Ann Boleyn, the leader singer of Hellion, has a storied career that started with auditioning for the Runaways.
While the Runaways were recording their first record, Kim Fowley brought in Ann Boleyn for an audition. In turning down working with the producer, she looked ahead to a life in metal. Hear some of the trials and tribulations of Ann Boleyn: the lead singer of Hellion, the mentee of Ronnie James Dio, the founder of New Renaissance Records.
SOURCES
This season of Bad Reputation would not be possible without the work of journalist Evelyn McDonnell and her book Queens of Noise. If you are looking to learn more about the Runaways, this is a must.
Other sources for this episode include:
Neon Angel by Cherie Currie
Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust by Ken Scott
We Got the Neutron Bomb: The Untold Story of L.A. Punk by Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen
“This Heavy Metal Singer Became a Lawyer Fighting Sexism” by Micco Caporale
“Flash Metal Suicide: Why Weren’t Hellion More Famous?” via Louder Sound
“Interview with Queen of Metal Ann Boleyn” via Indian Music Mug
Maximum Metal Interview with Ann Boleyn by Jonah Haze
Hardrock Haven Interview with Ann Boleyn by Deb Rao
Metal Temple Interview with Ann Boleyn by Charlotte Whittingham
Battle Helm Interview with Ann Boleyn by Anders Ekdahl
I read, watch, and conduct as many interviews as possible to make Bad Reputation, but this is a self-funded passion project. Only a fraction of the interviews I find or conduct appear in episodes, but all voice-acted parts are dramatizations of real quotes or interactions described in interviews.
If you have a question about where a specific piece of information came from or would like to provide a source for correcting something, please reach out!
As a former model, Ann Boleyn did not shy away from the spotlight, and she consciously leaned into her witch persona.
CREDITS
Culture doesn't exist in a vacuum, and my voice actors are the people whose ideas, influence, and encouragement shape my work. If you like this podcast, you will probably like many of their projects, too.
Cat DeBacker (Cherie Currie) is a culture writer.
Scott Plant (Kim Fowley) plays in the band Droids Blood.
J.R. Nelson (Beowulf’s drummer) is a music critic.
Leor Galil (Ronnie James Dio) is a music journalist.
Jessi Roti (Ann Boleyn) is a music journalist.
Nancy Paraskevopoulos (Hilary Mantel) plays in the band Blossom Hall.
This episode did not have a developmental editor.
Bad Reputation's logo photo is by photographer Martin Sorrondeguy aka Martin Crudo. You may know him from Limp Wrist or Los Crudos, though he has played — and continues playing — in many bands.
MUSIC
Bad Reputation’s intro is a mash-up of the Slits’ “Typical Girls,” Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” and Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation.”
Every episode concludes with “Wavelengths” by Death Valley.
This episode also included The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy,” Hellion’s “Bad Attitude,” Dio’s “Holy Diver,” and Hellion’s “Betrayer.” Instrumental music came from a royalty-free music library and the Creative Commons.
