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Nancy Wilson with the new Epiphone guitar named in her honor. (Photo by Krista Gilley/Gibson Brands, courtesy of Prime PR Group)
Nancy Wilson with the new Epiphone guitar named in her honor. (Photo by Krista Gilley/Gibson Brands, courtesy of Prime PR Group)

Epiphone 'Nancy Wilson Fanatic' available worldwide

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Tue, Jan 19th 2021 03:10 pm

New ‘Fanatic’ marks first Epiphone designed by Nancy Wilson, co-founder of multi-Platinum rock group Heart

Her second guitar with Gibson Brands

Wilson to release first solo album in April

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. It marks Wilson’s first Epiphone signature guitar and her second guitar overall with Gibson Brands. The Epiphone “Nancy Wilson Fanatic” is now available worldwide at www.epiphone.com.

"In the midst of the distant ’80s, I was approached by Gibson to design a signature model,” Wilson said. “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, which sold over 35 million albums, garnered 10 Top 10 albums, was nominated for four Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A press release noted, “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 No. 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, Wilson will release the first solo album of her storied career via Carry On Music. She 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 Wilson’s rendition of the Bruce Springsteen song. Listen to “The Rising” HERE.

Watch the interview below as Wilson discusses the creation of the new Epiphone “Nancy Wilson Fanatic” (HERE).

“We are proud to present the exclusive, ‘Nancy Wilson Fanatic’ guitar to the world,” said 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 five-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.

Nancy Wilson pictured on the Gibson Throne. (Photo credit: Sacha Guzy; courtesy of Prime PR Group)

••••••••

After 35 million albums sold worldwide, Nancy and Ann Wilson were honored with the ASCAP Founders Award in 2009/ ASCAP’s most prestigious honor is 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.

A press release stated, “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, Wilson 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.

Wilson 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).

Wilson will release her debut solo album, titled “You And Me,” via Carry On Music.

Nancy Wilson with the new Epiphone guitar named in her honor. (Photo by Krista Gilley/Gibson Brands, courtesy of Prime PR Group)

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