CarryOn Music. Follow Nancy Wilson on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
About Epiphone:
For over 140 years, Epiphone has been a leading innovator in instrument design with models like the Casino, the Texan, and Masterbilt Century Archtop Collection. Epiphone began as the “House of Stathopoulo” family business in Sparta in the 1870s and rose to fame during the jazz age in Manhattan before joining Gibson brands in 1957. Today, Epiphone continues to make history from its headquarters in Nashville, TN. Epiphones have powered classic recordings by Les Paul, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones along with today’s top artists like Peter Frampton, Gary Clark Jr., Tommy Thayer of KISS, and Lzzy Hale. Epiphone offers innovation, history, and a lifetime guarantee. Whether you are learning your first song in your bedroom, or rocking an arena, Epiphone has always been there, for everyone, for every generation, for every stage. Follow Epiphone on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .
