Joan Jett's Five Acts of Legend

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Look back on some of the highlights of the pioneering hard-rocker's career.

Joan Jett performs at the House of Blues Sunset Strip on August 1, 2013 in West Hollywood, California.
(Image credit: Chelsea Lauren/WireImage/Getty Images)
  • She was a founding member of the Runaways in 1975. Though manager Kim Fowley did his best to shape their image, their aggro sound - and creativity - couldn’t be constrained.
  • Sex Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones joined her in 1979 to record a version of the Arrows’ “I Love Rock and Roll.” In 1982, Jett’s reworking with the Blackhearts sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.
  • Not content with just being a rock star, she is a champion for animal rights and vegan living.
  • She became the first woman to be honored with a Gibson signature guitar - the Joan Jett Melody Maker - in 2008. She collaborated with Gibson on a second signature model, the Joan Jett ES-339, in 2019.
  • The scrappy and gritty guitarist made the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
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