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Jane Wiedlin

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Jane Wiedlin
Wiedlin with the Go-Go's in 2009
Wiedlin with the Go-Go's in 2009
Background information
Also known asJane Drano, Reverend Sister Go-Go
Born(1958-05-20)May 20, 1958(age 66)
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin,U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • drums
Years active1978[1]–present
Labels
Member of
Websitejanewiedlin.com

Jane Wiedlinis an American musician, singer and actress, best known as the co-founder, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist of thenew wavebandthe Go-Go's.She also voices Dusk, the drummer and backup vocalist of the fictional rock bandthe Hex Girls.She also had a successful solo career.

The Go-Go's went on to become one of the most successful American bands of the 1980s, helping popularizenew wave musicwith song such as "We Got the Beat","Our Lips Are Sealed",and"Vacation".As a solo artist, Wiedlin's"Rush Hour"peaked at number 9 on theBillboardHot 100.As an actress, she had roles as thesinging telegramgirl inClue(1985) and asJoan of ArcinBill & Ted's Excellent Adventure(1989).

As a member of the Go-Go's, Wiedlin received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.She and the band were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein 2021.

Early life

[edit]

Wiedlin was born inOconomowoc, Wisconsin.[2]Her father, Robert Arthur Wiedlin Sr., anoral surgeonof German and Swiss ancestry, was born inChicago, Illinois.Her mother, Betty Jane (née Herro),[3]was ofLebaneseheritage. Wiedlin's parents met while students atMarquette University.She is one of five children, with a sister and three brothers, and was raisedCatholic.During Wiedlin's early childhood, her family lived inWest Allis,a suburb ofMilwaukee, Wisconsin.When she was six, her father took a job with theUnited States Department of Veterans Affairsat a VA hospital in Los Angeles, and the family followed.[4]

Wiedlin has said, "I remember my childhood as extremely idyllic." She has also mentioned her adolescence withangstand hope by saying, "I was a depressed teenager. I thought life was completely pointless when I was in high school, but just a few short years later I was having the adventure of a lifetime in a successful rock band!" She attendedWilliam Howard Taft High Schoolin Los Angeles from 1972 to 1976.[5]

Career

[edit]

The Go-Go's

[edit]

According to Wiedlin, she was present "pretty much from the beginning"[6]of theLos Angeles punk scene.While attending college in the Los Angeles area for fashion design, she worked at a fashion-design house where she created song lyrics by scribbling ideas on clothing patterns. Under the moniker Jane Drano, she designed and soldpunk-styleclothing atGranny Takes a Trip,a store onSunset Boulevard.[6]She became part of the scene that spawned bands such asX,theGermsandthe Weirdos.[1]

Wiedlin andBelinda Carlisleformed the Go-Go's as a punk band in 1978, with Margot Olaverra on bass and Elissa Bello on drums.[7]

In 1981, Wiedlin andTerry HallofFun Boy Threeandthe Specialsco-wrote "Our Lips Are Sealed".[8]The song peaked on theBillboardHot 100chart at No. 20, where it remained until 1982.[9]

After a series of reunions during the 1990s, Wiedlin, Carlisle, Caffey, Schock and Valentine reunited in 2000 to recordGod Bless the Go-Go's,their first studio album in 17 years. The album's title and concept came from Wiedlin.[10]

In 2010, the Go-Go's announced their "Happily Ever After" farewell tour, which was intended to begin in July.[11]However, it was canceled after Wiedlin fell down a cliff during a nighttime hike and sufferedACLtears in both knees.[12]

The Go-Go's announced an 11-date reunion tour scheduled to begin in June 2020. It was postponed in May 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[13]

In May 2021 it was announced that the Go-Go's would be inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fameon October 30, 2021.[14][15]The band continued touring into 2022, before announcing their break up.[16]They did a one-off reunion in 2024 after being inducted into the California Hall of Fame.[17][18]

Solo career

[edit]
Wiedlin performing in 1988

Wiedlin has released four solo albums:Jane Wiedlinin 1985,Furin 1988,Tangledin 1990, andKissproof Worldin 2000.[19]From 1995 to 1998, she was also a member of the bandFroSTed,which released one album,Cold,in 1996. In 2017, Wiedlin teamed up with the American-born Italian multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Pietro Straccia to form a new psychedelic/pop/harmony and guitar-driven duo called Elettrodomestico.[20]

Acting career

[edit]

Wiedlin's early acting credits include an ill-fatedsinging telegramgirl inClue(1985), a brief appearance as an officer seen on a Starfleet Command video screen inStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home(1986), the White Fairy in Golan-Globus'sSleeping Beauty(1987) and asJoan of ArcinBill & Ted's Excellent Adventure(1989).[21]Of her 1980s acting career, she has stated, "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."[22]

In 2001, she had a regular role inMTV'sSpyder Games,portraying the "ex-rock chick who runs the local coffee house" where the characters hang out.[10]

In 2005, she appeared as herself on the fourth season ofVH1'sThe Surreal Life,in which she talked about her interest inBDSM.[23]

She portrayed the role of Ursula inSteve Balderson's 2005 surrealist crime drama filmFirecracker,whichRoger Ebertlisted among the year's best films.[24]She worked a further three times with director Balderson, inStuck!(2009), an homage tofilm noirwomen in prison dramas.[25],The Casserole Club(2011), about married swingers in 1960s Palm Springs, andCulture Shock(2013), a crime spoof set in London.[26]

She played Tess in the 2011 independent movieI Want to Get Married,[27][28]and played a maths teacher in the 2016 horror filmHoneyBee.

She has also provided voices for characters in television and film animation, such as Miranda Kane and Shannon inThe New Batman Adventures,Gwen inMission Hill,and Dusk ofthe Hex Girlsin theScooby-Doofranchise.[29]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1985 Clue Singing Telegram Girl
1986 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Alien Communications Officer
1987 Sleeping Beauty White Fairy
1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Joan of Arc
1999 Scooby-Doo! and the Witch's Ghost Dusk (voice) [30]
2000 Angels! Agent 77
2003 Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire Dusk (voice) [30]
2005 Firecracker Ursula
2009 Stuck! Princess
2010 Demonic Toys 2 Baby Whoopsie (voice) [30]
2011 The Casserole Club Marjorie Lavon
2011 I Want to Get Married Tess
2012 Culture Shock Baby Boo Boo
2016 HoneyBee Mrs. Humphrey
2021 The Sparks Brothers Herself Documentary

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
1998 The New Batman Adventures Miranda Kane, Shannon (voice) 2 episodes[30]
1999 Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain Vanity White (voice) 4 episodes[30]
1999–2002 Mission Hill Gwen (voice) 7 episodes
2000 The Wild Thornberrys Phaedra (voice) 2 episodes[30]
2002–2003 What's New, Scooby-Doo? Dusk, Backup Singer (voice) 2 episodes
2003 As Told by Ginger Hope Rogers (voice) Episode: "No Hope for Courtney"[30]
2003 Duck Dodgers Cassiopeia (voice) Episode: "They Stole Dodgers' Brain"[30]
2005 Rugrats Pre-School Daze Willy (voice) 3 episodes[30]
2010–2013 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated Dusk (voice) 2 episodes
2020 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? Dusk (voice) Episode: "I Put a Hex On You!"

Other work

[edit]

In 2000, Wiedlin and fellow Go-Go's memberCharlotte Caffeyco-wroteKeith Urban's first number one song, "But for the Grace of God".Wiedlin contributed quotations toGirls Against Girlsby authorBonnie Burton.[31]Wiedlin was a contributing writer to the Los Angeles punk rock booksUnder the Big Black Sun(2016) andMore Fun in the New World(2019) byJohn Doeand Tom DeSavia. In April 2009, Wiedlin was photographed asBettie PagebyAustin Youngfor the "Heaven Bound" art show.[32]A number of her songs were featured in the 2018 debut of theBroadwaymusicalHead Over Heels,with a story suggested byPhilip Sidney'sArcadiaset to the songs of the Go-Go's andBelinda Carlisle.[33]

Personal life

[edit]

A long-timeanimal rightsactivist, Wiedlin has worked withPETAsince as far back as 1989 when she performed as part of a "Rock Against Fur" concert in New York City[34]and is a friend of PETA executiveDan Mathews.[10]

Wiedlin has discussed her struggles with depression and mental health, and how it affected her at several stages of her life, including a suicide attempt in high school, and the effects fame (and a lack of healthy coping mechanisms) had on her wellbeing.[35]

During Wiedlin's time in the Los Angeles punk scene, her first real boyfriend was Terry Bag (Terry Graham) of the punk bandthe Bagsand laterthe Gun Club.She later had what she called a "short but dramatic romance" withTerry Hallofthe Specialsduring a 1980 British tour. Hall later sent her some lyrics prompted by their relationship, inspiring Wiedlin to write "Our Lips Are Sealed",[22]a song on which Hall has co-writer credit and recorded with his own band,Fun Boy Three.In the 2020 documentaryThe Go-Go's,bandmateGina Schockstated that she and Wiedlin were "girlfriends" for a time until Wiedlin broke up with her. Wiedlin also had a brief relationship withRussell Maelof the bandSparks.[36]

Wiedlin identifies asbisexual.[37][38]

In addition to acting and singing, Wiedlin is an ordained minister of theUniversal Life Church,a mail-order religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate, no-cost ordination as a ULC minister. Wiedlin identifies herself as "Reverend Sister Go-Go", primarily officiating at weddings.[39]

Wiedlin was married to Ged Malone from 1987 to 1999.[citation needed]

She was married to David Trotter from 2004 to 2005.[citation needed]

Wiedlin became engaged to her boyfriend Terence Lundy in October 2022.[40]They were married in February 2023. She announced their divorce in April 2024.[41]

Wiedlin has spent her adult life living in various places:Mendocino,Costa Rica, Panama, Wisconsin, San Francisco, and Hawaii.[42]

In December 2023, in an exposé byRolling Stone,Wiedlin alleged that rock DJRodney Bingenheimersexually assaulted her at hisEnglish Disconightclub in Los Angeles when she was around 15 in about 1974.[43]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
[44] 		CAN
[45] 		UK
[46]
Jane Wiedlin
  • Release date: October 1985
  • Label:IRS
 127 — —
Fur 105 88 48
Tangled
  • Release date: 1990
  • Label: EMI USA
 — — —
Kissproof World
  • Release date: October 31, 2000
  • Label: Painful Discs
 — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Album details
The Very Best of Jane Wiedlin: From Cool Places to Worlds on Fire
  • Release date: 1993
  • Label: Alliance, EMI

Singles

[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[47] 		US Dance
[48] 		CAN
 NZ
[49] 		UK
[46]
"Blue Kiss" 1985 77 30 62 — — Jane Wiedlin
"Rush Hour" 1988 9 — 13 31 12 Fur
"Inside a Dream" 57 — — — 64
"World on Fire" 1990 — — — — — Tangled
"—" denotes releases that did not chart
[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US US Dance
"Cool Places"
(Sparksfeaturing Jane Wiedlin) 		1983 49 13 In Outer Space

Other releases

[edit]
See also:the Go-Go's discography
  • 1990Pretty Womansoundtrack (EMI,re-released 2006, with bonus disc) – "Tangled"
  • 1996Cold(Geffen Records) – AsfroSTed
  • 2001Josie and the Pussycats Original Soundtrack– Contributor on "You Don't See" and "Come On".
  • 2002The Specials vs. the Untouchables: Ska's Greatest Stars(Big Eye Music) – Rearrangement of "Our Lips Are Sealed" with the Specials
  • 200680's New Wave Hits(Big Eye Music) – Rearrangement of "Our Lips Are Sealed" withthe Specials
  • 2017Elettrodomestico(If You're a Boy or a Girl)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"Biographies".GoGos.com.Archived fromthe originalon March 7, 2008.
  2. ^Holloway, Michael (April 30, 2012)."Spicy, Racy, Provocative".Boomer Style.Archived fromthe originalon June 19, 2014.
  3. ^"Betty Wiedlin Obituary, McMinnville, Oregon".Macy & Son Funeral Directors.RetrievedOctober 31,2015.
  4. ^Albertoni, Rich (October 24, 2008)."Go-Go's guitarist and Wisconsin native Jane Wiedlin falls in love, buys a house and whips up a Madison band".Isthmus.Archivedfrom the original on February 11, 2016.RetrievedDecember 13,2018.
  5. ^Doe, John;DeSavia, Tom (April 26, 2016).Under the Big Black Sun: A Personal History of L.A. Punk.Da Capo Press.ISBN978-0-306-82409-8.RetrievedJanuary 20,2018– via Google Books.
  6. ^abBag, Alice(September 2005)."Interview with: Jane Wiedlin".alicebag.com.Archived fromthe originalon July 11, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 20,2018.
  7. ^"The Go-Go's | Biography & History".AllMusic.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  8. ^"Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go's | Song Info".AllMusic.RetrievedJanuary 25,2019.
  9. ^"Cover Songs Uncovered: 'Our Lips Are Sealed'".The Pop Culture Experiment.July 25, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 25,2019.
  10. ^abcSkanse, Richard (November 16, 2000)."Jane Wiedlin Goes Solo and Go-Go".Rolling Stone.RetrievedOctober 31,2015.
  11. ^Smyers, Darryl (June 21, 2010)."The Go-Go's Cancel Farewell Tour--Which Included An Upcoming Stop at The Granada".Dallas Observer.RetrievedOctober 24,2020.
  12. ^"Message from Jane".Ladyrobotika.com.June 14, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2011.
  13. ^Varga, George (January 8, 2022)."The Go-Go's postpone reunion tour, which was set to open in San Diego in June".The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  14. ^"Class of 2021 Inductees".Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
  15. ^Bloom, Madison (January 8, 2022)."Watch the Go-Go's Perform at Rock Hall 2021 Induction Ceremony".MSN.com.
  16. ^Schube, Will (January 8, 2022)."The Go-Go's Announce 2022 UK Tour With Billy Idol".udiscovermusic.com.
  17. ^"17th Annual California Hall of Fame".Californiamuseum.org.
  18. ^"Facebook".Facebook.com.
  19. ^"Jane Wiedlin | Biography & History".AllMusic.RetrievedFebruary 5,2019.
  20. ^"If you're a boy or a girl".elettrodomesticoband.com.RetrievedFebruary 20,2018.
  21. ^"Jane Wiedlin".IMDb.RetrievedFebruary 5,2019.
  22. ^abSpears, Steve (February 5, 2008)."The beat goes on for the Go-Go's".TampaBay.com.Archived fromthe originalon April 7, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 20,2018.
  23. ^Wiedlin reveals (and demonstrates) her BDSM predilections in theSurreal Lifeepisode "I'm With Cupid". First aired February 20, 2005. Prod Code: SL406.
  24. ^Ebert, Roger (December 18, 2005)."Ebert's Best 10 Movies of 2005".Chicago Sun-Times.Archived fromthe originalon November 17, 2012.RetrievedOctober 31,2015.
  25. ^"The Cell Block".stucknoir.com.Fall 2010. Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 20,2018.
  26. ^"Interview with director Steve Balderson: plot and cast of the film 'about the unknown' Alchemy of the Spirit - Dailybloid.com".dailybloid.com.RetrievedAugust 6,2023.
  27. ^"I Want To Get Married (2011) - William Clift | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related".AllMovie.RetrievedJune 4,2019.
  28. ^"I Want to Get Married - 2011".Spielfilm.de(in German).RetrievedJune 4,2019.
  29. ^"The story of the Hex Girls, the Scooby-Doo rock band turned cult, queer, girl-power icons".The Independent.October 31, 2019.RetrievedJune 21,2021.
  30. ^abcdefghi"Jane Wiedlin (visual voices guide)".Behind The Voice Actors.RetrievedJuly 4,2024.A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  31. ^Burton, Bonnie (2011).Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change.San Francisco: Zest Books.ISBN978-0-9790173-6-0.
  32. ^Wolfson, Julie (April 30, 2009)."Lenora Claire on her 'Bettie Page: Heaven Bound' Art Show".LAist.Archived fromthe originalon September 30, 2015.RetrievedOctober 31,2015.
  33. ^"Go-Go's Musical Head Over Heels Eyes Summer Broadway Bow at the Hudson Theatre".Playbill.January 10, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 29,2018.
  34. ^"PETA Milestones".PETA.org.2003. Archived fromthe originalon July 28, 2007.RetrievedFebruary 20,2018.
  35. ^"The Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin opens up about mental health".
  36. ^"The Sparks Brothers' Review: Edgar Wright's Irresistible Celebration of 50 Years of Art-Pop's Brightest Sparks".Variety.January 30, 2021.RetrievedOctober 3,2021.
  37. ^Voss, Brandon (May 21, 2011)."Jane Wiedlin: Go, Jane, Go!".The Advocate.RetrievedNovember 26,2016.
  38. ^Merrick, Bob (January 2, 2005)."A Go-Go's Surreal Life".Out.RetrievedNovember 26,2016.
  39. ^Snyder, Molly (January 26, 2018)."Non-traditional wedding officiants provide personalized ceremonies".OnMilwaukee.RetrievedOctober 18,2021.
  40. ^"Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's is Engaged to Boyfriend Terence Lundy".People.
  41. ^"Jane Wiedlin on Instagram:" @my_brain_on_paint and I got hitched! "".
  42. ^Tzortzis, Andreas (March 16, 2017)."Jane Wiedlin".Ageist.com.Ageist.RetrievedMarch 27,2023.
  43. ^Millman, Ethan (December 11, 2023)."Go-Go's Guitarist Jane Wiedlin Claims Influential Rock DJ Sexually Abused Her as a Teen".Rolling Stone.RetrievedDecember 12,2023.
  44. ^"Jane Wiedlin Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
  45. ^"RPM Top 100 Albums - August 27, 1988"(PDF).Library and Archives Canada.RetrievedNovember 21,2019.
  46. ^ab"Jane Wiedlin | full Official Chart History".Official Charts Company.RetrievedJuly 10,2022.
  47. ^"Jane Wiedlin Album & Song Chart History – Hot 100".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
  48. ^"Jane Wiedlin Album & Song Chart History – Dance/Club Play Songs".Billboard.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
  49. ^"Search for: Jane Wiedlin".charts.nz.Hung Medien.RetrievedDecember 6,2010.
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